Atmosphere creates meaning. When it reaches October, I find myself deep in the crawlspace of my home, digging out the Halloween decorations. Why do Rachel and I decorate for Halloween? I am not sure, but it is fun, and it adds a little pop to our front porch.
This year, we even moved a couple of smart lightbulbs to the porch so that the lights would change from orange to purple and back again. Couple that with a few carved pumpkins, a few LED light strings, and whatever else we find in our container of supplies, and you get a fun display for all to see.
We aren’t winning any prizes or going to be on any of those light shows, but it is still fun. Come November, we alter it slightly for a more Thanksgiving theme, and of course, in December, we show off our Hannukah pride filling our house with light to celebrate the Festival of Lights.
The atmosphere in our neighborhood changes around this time of year: neighbors seem to be more neighborly, street hockey appears to be a little bit more fun, and light fills the street. November just feels different to me, but for all the right reasons. The days get a little shorter as the sun sets earlier, but the evening gets a little more orange and fills the sky just as it crosses the horizon. This is the meaning that I find in November, and I am thankful for it.
Atmosphere creates meaning in all that we do. When we walk through the halls of Temple Beth Or and take a second to notice something hanging that we hadn’t seen in the past; when we step into a classroom during Makor and find it filled with children laughing; when we rise from the pews to welcome the Shabbat Bride during L’cha Dodi, we create atmosphere, and we create meaning.
And so, it is my goal when I bring education to life to do it not only through meaningful lessons and inspiring classes, but through creating an atmosphere that allows us, allows our students, allows everyone to feel welcome and ready to learn. Hopefully, our students feel it when they walk in on Sunday, and I invite all to create meaning by designing an atmosphere. It’s a challenge, but certainly one I hope all will enjoy.
This is the season of Thanksgiving, the season of showing appreciation and giving (and accepting) gratitude. This year, the season of Thanksgiving mixes with the Festival of Lights, and I hope that your season is filled with light. When you drive through the streets of your neighborhood, I hope it is filled with a sense of calm and serenity, mixed with a love for light and joy.
And if/when you visit the Azriel home, I hope that you find our porch lights shining brightly, maybe orange and purple, maybe red and brown, maybe blue and white, but always shining, inviting you to join in our joy of the festival and holiday season.
