The season of the Jewish High Holy Days commands us to be together, just one way that our faith can help those who are struggling to reconnect with their larger communities.
To thrive in a lonely century, we’ll need more goods and services designed to deliver connection such as AI “friends” and daytime discos for retirees.We also read the story of Jonah. Jonah runs away from God, hiding in the belly of a fish, thinking that if he cowers at the bottom of the sea, no one will find him. And yet, it is exactly when Jonah ultimately returns and reengages that his desolation and despair begin to fracture.
Spiritually and practically, faith and community institutions must support the individual in this difficult return, and that starts with mental health. We need to invest in mental health services and make them accessible, available and normalized. In 2020, we opened the Sinai Temple Mental Health Center and have spent the last three years shedding fossilized layers of stigma. The center’s work is just beginning.
Equally important, we must help people reconnect within their larger communities. Providing structured avenues for individuals to safely reengage and shed fear of themselves and fear of each other is crucial. Together with Pastor John-Paul Foster of Faithful Central Bible Church, Father Ed Benioff of Church of The Good Shepherd, and Omar Qudrat of the Muslim Coalition for America, we have worked to create moments of unity. Our communities are fostering environments of connectedness.
The Jewish High Holy Days are marked by the sound of the shofar, an alarm that asks us to wake up. This year, no matter where you are in your religious journey, reengage with this world and know that you are not alone.serve as co-senior rabbis at Sinai Temple, the largest Conservative synagogue in Los Angeles.
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