“With Intention” recently posted an article about Jewish community…
http://michaeltpullen.wordpress.com/2008/07/09/jewish-community-what-is-it-for
This is a question I come up against daily. My reply is below
You have a great point, and one that I write about frequently.
I thoroughly believe that at one point, synagogues were vital to perpetuating Jewish continuity in the U.S. Today, however, I believe and experience daily that Jews are growing ever more dissatisfied with that experience, but developing their own ways to create the community experience.
We also need to ask – what defines community? Is it the number of people? Does it matter where they go? What do they go for? And if they can find “it”, isn’t that their community?
Technology allows us to be more creative than ever to finding our “communities”. I have a group of people I worship with on Fridays, and a whole other group for Saturday. There are those I find my intellectual equals, others I find are my social companions.
Community…What is it?
Just being together – wherever we are, whatever we are doing. If we’re being Jewish, in a group more than ourselves, it can be defined as community.
The really important factor here is…BE Jewish.
Cantor Debbi Ballard
http://www.mypersonalcantor.com
Cantorballard's Weblog 