I was raised in a Conservative home. I went to Hebrew school three times a week after school and on Sundays and services on Shabbat. I attended Camp Ramah where we prayed every morning (including Torah readings Mondays and Thursdays!) before breakfast and had Hebrew and history classes Monday-Friday alongside the fun stuff. I went on two teen tours to Israel. And when I went to college, a small one with no sizeable Jewish community or formal Hillel, I found myself living with other Jewish students with whom I celebrated holidays and shared cultural references.
As a young adult, I largely strayed from Jewish practice. When I found Sukkat Shalom (then The Little Minyan), in the summer of 2006, I was unaffiliated and unsure what my relationship to Judaism would be.
I was drawn to KSS by the group of leaders I found here. Each brought something different to our time together be it a d’var Torah, guided meditation, or a new tune to an old prayer. I found it inspiring to hear a chorus of voices.
Fast forward about 15 years and I now find myself at the front of the room – or at least the leader given we gather in a circle as often as we are able. I find joy in preparing to lead Avodat Lev on Saturday mornings. It helps that the service is short and our tradition provides a structure to follow. I draw on the work of Rabbis and Jewish professionals whose work enriches my personal knowledge and connection to our liturgy and history and I am excited to share with others. I have grown exponentially along with my desire to learn more since I stepped into this role.
I’m an educator by trade, perhaps by nature, so it’s no surprise my lay-leadership journey began in the classroom. When my daughter was a toddler, I volunteered with our Teva Travelers youth education program. Starting small helped me appreciate what I might have to share and I count that among the blessings I’ve found in being a parent with a desire to raise my child in Jewish community. As I’ve taken on more leadership responsibilities, that has become more and more important to me – using Jewish practices and experiences as opportunities to build community.
I don’t think my parents set out to raise a Jewish leader all those years ago. They just wanted to instill in me knowledge and a sense of peoplehood; and at that they succeeded. But the foundational experiences they made possible gave me confidence to rise up when my community needed me. I know that brings them naches, a Yiddish term for the pride and joy parents find in the accomplishments of their children.
Of course you don’t have to have grown up as I did to be a leader in our congregation, and again that’s the beauty of who we are – a collection of people on unique but parallel Jewish journeys who benefit from the diversity of our experiences. You can learn more about our leaders on a new page on this website. I hope you’ll read more and be inspired to join us for an upcoming service or event. We can’t be leaders without participants.
Jodi Kushins – Lay Leader and Board Chair