Synagogue Village Leaders Gather

The double shehecheyanu was warranted on Sunday morning, Jan. 26, as leaders of local synagogue villages met in person for the first time, and Los Angeles was blessed with rain for the first time this year after the devastating fires.

Thirty-four older adults from six synagogues around the LA area gathered at Adat Ari El. They are leaders of their synagogue villages, and their villages are members of the Synagogue Village Network. A village is a community of older adults who have joined together to help each other navigate the challenges and opportunities of aging. Essentially, villages are member-led communities that offer social connections, engaging programming, and a range of support, resources and care. Villages are communities of people working together to help people age in place and in community. 

Inspired by the village movement, Rabbi Laura Geller spearheaded the idea of Jewish villages tied to synagogues to keep older Jewish adults engaged and connected to the Jewish community. Synagogue villages also provide a meaningful way for synagogues to support their older members and reach out to new ones. The first synagogue village, ChaiVillageLA, was founded in 2016, and is a collaborative project of Temple Isaiah in Cheviot Hills and Temple Emanuel in Beverly Hills. Since that time, several other synagogue villages have been established, three of which are in the LA area: Chai Neighbors, a joint project of Adat Ari El and Temple Beth Hillel in Valley Village; TJVillage of Temple Judea in Tarzana; and Or Ami Village of Congregation Or Ami in Calabasas. 

These villages and the Synagogue Village Network are part of the larger village movement. There are more than 50 villages in the state of California and more than 300 across the nation. Most are secular, independent organizations serving residents of their local communities.

There are more than 50 villages in the state of California and more than 300 across the nation. 

A team of synagogue village leaders planned the gathering that took place last weekend. The event itself was the first time many of them ever met in person. Their hope was to build community across synagogue villages, and to renew and reinspire participants to strengthen their villages. They also intended this gathering to be an opportunity for leaders to share successes as well as ideas and strategies for addressing common challenges. As one participant reflected, “I guess it takes even more than a village … it takes a whole bunch of warm and caring villages to create even more ways to reach out to others.”

The gathering opened with words from Rabbi Geller. She tied the book of Exodus, and the Torah portion, with the current challenges that Los Angeles faces following the devastating fires, including the loss of the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center to fire. She said, “When things get bad, remember who you are. Remember that we come from a people who have experienced trauma. But here we are. Even though sometimes we are overwhelmed, gam ze ya’avor … this too shall pass. We, and our children, are the children of our resilient ancestors.”  

Katie Brandon, the Executive Director of the Pasadena Village, also addressed the group. The Pasadena Village is an independent, nonsectarian village serving people from Pasadena, Altadena, La Crescenta, Sierra Madre, Monrovia and beyond. Of their village of 240 members, almost half were evacuated and 20 lost their homes. The village and broader community have rallied to help each other by gathering and distributing food and supplies, opening their homes to displaced members, and more. Programs and activities also continue, enabling people to stay connected and providing crucial social support. The Pasadena Village generally offers about 70 programs and activities a month. In her talk, Katie shared lessons from the Pasadena Village. She described the ways their values guide them in identifying and cultivating new leaders, maximizing member engagement and meeting the interests and needs of the community.

While this gathering was for people already involved with their synagogue villages, these leaders are driven by a higher purpose. They want to ensure that people can age in vibrant, engaging, and caring Jewish communities. They want to challenge assumptions and stereotypes about older adults and they want to be seen as a vital and valuable part of the Jewish community and beyond. 

To learn more, visit synagoguevillagenetwork.org 

Shifra Teitelbaum is an educator, facilitator and trainer.