For many years, Ruth Wenger, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, shared her love of learning and passion for Judaism by teaching religious school at Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation, in Evanston, Ill. One weekend, Wenger — a lawyer, philanthropist and Jewish communal leader who helps leads a weekly minyan at the congregation
For Jackie Land, a lifelong educator, that passion is fueled by the Reconstructionist commitment to egalitarianism and democracy: how each community makes decisions for itself on how best to live Reconstructionist values.
Being a leader requires ongoing learning. You can’t learn to lead by attending a week-long conference or by doing it for a year or two. Rather, we want to impress the idea that learning to be a leader is a lifetime of study and practice.
As more and more places of worship become vulnerable to hate crimes and gun violence and we increase security measures, young people are particularly traumatized. One congregation has created a mental health and resilience curriculum for its students.
How can you delight two- and three-year-olds with chanting of Torah in ancient melodies called trope?
We need one another — this Passover and always.
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