Until I had my first job, prioritizing Judaism and Jewish values was second nature for seemingly everyone in my orbit. I was privileged to live in my comfortable little Jewish bubble, and I was largely unconcerned with much beyond it – or how that bubble remained possible.
It wasn’t until I was out in the world on my own that I began to understand that having a Jewish community is not automatic, and it’s not everywhere. I drifted away somewhat from Jewish community, until I began working at the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia in 2018. Since then, I’ve learned a few things:
- Jewish communal work is as rewarding as it is challenging.
- There is no one model for engaging people Jewishly, and it is rare that the same model works in different contexts.
- There are a lot of Jews out there, and everyone needs community.
- It takes all of us to keep it all going.
As I have learned the mechanics of what it takes to make the Jewish community what it is, the one feeling I keep coming back to is gratitude. I am grateful for the professionals who give so much of themselves every single day, whose undying passion and love for all of this keeps them going, and who are always seeking each other out for ideas and innovations. I am grateful for the lay leaders and volunteers who drive our work by giving their precious time and unique expertise. I am grateful to the donors who sacrifice to give us the vital dollars without which none of this would be possible.
Most of all, I am grateful that Greater Philadelphia is home to dozens of synagogues, agencies, and institutions dedicated to the present and future of the Jewish people. Given the nature of the non-profit industry, it would be easy for us to treat one another as competition. Instead, our local lay and professional leaders have built systems designed to come together, like Jewish Federation’s network of neighborhood Kehillot. A rising tide lifts all ships, and Jewish Philadelphia continues to show that that tide won’t be slowing any time soon.
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Learn about the Jewish Federation’s neighborhood programming by clicking here.
