REMEMBERING ARNIE z"l

Tuesday has come and gone, but it's never too late to give!

We appreciate your continued support for, and commitment to, 
The  Synagogue Council of MA

This Giving Tuesday we are honoring the memory of Arnold Zaff z''l, a beloved  former Synagogue Council of MA President and Board member.  We are inspired by the impact that Arnie has had on the community, and by his devotion to, and capacity for, leadership and wise counsel. Thus we are establishing a new initiative, the President's Leadership Forum, in Arnie's name.

The Arnold Zaff Memorial President's Leadership Forum will provide a yearly gathering and in-service training opportunity for Presidents of congregations and those in the leadership pipe-line. Dedicating the President's Leadership Forum to Arnie's memory allows us to continue his legacy and will remind us, ongoingly, of his passion and commitment. 

Make the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts part of your Giving Tuesday. Consistent with the request of the Zaff family, we are asking for your contribution today, in Arnie's memory. 


Wishing you and your loved ones a Happy Chanukah
Chag Urim Sameach
Arnie Zaff

We mourn the death of  Arnold Zaff, z"l.

On Tuesday, November 6, 2018, Arnie succumbed, at age 76, to injuries sustained in a tragic cycling accident. Arnie died as he lived, leaning in, fully engaged in pursuits of the body and of the mind.
Arnie Zaff was a man of intelligence, energy, and integrity, with a deep and unwavering commitment to Areivut, connectedness, and Klal Yisrael, unity. Arnie was so proud of the way his family embodied the ideal of Jewish pluralism. He was a past president of Beth Avodah, a URJ affiliated Temple, and later Arnie and Dale became long time members of Emanuel, a Conservative congregation. Their son Jonathan and his family live locally and are members of a Reform synagogue. Their son Eric received rabbinic ordination from Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, a Modern Orthodox yeshiva, and he and his family are members of an Orthodox synagogue in Skokie, Illinois.
Arnie served on the Synagogue Council of Massachusetts's board for 11 years, as President from 2013-2016. He held the presidency at a critical juncture in SCM's history, and extended his tenure an extra year to shepherd my onboarding as Executive Director, upon Alan Teperow's retirement. His steady hand and wise counsel assured a smooth transition for the organization and launched us to our next stage of viability and vitality.

The Rabbis instructed (Mishnah Tractate Avot 2:1): הֱוֵי זָהִיר בְּמִצְוָה קַלָּה כְּבַחֲמוּרָה                   "Be equally attentive to minor and major principles." That was Arnie. He valued the big picture, and, at the same time, attended scrupulously to every detail, whether an arcane aspect of Robert's Rules, a complex Biblical Hebrew verb, a pitcher's ERA, or the knot of his bow tie.

Arnie's impact upon us, and upon the community, cannot be measured.
 
Zeicher Tzadik Livrachah     זכר צדיק לברכה
 
May the righteous be remembered for Blessing.

Click here to read the published obituary, and reflections from Arnie's son Jonathan shortly after his passing.


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