When I am coming to Temple for services or for Torah study, I wear a kippah. As a result, I end up driving while wearing my kippah. The remarkable thing about this is that I find that when I’m wearing a kippah, I drive differently. I’m fully aware of the differences, and I attribute it entirely to the fact that I’m wearing a kippah. The kippah has no magic power, but just wearing it makes me more conscious of the way I drive.  The difference is that I drive even more courteously than I usually do. When I get to the Temple parking lot – whether or not I’m wearing a kippah – I get the same feeling.

This month, I am asking you to be more aware and courteous in our parking lot.

We have been talking a great deal recently about safety and security, and most of the discussion has been focused on our building. But safety and security in the parking lot is at least as important, and it’s something that each of us has a great deal of control over. You or your children are far more likely to be injured in the parking lot than in the building. As I stated in the letter that was mailed to the congregation a few weeks ago, “Safety is a community effort.” No matter how much attention and effort we devote to securing our building, we still rely heavily on each individual to keep the parking lot safe. Most parking lot accidents are caused by distraction or inattention. Even if you’re driving only 5 MPH, checking your phone for a text or email can result in dire consequences. You have heard all the cautions about distracted driving and I am not going to repeat them here. But I want to remind you that it is even more important to be fully attentive when you are in a parking lot, especially when there are children around.

In addition to being more careful while driving in our lot, I am also asking that you park only in designated parking places. Any time you park along the driveway or on the sidewalk – even for “just a minute” – it causes drivers behind you to have to go around you, increasing the risk of injury to others.

While we will continue to do all that we can to make our building as safe as we possibly can, let’s all work together to make sure that our parking lot is also as safe as it can be. Each time you come into our lot, put on a virtual kippah.