As I begin my 4th year at Congregation Kneseth Israel and plan for the High Holidays, I am thinking a great deal about community. We have a unique community at CKI, an intentional one. One where people choose to be together. One where people want to be together. Why? What makes a community good?

One reason I write a blog is to deepen the conversation, to deepen the connections between people. To deepen community. These posts are often part of my Saturday morning sermon. Or a longer version of it. For the last few years for the 40 days between Rosh Hodesh Elul and Yom Kippur the blog has had a particular focus. One year it was forgiveness.  Last year I sat at Ravinia and dreamed of peace. Each year there have been guest bloggers.

So now I am asking you…what does community mean to you. How do we build community. What role does community playin stabilizing a neighborhood, in educating our children, in providing a place to pray or to play, in supporting a family through illness or grief, in celebrating life cycle events, big ones and little ones, in being a source of optimism and hope.

I have already been writing posts using with a title: Building Community By…..xyz. Partly because it seems everything I do is about building community and growing community. Partly because it is one of the planks of Congregation Kneseth Israel’s vision statement: Lifelong learning, meaningful observance, embracing diversity, building community.

Now it is your turn.

What does community mean to you? Why is it important? How have you felt connected? Where do you feel connected? It maybe the synagogue. But it may not be. It might be the Sisterhood or the Men’s Club or Hadassah or youth group. It may be a ball field or a health club. It may be sitting in the stands, 100,000 strong cheering for your favorite team. Or maybe your child’s PTO or a Girl Scout troop.The theater.  The library. A social club like Kiwanis or AAUW.  It maybe your neighborhood. Your garden club. Your place of employment. Your team at work. Your family.

Are there good communities? Communities that work? Are there ones that are less good? What makes them good? Is community different in Judaism and Christianity. What can we learn from the best of communities.

I hope that you will be willing to write 350 words or there about about your thoughts on community by August 1. Submit it in a word document or an email. Tell us a story. Tell us what worked well. Tell us why community is important. Be part of the dialogue. That’s community too!