Only a few years ago my wife, our three children, and I were unaffiliated. Quite simply, despite our strong commitment to the Jewish faith and its traditions, we could find no congregation in Maryland, the District, or Virginia where we felt at home. Now, I am honored to serve as President of Tifereth Israel Congregation. What happened?

What happened was my family's envelopment within the Tifereth Israel community. In a city known for its transience, we found a home. For in five very different ways, each member of my family came to view Tifereth Israel as our uniquely special community --- a place that nurtures learning, friendship, and spiritual expression; and, for my younger kids, a place to play with some really fun children.

I'll never forget the first time I entered this synagogue. It was Purim evening and, frankly, we had long since given up the idea that any Washington area shul could be as friendly or engaging as the one we attended in New Jersey, prior to our relocation. Yet, we figured our place that night was in a synagogue, any synagogue and, who knew, maybe if we tried Tifereth Israel we might like it?

So we gave it a try. We entered the sanctuary and the place was packed. Purim services had not yet started and already the sound of a hundred graggers filled the air. Children were running everywhere. A delightful man, Jerry Barr, greeted us at the door and handed us the evening's prayer books.

He introduced himself, welcomed us to services, and noted, in response to my question, that he was from West Virginia. In response to my second question (I was clearly already into the spirit of the holiday), he offered me his recipe for homemade moonshine.

I'd already met my first moonshine brewing Jew, and I hadn't even traveled six feet within the sanctuary. This place held promise!

Walking single file around the throngs of worshippers, we made our way up the aisle. We passed scores of adults and children dressed up for Purim in their Esther, Mordechai, and Haman costumes, as well as scores more dressed as others who are accorded a less traditional role in the Purim saga: Madonna, Cal Ripken, a talking bee, Bill Clinton.

Then, as one, we noticed a juggler on the bimah. "Oh, that's Ethan" someone responded to my wife Eti's question, "he's our rabbi."

"Wow," I (a forty-something) said. "Wow," Eti (a forty-something) said. "Wow," David (a pre-teen) said. "Wow," Avi (a five year-old) said. "Wow," Daniella (a four year-old) said. We were hooked.

The service that night was friendly, engaging, loud, and halachically knowledgeable. We came back for Shabbat. That service, and its Torah discussion within the service, was friendly, engaging, loud, and knowledgeable. Nowhere, among all the synagogues I've attended in North America (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Unaffiliated, Chavurah, Chasidic) had I ever come across a group whose worship was so simultaneously heartfelt, questioning, thoughtful, studious, friendly, mutually respectful, and engaging of the congregation's lay members --- all of them: young and old, female and male, experienced and inexperienced.

Whoever wishes to make Tifereth Israel a home ... he or she has a home here. We study, we teach, we learn, we pray, we sing (boy do we sing!), we laugh, we console, we congratulate --- in bad times and good, we all come together with passion because we care, passionately. At bottom, I think, what unites us is the unspoken desire to live Judaism, not just to talk about it as yet another appendage to our lives. Certainly, that is what attracted Eti, our kids, and me.

Home. Community. Family. Passion. These were the things we were looking for when we stumbled upon Tifereth Israel. Unquestionably, we have found them.

As TI's President, I enjoy meeting with my fellow congregational presidents for several reasons. Not the least of which is that they are genuinely nice people. Each time we meet, however, one or another of my colleagues predictably complains about the inability of their lay members to conduct services, read Torah, or about the disinterest in their rabbi's adult education courses.

I find myself silently counting my blessings . . ..