By Nicki Pollock, Executive Administrator

What does it mean to “belong” to a Jewish community? Do you feel that you belong? Have you ever felt otherwise?fullsizerender-1

The sense of belonging or to be a part of something is to most a basic human wish or desire that transcends the generations. I spent a good portion of my adolescence and early twenties trying to refute that; simply insisting that being viewed as an independent or an individual was of higher importance. At that time, I felt as many teens do, as if no one understood me or the person who I wanted to become. I felt that the religion I was raised in did not speak to me, answer my questions, or welcome me at all. The place of worship was one I recall as being a cold, unfriendly place that I would dread visiting, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Even as a young adult attempting to attend a service or two, I felt as if I was being spoken to and looked down upon. I felt as though I was being lectured to, and that the messages delivered had no bearing on my existence or life experience whatsoever – that I was of no real value to the congregation or this particular religious community. This was truly an area and time of my life in which I felt as though I did not belong.

As a result, I temporarily turned away from religion and didn’t see a place for it in my daily life. It wasn’t until I had children that I began to feel the need to be part of something greater than myself. I had preoccupied my time with searching for a quality home life for my family, but had neglected to invest any time or thought in providing a quality religious and spiritual home for myself or my children. I had one basic ground rule, and that was to insure that my children did not have to experience the same negative taste of religion that I did when I was young. So, I set out on my quest to discover a religious and spiritual place that would mirror and support my belief system and provide the guidance that I needed now as a parent.

I wanted to learn more about a religion where quest