An Important Update from Rabbi Arnowitz and Yale and Shabbat Shalom from WJC

Shalom WJC Mishpecha (family),

We hope you’ve been finding many ways to enjoy your summer. In our last communication, we shared that a group was formed to address how we, as a community, can engage in constructive disagreements while remaining a family.

This working committee, The Shema Group (Strengthening our Hearing, Empathy, Mindfulness, and Actions), has developed further over the past three months and identified two major initiatives. We are excited to begin sharing them with you.

The first initiative is to educate our community to engage in difficult conversations more successfully, a value rooted in Judaism’s belief in questioning and tackling tough subjects b’chevruta, together in friendship. The second initiative involves meeting with our executive director Chip Schrager to evaluate synagogue communications and help design a smoother, more robust, system for two-way communication within the WJC community.  

Presently, The Shema Group has been interviewing expert Jewish values-based consultant groups that would work with the WJC executive branch and with our membership; we are excited that these ideals align with our synagogue’s theme for this year’s high holidays: Rest, Connect, Renew. 

The world has set up a difficult backdrop for being Jewish, and as individuals we are all finding our way to live Jewishly. Conflicting opinions always exist. In Judaism, having different opinions is a rooted and celebrated aspect of our tradition. Going forward, our goal is to listen better to one another to help us thrive and build an even better and even stronger Westchester Jewish Center.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Arnowitz and Yale Zoland