Leadership and Humility Serve A Small University Community

It is not often one has the opportunity to sit in a room surrounded by folks who have been present at different decades of one's life besides maybe one's wedding/ special birthday. Saturday was one such evening with over 400 in attendance in a new setting in Coralville, Iowa for a congregation of which many of its congregants have been part of different decades of my life. We may have been in a different building but the feeling was that of being surrounded by familiarity and family. 

You see my parents met at the University of Iowa as they were both working on their doctorates. So there were friends present at this event who were my parents's friends since the early 1950's, their marriage and my birth. Then for my second decade to recycle through Iowa City for my undergrad attendance, ('72-'76) present also were college acquaintances, both classmate friends and also parents of a Sunday School class I taught as a university student and finally my third recycle was a set of adult friends ('85-'91) who were then also were young families when my family returned to Iowa City for a medical residency and internship and birth of child number two.   

Rabbi Jeff Portman, only 41 years older than when we first met 

But this evening's event was  for the retirement of this university town's spiritual leader, Jeff Portman, who has spent his entire rabbinic career with this one congregation. He reminded us jokingly he was the job's only applicant and green, real green, right out of the seminary.

Musical Fiddler tribute adaptation by the Caplans, family friends

His first year was my freshmen year some 41 years ago and his job was to serve both the academic and business community with many different religious proclivities. That, my friends, takes a very special soul. 

As our guest speaker (BTW someone I babysat back in the 70's) so poignantly stated, Jeff Portman served our religious community both with humility and leadership, knowing when to step forward and when to step back. His mild manner and genuine kindness allowed for the many personalities and opinions to coexist. A big job indeed.

Eric'll be raising his youngest daughter now
in this university community,
his Mom Janie is happy about that.

Some Margolins: Uncle Ben with Aunt Lisa holding sister Becky's newest addition
beaming as a Grandma, Joanne was pushing this baby's momma in a stroller
 when I met her in the 70's

As in any retirement it takes a while to find one's place but Jeff's community'll  help ease the adjustment pains as he will be surrounded by congregational friends with whom he has shared so many life events and simchas (joyous occasions).














The synagogue's building may be different but there's room to transition and its congregants's sentiments are familiar and warm as they will all enter a new stage together and build new memories as well as foster the old. 

Congregational trip to Cuba, donning a Cuban hat and cigar in hand

Mazal Tov Rabbi Jeff, you epitomize a real mensch and will always have a special place in the hearts of so many, especially mine here in the End of the Rainbow Valley...