Shanah Tovah from Cantor Reinwald

Before I moved to Pittsburgh, I lived two miles from Disneyland, and some people in Southern California live by the philosophy of Disney (just as much as some Pittsburghers’ lives seem to be guided by the Steelers). The Disney philosophy is synonymous with the term “imagineering”—and what I didn’t know was that this term was actually invented right here in Pittsburgh. 

“Imagineering,” while today a trademark of the Disney company, is a portmanteau invented by the Alcoa company in the 1940s as a cross between “imagination” and “engineering.” As I thought about where we stand in this present moment on the brink of a new era in our unified congregation’s history and future visioning, “imagineering” feels like it could be the answer to where we are headed. 

When visiting a Disney theme park, Disney uses its imagineering concept to provide us with what we didn’t know we needed or wanted and does this by way of experience. Driven by innovation and creativity, and often breaking free of the box, Disney still grounds itself in what we expect, but can deliver it with an element of surprise. There is always a balance between what is new and original alongside the strong foundation of Disney’s storytelling tradition.  

Where else have I experienced this? Amusingly—at Costco. They do this by way of product. Think of all those samples and how often you have succeeded in leaving the store with only the things that were on your list (okay, I did it…once!). Costco makes you want to try new products and sells them to you in a way that makes it feel like they are going to change your life. 

Libraries do this similarly by way of knowledge. There is something so exciting to me about perusing a library (places that I happily grew up in, which therefore feel so welcoming) and leaving with something I came in looking for, but also with other unintended items that will provide me with added enlightenment.

On my very first trip to Israel, we camped in a Bedouin encampment in the desert. This experience took me well out of my comfort zone. I initially thought I was not going to enjoy the experience and was not looking forward to it. It then surprised me as one of the most memorable moments I had on that trip. It was an adventure that so incredibly exceeded my dim expectations. The food, sleeping outdoors in a giant tent surrounded by camels walking in the sand, and the evening’s ending with dancing to Middle Eastern music in the mysterious dark of the desert twilight—it all surprised me, giving me what I could never have imagined in what was both a uniquely foreign and fulfilling moment. 

So, as we stand on the brink of a new year and a new era in our community’s history, what matters most is how we “imagineer” together. The power is in our hands to shape our future. What traditions will ground us, and where will our imaginations and ingenuity take us to that we could have never imagined alone?

Hinei mah tov u’mah na’im shevet achim gam yachad. 
How good it is that we can dwell…and imagineer…together. 

L’Shanah Tovah, 
Cantor David E. Reinwald