Tonight’s guest blogger is Danielle Henson from the Gail Borden Public Library. She and I have partnered on a number of things in the City of Elgin, including Courageous Community Conversations, the vigil after the Orlando Nightclub Shooting, the Long Red Line/One Billion Rising and the Unity March. In November Gail Borden Library will be hosting CKI’s Book Group for National Jewish Book Month. She read the initial words of Joy in Hebrew and has used each one. Here are her words:

My Simcha: Sharing

I love to learn. I love to engage with my creative, diverse and volunteer-rich community. Joy is felt, for me, when I am sharing my love of learning with others by listening to them, and connecting them to vehicles that allow them to share, teach and help others in the community. The library, historically, is an unlikely place to weave community joy, talent and resources, but our library is fully engaged in the art of listening, uplifting and sharing. For me, joy is in the act of deep listening. Joy is in the act of reading or researching. Joy is in the natural connections that can be offered in a community that responds to problems and not react to them. There is where my Simcha abides.

Joy is felt in the safety of a community that works proactively to face difficult issues. I find joy in facing challenges of hate by lifting up stories of people and communities that have overcome hate and fear with the strong words “Not in Our Town”..  I find joy in supporting the community’s quest for cultural and religious intelligence by sharing stories, life experiences, community art projects, cultural celebrations, events and invitations, films and music. I find joy in the community knocking on our door to offer to share their book clubs, creative ideas, culture, literature and ideas about how they would like to build bridges of understanding.

I find joy in the introspection and wisdom of personal stories born and shared in my community. I find joy in the courage my neighbors express their deepest hurts, their hardest lessons and their empowering triumph. I find joy in the young people who listen and learn from other’s stories and the books they choose to read. I fill up with joy when someone has received a wise word, expressed a tear of empathy, encouraged a troubled heart to persevere through sharing.

My joy comes from the Orah examples of our most passionate religious leaders (Rabbi Klein and other faith leaders), and from our community leaders in many organizations that shine that light through their work each day. I feel my joy watching those that don’t know they are community leaders gain insight, wisdom and embrace the leadership space that other leaders make for them to emerge.

In all of these ways I find my Simcha. I find it through my library, on the shelf and in the eyes and hearts of those I serve.

Shalom!
Danielle Henson, Community Engagement Liason, Gail Borden Library