5787/2026 President's Message

Dear Temple family~

This past year has been a year of settling in but also looking towards the future. Concord has been busy reigniting our committees, creating activities, and also planning for our future home. As we enter this High Holiday season, I hope you too have the opportunity to reflect not only on where you have been, but also on where you hope to go. What does your Jewish future look like? What do you want to pass on to the next generation?

There has been much discussion this year around strengthening the Jewish community and Temple Concord has been a part of that conversation. We have worked to build stronger relationships with the other congregations in our area, recognizing that collaboration—not competition—helps all of us grow. We have learned that each congregation is unique and that’s what makes each shul strong. By working together, sharing our traditions, values, and culture with the next generation, together we can ensure a vibrant Jewish community in Syracuse.

One of Temple Concord’s greatest strengths is creating a place where EVERY person feels that they are at home. Music is one of the ways we foster that sense of connection. Throughout human history, music has brought people together. We sing the same words, we move to the same rhythms, and create harmony together. What we are often not aware of is that we begin to breathe and move in sync with one another. The result is more than beautiful music—it is a shared experience, a stronger collective voice, and a deeper connection to those around us.

Today, we have countless choices about how we spend our time. We can scroll through our phones, rush from activity to activity, or gather with family and friends. I hope you will also choose to spend time connecting with fellow Jews in our community. There is something meaningful about being with people who share a common history, tradition, and set of values. That is why Temple Concord exists—to provide a place where no one feels alone and where every person can experience a sense of belonging.

I invite you to deepen that connection. Attend a social event, volunteer an hour of your time, relax in a service, enjoy a dinner, make a new friend. These moments of connection are at the heart of what Temple Concord offers. Together, we create a community where Jewish life can flourish and where we can show our children the beauty of carrying forward traditions, wisdom, and values that have sustained the Jewish people for thousands of years.

I wish you and your family Shanah Tovah U’Metukah—a good and sweet year.

Jennifer Satterlee
President