Melissa Potter Tribute
So, when nobody was looking, last November, my name appeared on the BHC election ballot as Co-president. Co-president? I thought that Dave was President! Yes, he has been, for what, 15 years now?
Co-president Melissa Potter presents Dave and Dorothy with an engraved challah board
But last year, Dave asked me if I would be co-president with him, just to take some of the duties off his plate. Reluctantly, I agreed, not because I particularly wanted to be co-president, but to lend a hand to the man who does everything. I shouldn’t really claim to be co-president, I’m really more of an understudy. If, for some reason, Dave is unable to fulfill his duties, I can step in. Like the second place winner of the Miss America pageant. If Miss America is unable to perform her duties… I think they used to actually say that during the contest. I’m also more like Miss Jane from the Beverly Hillbillies. Always there with Mr. Drysdale, helping out with whatever tasks are assigned.
Speaking of tasks… I coordinated with Leslie about our speeches so that we wouldn’t be saying the same things, and he agreed to let me talk about the many tasks performed by Dave behind the scenes that most people are not aware of. We all know that Dave knows and sings all the prayers in every service, including the once a year holidays (usually with the help of the beautiful soprano voice of Dorothy), he has the names ready for the misheberach prayer and the names for yahrzeit list, but here’s what else he does:
During the off-season, he prepares our Zoom Kabbalat Shabbat services for Friday evenings, selecting appropriate psalms, prayers, and English readings each week.
He sets up the zoom in the sanctuary, with his laptop computer and makes sure it’s connected to the large screen and microphones.
He knows when it’s the new moon, the start of the month on the Hebrew calendar and he recites the special prayer for the new month, called the special prayer for the new month.
He rolls the Torah scrolls so that they are in the correct place for occasions like holidays when we take out the Torahs and read from them.
He changes the torah and ark covers to white for the High Holidays and then changes them back again.
He stores the Torahs in our illustrious gun safe at the end of the season each year, and returns them to the ark in time for Shavuos.
He works for months preparing for the High Holiday services, working with Rabbi Kirshbaum and taking the lead in some of the prayers. I’m told he can blow shofar, too!
He takes out the candles for shabbat services, he knows where the Havdalah candles and spice box are. He knows where everything is!
He stays until the end of services and turns out the lights.
And those are just the things he does for services.
He also keeps track of our budget (with the help of Mike Adler, our treasurer, of course), and knows what we spend for plumbing, heating, lights, security, groundskeeping, and programming. He scrutinizes and signs all of our contracts. He cleans out closets. He runs over here every time the fire alarm goes off, which happens more often than we’d like.
He is always there to erect our Sukkah, standing on the ladder.
He dresses in wild costumes for Purim and usually produces the Purim spiel.
He stands out in the cold, sets up the sound system and leads the sing-along for our Chanukah menorah lighting at town hall, all 8 nights. He even wrote fun Chanukah carols based on Christmas tunes to add to the delight of the holiday.
He carries extra batteries for the remote microphones in his pockets.
He is more than our president, he is our part-time rabbi, our shlepper, our hand-man, and most of all, he’s the soul of this congregation.
So now let’s talk about Dorothy. She is Dave’s partner, his helper, and his cheerleader.
But she has her own accomplishments. She launched the White Mountain Jewish Film Festival in Bethlehem, teaming with the Colonial theater. A huge undertaking, from selecting the films, actually getting the films here in the proper format, getting funding and food donations, getting speakers, and of course, making her speeches and introductions at the patio parties.
For many year, Dorothy hosted our second day of Rosh Hashana pot-luck luncheon, first at her home, then here at the shul… another huge undertaking. She also ran a Jewish writing class here, which I took and enjoyed very much.
But most of all, Dorothy is the First Lady of our synagogue. She graciously greets everyone as they walk in the door or enters our zoom windows during services, introducing herself to anyone she sees but does not know. She is fearless in that way. She makes conversation and delights in meeting new people. She makes everyone feel welcome and important and BHC would not feel so community-oriented if not for Dorothy. She is truly one of a kind. If David is the soul, Dorothy is the heart of BHC.
And now I’d like to read something that I saw shared on Facebook without attribution, so I don’t know who wrote it, but here it is:
If you see a married couple still in love through the years, you may think how lucky they are. But in marital relationships, there is no such thing as luck.
They made many compromises, they overlooked each other’s faults.
They forgave many mistakes & endured many problems.
They spent years learning to understand one another.
Love has never been a matter of luck. It’s mutual giving, compromise, shared dreams, care, respect, mercy and patience.
So, everyone, please raise your glasses in honor of and thanks to the first couple of Bethlehem Hebrew Congregation, Dave and Dorothy Goldstone.
I also have the great honor of presenting you with this gift, a small token of our appreciation for everything you have done and continue to do in support of BHC.
Melissa Potter is Bethlehem Hebrew Congregation’s Co-President