The Synagogue as a Support System

Today, Israel is more a source of division in the Jewish world than it is a source of unity.

A true community is one in which members share an understanding of mutual concern and obligation.

The really essential mitzvah in our community is showing up, being present.

Rabbi Deborah Waxman published this essay "'Covenantal Community' and Classical Reconstructionism" in December 2024. What follows is this essay, with commentaries exploring Waxman's points by four other Reconstructionist rabbis: Megan Doherty, Isabel de Koninck, Katie Mizrahi and Elyse Wechterman.

In Can We ‘Hold Each Other’ Online? Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer explores the community created through Ritualwell's 15-minute minyan 'Holding Each Other.' She shares about the power of a pause in the day for prayer and the opportunity to honor, recognize and see each other, even if community members never meet off line.

How can we create and sustain meaning-rich communities with the power to transform lives?