I have heard it said that Jews read history in the future tense. Unhappily, our past has so often been the prologue to our future that we must do so. And yet, this phrase can be read in a happy way as well. Our tradition has been to revere tradition. Our lives as Jews today are built on the decisions made by ancestors who lived 2,000 years ago and more.

The world of 1999 and 2000 is not, however, a world which has much time for learning from history. It is too busy building the future to think about the past, let alone really think about the present. We must make an extra effort to do so.

And so, it is with great pride that we at B’nai Moshe stop to honor somebody who represents our past, our present and our future Shalom Ralph. Mr. Ralph has been with B’nai Moshe for 51 years as of this writing. When he arrived, B’nai Moshe was moving from being an Orthodox synagogue to being a Conservative synagogue. He has known rabbis, cantors, umpteen presidents. He has lived through three buildings. He has been to more bar mitzvahs and weddings than any caterer in town. And he is an honorary member of the dental society because of all the candy he’s given out over the years. So, he is firmly rooted in our past and perhaps knows as much of it as all but a few.

But he is not only of the past, he is of the present. He still presides at his place on the bimah. He still corrects the Torah reader. He still shows up for minyan every day, and remains to study texts. He gives candy to kids. He assists at weddings. He visits those who have suffered a loss. He is at the cemetery before Rosh Hashanah. In brief, he performs many of the duties formerly assigned to him when he was full time and not emeritus.

And yet, he is also of the future. He continues to train bar and bat mitzvah students. And those who he has trained in the past continue to chant according to his style, so his voice will be heard for decades to come. He continues to create memories for those kids who get candy memories which will live with them for the rest of their lives. Stories of things he’s done, of his ability to hold that last note on the shofar at the end of High Holy Day services, are being told and will be told for a long time to come. But most of all, he is of the future because he sets an example. He shows us how to live. He shows us how to be. His sense of humor is something we could all emulate to our benefit. His mitzvoth instruct us on how to act.

To cement his position in our future, and to honor the past, we are dedicating an alcove in his honor. We will showcase items from our past in this alcove, helping our members better understand where this congregation came from. And in seeing our history, perhaps our members can better understand our present and fashion the future of B’nai Moshe in the world we face today.