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How to build a Jewish community...really

In some cities, the Jewish community historically has huddled together like a family. I supposed this began when Jewish immigrants arrived in these cities, like New York and Chicago, and found homes close to each other or to family members who had arrived earlier. Thus, they clustered their homes into what became areas known for being “Jewish.”

 

You don’t find this everywhere. For instance, you don’t find it in the South Bay. When my family first moved to the Santa Cruz Mountains above Los Gatos, we were amazed to discover that we had Jewish neighbors right next door and another Jewish neighbor up the road. That constituted a high Jewish population density for the mountains. We formed a mountain havurah for Congregation Shir Hadash; we had maybe six families spread out around the area. We now live in another part of the mountains, and we don’t know anyone Jewish who lives nearby. I’m sure some “flatlanders” have more Jewish neighbors, but I don’t think any one neighborhood has made a name for itself as a Jewish community per se.

 

I bring this up, because I read about a very cool Jewish community being built in Ashland, OR, around a Jewish renewal synagogue – and I know about this community personally. I know the rabbi at the shul, David Zaslow, and the two people who have been very instrumental in supporting its creation, Fran and Tim Orrok, actually allowed me to stay in their home when I taught at that shul. The planned development, called Aleph Springs, features eight single-family units and six condos that will wrap around Havurah Shir Hadash, the local Jewish Renewal synagogue. The development received its final approval from the City of Ashland about a month ago. Fran and Tim were the first ones to purchase a unit; they had told me they planned to do so when I stayed with them almost two years ago. To read the whole article published in the JTA, click here.

 

Aleph Springs offers a chance for Jews to opt to live much like they did when long ago: within walking distance of their synagogue and in a Jewish community. Most Jews today don’t have that choice. While Aleph Springs may be the only community of its kind currently being built in the U.S., I bet others won’t be far behind. The South Bay may be too built up around its synagogues to offer this opportunity, but maybe someone will find a small plot of land not too far from a synagogue and plan a similar Jewish community, or plan one somewhere else. A shuttle service could always be offered to and from local synagogues on Shabbat. Wouldn’t that be nice? The whole concept really is enticing. Anyone want to take the idea and run with it locally?