Shabbat Shalom,

As the sun sets this Friday evening, marking the end of my first full week as the professional leader of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, I will be filled with an immense amount of gratitude, pride in the power of Jewish continuity, and a healthy dose of first-week tiredness!

The anniversary of my Bar Mitzvah was a few weeks ago, and I've been thinking a lot about the Torah portion, Chukat, during this transition. While this parashat is best known for the laws of the Red Heifer, which help the impure become pure, it is also a narrative about life's paradoxes and major transitional moments.

Currently, both this community and I are experiencing our own transitional chapters. Personally, moving to the beautiful Ocean State is a significant shift; I deeply miss my comfort, friends, and community in Minneapolis, while simultaneously feeling beyond excited to build a deeply rich, meaningful, long life here.

For Jewish life in Rhode Island, new leadership naturally brings both the excitement and the hesitation of the unknown. I am thankful for Harris Chorney, Adam Greenman, and all the previous executives who led the Alliance and its predecessor organizations to where we are today, while simultaneously feeling excited for what our future will be.

As we navigate this transition together —and the complex, diverse viewpoints within our Jewish community—my first week has already filled me with a great deal of confidence. Four early insights stand out:

  • Our Professional Team: The Alliance professionals are exceptionally dedicated. Please share your appreciation with them as they work to make our ecosystem thrive.
  • Our Lay Leadership: Our board and volunteers care deeply about securing a bright, accountable, and sustainable future for Jewish life throughout Rhode Island.
  • Our Partners: Organizations inside and outside the Jewish community are eager to collaborate and move mutual values forward.
  • Our Center: The Dwares JCC is a joyful space filled with light, excitement, meaningful programming (Summer J-Camp, Kosher Senior Cafe, the cutest Early Childhood students you’ve ever seen!), and more. It is a secure and welcoming space for all, and I enjoy seeing everything that takes place here every day!

Over this Shabbat, I encourage you all to take a moment to reflect on our community’s transitional moments and a paradox you feel we are facing in 2026. I’d love to hear your thoughts about both – please feel free to share them with me at CEO@JewishAllianceRI.org. 

I look forward to meeting, learning, and growing together in our shared journey ahead.

Shabbat Shalom, 
Steven A. Baker 
President & CEO