Judaism’s three H’s
Dear GJC,
We may be a “synagogue without walls” but that doesn’t mean we’re without the foundation that supports the Glacier Jewish Community.
Thank you for celebrating the Days of Awe with us, worshipping under the direction of guest Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin, and sharing meals and fellowship.
The GJC Steering Committee would like to thank everyone who contributed to making the Days of Awe so meaningful, welcoming, and inspiring.
Over the past ten days, we’ve gathered together, united, alert, and courageous. We ask questions of ourselves and questions of our community. In this new year, how do we want to live? And, in celebration of the GJC’s 10th anniversary, how do we want to live in/with/among the Glacier Jewish Community? This milestone is both an achievement and a challenge. Look at what we’ve done and what we do as an independent, egalitarian, diverse, and welcoming synagogue without walls. Look at how we’ve created our “brand” of Jewish mountain culture. What will the next year or ten years hold? The board has some ideas and hopes, and wants to hear yours. How do we continue to further our mission to maintain a connection to our Jewish roots and encourage vibrant participation in celebrating Jewish rituals and Jewish life together?
Perhaps guidance on these questions can be found in Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin’s discussion of Judaism’s three H’s in his book, Inviting God In: A Guide to Jewish Prayer. There is the head: learning and study. There is the heart: prayer, worship, and spirituality. There is the hand: activism through ethical behavior and social justice. He writes, “Those three things – head/Torah, heart/prayer and worship, and hand/loving deeds – are ideal ways for people to live Jewish lives, act in Jewish ways, and generally be and do Jewish.”
How does the GJC do the three H’s? How do you do the 3 H’s?
As we enter into this new year, those are top of mind. And going forward, particularly during this time of spiritual leadership transition, how can we create a place that sustains relationships and makes life meaningful for Jews living (or visiting) northwest Montana? Each of you brings a different element of the 3 H’s into this equation.
We’d also like to offer a final thank you to Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin for answering our call to act as our spiritual leader during the Days of Awe. As our guest rabbi, he’s inspired us with his wisdom, his calls to action for justice, standing up, and saying: hineni.
– Maggie, GJC Steering Committee Chair
