Our next guest blogger, Gretchen Vapner, is the executive director of the Community Crisis Center in Elgin, IL. The Community Crisis Center is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. It offers shelter, hotline counseling for domestic violence and sexual assault, emergency food distribution, help with rent, utilities and transportation, and community education programs.

Always interesting subjects posed by you, Rabbi.  Always nice to be asked.

Community….for me, perhaps because of the political issues I face each day, begins with citizenship .  Being a citizen is being a part of the largest and most important community….and, it comes with great responsibility.  All other communities on each level are related to being a citizen.

Community is a shared experience….more than a group….shared beliefs , hopes and expectations.  I am a member of a community of activists working towards peace for battered women.  We understand each other; we speak the same language; we share similar visions and ethics.  We may or may not be friends….our purpose unites us, not friendship necessarily.

I believe being a member of a community is the only way we move forward….alone we cannot see or do what needs to be done. We cannot identify and certainly not solve problems.  I see communities as mostly positive, but I suppose they can be of negative origin and purpose. To be a part of a community one does not give up individuality but rather contributes it; combines with that of others; builds.

(Enough rambling for this morning.  Perhaps a useful word or two.  My community work calls.)

Gretchen Vapner