Blog

Our staff, Hillary Fox(program and outreach director), Ruth  Wilson (communications coordinator), and Lisa Basalto(webmaster) have worked so hard to get this site ready for us to use as a forum for thoughts, feelings, ideas, and whatnot during these challenging times. All I know is that my email boxes are filled with words from organizations, businesses, political leaders, and such trying to assure people, inform people, on and on.

Anyone who has studied Judaism with me knows that I have, for decades, relied on Mordecai Kaplan’s definition of Judaism as an evolving religious civilization. Over the centuries we have clearly demonstrated that our Jewish lives have changed. They have changed from location to location, in various cultures in which we lived and under the leadership of different people who have developed different views of how to live our lives as  Jews. A prime example is happening right now. I know of rabbis and communities that would not have been willing to rely on technology to connect people, particularly on Shabbat. In the unfolding drama of the world pandemic, things have changed.For a while now, many have condemned technology as taking people away from live interactions. Today, we are grateful toi have these tools to keep our community together.

And, right here, we have this thing called a blog to give us the opportunity to express ourselves in writing or through pictures or art or music. I will watch these pages closely to look for words from our community. It is these words that will profoundly connect us in these days of separation.

Meanwhile, I will work from home, attend to my child who starts distance learning after this week and will likely not be back in a classroom for the remainder of the school year. I will try to keep in touch with as many of our BIJC community as I can and add thoughts to these pages. Please join me.