June 29, 2026
Thank you again for giving me the honor of being your rabbi for the past twenty-six years. Beth Emet is an extraordinary congregation, and I know it will continue to flourish in the years ahead. One of the many reasons I can say that with confidence is that you have chosen as your next leader and teacher, Rabbi Brian Immerman, an outstanding rabbi who I know will serve our congregation well. Moreover, our entire Klei Kodesh team comprises thoughtful, devoted, creative, and hardworking people who care deeply about our community. I am especially grateful to Cantor Natalie Young, with whom I’ve had the honor and the pleasure of working for the last three years. She is an incredible talent and a real treasure for our community. Her musical gifts, combined with her soulfulness and deep caring for people, are extraordinary.
As I transition to the role of Rabbi Emerita, I want you to know that I won’t be around Beth Emet very much in the coming year, as is the custom. That is not because I don’t care about or love this congregation (on the contrary!), but because the community and Rabbi Immerman need time to get to know each other and to build relationships. If you need pastoral support, please be in touch with Rabbi Immerman or Cantor Young. After some time away, I will support and serve Beth Emet in whatever ways Rabbi Immerman finds helpful.
Many of you have asked what I’ll be doing in retirement. On Sunday, I leave for Israel for a month, where I’ll continue the fellowship I hold at the Hartman Institute in Jerusalem. When I return from Israel, I’ll be working with the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, where I’ve just joined the board, to determine how best I can support their social justice mission. As other plans take shape, I’ll share more about what I’m doing. Meanwhile, Danny and I will be staying in our home in Evanston, so I am sure I will still see many of you around town.
As I step into this new chapter, I carry each of you with me — every simcha celebrated, every loss mourned, every holiday shared. May you continue to find in Beth Emet a spiritual home that nurtures your soul and calls you to act with justice and compassion in the world. It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your rabbi, and I am deeply grateful for that.
In our morning liturgy, we ask for God’s abundant goodness to renew the work of creation daily. Each morning is the rebirth of the world and of our lives. May this new beginning be filled, for all of us, with great blessings.
May Beth Emet go from strength to strength.
With great affection,
Rabbi London
