Marla G. is a Preschool Teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area. Marla was a fellow in the 2021-22 J Leaders Academy.
How do we ensure the continuity of the Jewish people? This question has endured in Jewish society since the destruction of the Second Temple.
I have always been interested in the study of animals, conservation, and nature. In my opinion, we should approach the issue of ensuring the continuity of the Jewish people the same way we treat habitat conservation. When natural ecosystems are healthy and thriving, all of the various components/individuals living in that ecosystem flourish. The question then is, how do we create a Jewish ecosystem where the Jewish individual can grow?
I will share my opinion in this blog using my personal experiences and stories.
Create a Healthy Jewish Environment During Childhood
From my perspective, parents need to begin by cultivating a robust Jewish environment for their children. Judaism permeated my home environment. We celebrated Shabbat every Friday, participated in Passover Seders and Rosh Hashanah parties, lit the candles and played dreidel every Chanukah, listened to Hebrew songs, and had many Jewish family friends. My Jewish community further strengthened my Jewish identity.
I attended Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School in Palo Alto, and was blessed with the opportunity to live and breathe Judaism. I studied Torah, learned Hebrew, and celebrated Jewish holidays like Sukkot, Simchat Torah, and Tu BiShvat throughout the school year. I never felt like I was an outsider or that I was different. I was proud to be Jewish and felt joy in this knowledge of my identity every day.
Things changed when I attended public school. Though I was glad to be part of the greater world, my Jewish identity was not as strong as before. Fortunately, I continued my Jewish journey at Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills. I became Bat Mitzvah there, studied Torah at their Sunday school and at their after school program, and went through Beth Am’s high school confirmation.
Jewish Life as a Young Adult
I discovered a vibrant Jewish life during my college years, primarily through UCLA’s Hillel. At Hillel, I attended many Shabbat dinners and services, celebrated Jewish holidays with friends, took several courses related to Judaism and Jewish History, and even worked at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf located inside the Hillel. UCLA’s ecosystem created a place where I could come together with other Jewish young adults.
After finishing my studies and living abroad, I moved back to the SF Bay Area and began creating a Jewish habitat for myself as a young adult. I took part in the ENGAJ fellowship at the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto, served as a FedFellow with the Jewish Federation in San Francisco, and attended many events for Jewish young adults hosted by Moishe House and JHTC 2.0 (now called JYA).
Jewish Community During the Pandemic with J Leaders
The situation took a turn for the worse during the COVID Pandemic. For many young adults, including myself, we felt a great loss when we could no longer engage in the greater Jewish community. In the summer of 2021, I reached out to JHTC board member and JHTC 2.0 advisor Peter Hoffman. Peter mentioned that he had started an innovative leadership program for young adults called the J Leaders Academy. I applied to this program and served as a fellow from the Fall of 2021 to the Spring of 2022. In truth, it was the J Leaders program that got me through the pandemic. I always looked forward to the engaging presentations and discussions that focused on leadership from a Jewish lens.
What I appreciated most about the J Leaders Academy was how it emphasized that, no matter the profession you choose, Jewish values can serve as a guiding compass. J Leaders’ mission of fostering transformative leadership through Jewish wisdom and values inspired me to re-examine how I live my own life, and ultimately choose to live a life guided by Jewish values. J Leaders and other Bay Area groups created a thriving Jewish ecosystem that nurtured my growth.
Rediscovering Jewish Community After October 7th
Over the next few years, my Jewish identity stayed strong. However, everything changed after October 7th. The sadness, anger, and pure disbelief that I felt as I took in the world’s reaction to the horrific events that had occurred made me question everything – the purpose of organized religion, whether or not the Jews would survive as a people, and even the very existence of God. How could a loving God that had chosen us as a people stand by when such deplorable events had occurred? I found myself isolating again, though this time it wasn’t due to COVID – it was a reaction to being in a world that seemed to hate Jews and celebrate the suffering of Jews.
Attending one event was the catalyst that catapulted me back into the Jewish world. In the summer of 2024, my good friends Danny and Anna invited me to a young adult Shabbat dinner at the Palo Alto Chabad. Though the situation in Israel was never discussed, I felt a strong sense of community and solidarity knowing that there was a place where I could express and celebrate my Jewish identity without fear. After attending that dinner, I reconnected with friends from J Leaders, ENGAJ, JYA, as well as meeting many new friends.
In Conclusion: Ensuring the Continuity of the Jewish People
Ultimately, when asking the question, “How do we ensure the continuity of the Jewish people?”, the answer to me is very clear. We need to, now more than ever, create safe spaces – vibrant ecosystems – that allow Jews to discover their heritage, learn about the many aspects of Judaism, practice their religion in the way they choose, and build a strong community with fellow Jews.
Marla G. is a Preschool Teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area. Marla was a fellow in the 2021-22 J Leaders Academy.