Hakhel Resources: Care for Community
A unique resource library for Jewish Intentional Communities.
Inspiration. Tools. Support.
Loneliness: The Existential Jewish Problem
How can we make our communities nourish our broader needs of its members and become a force in tackling lonliness?
Ask your community members about lonely moment they have sensed within the community. Ask them to share it, and offer ideas for gestures which could according to them minimize that feeling. Write it down and share with all the community. Try do the same with the children.
Section: Care for Community, Work with People
I Am Here; Hear Me Bark: Comedy, Disability, and the Inclusive Synagogue
Inclusivity and acceptance are part of the living spirit of any Jewish community. This video is worth a thousand words on the topic.
Section: Care for Community, Work with People
Tags: Building Trust, Wellbeing
Honoring the Conversation: Turning a Neighborhood into a Community in Intown Atlanta
Is a true story, believe it or not. People can really change reality by voicing ideas in a heartful way. You can do it too.
Tell yourself about a conflict you experienced in the past. Write down some ideas you could have used for a better outcome. Share with other members and ask for feedback.
Section: Care for Community, Work with People
The Welfare State: Is the Jewish Approach to Poverty Individual or Communal?
This piece explores the integral connection between social justice, welfare and community.
Ask your board members: in what sense we apply already to these values and where do we still have a way to go. Good luck!
An ELI Talk by Karina Zilberman
"Play is the exhaltation of the possible" said Martin Buber. Where can a leader create such space in the community? What does it take to get beyond the barrier of skepticism? A wonderful talk!
Tell a bit about the 'Let's try it!' voice within yourself. What are the stands in the way for this voice, internally and externally?
The Individual and the Community
For many people, joining a community can require a change of mindset. This article gives insight into the process the indiviual goes through upon joining a community as well as the process a community goes through when new members join.
Section: Care for Community, Connect via Judaism
Outreach and Never Giving up on Someone
Inclusiveness and pluralism have become cornerstone vlues of our generation, and yet they are not easy to implememnt and accomplish. This collection of texts will take on a journey to explore the meaning of boundaries, "the other" and the inner circle.
While studying the texts, try to write down and share the main characteristics of your community. whatm akes it what it is? What is its identity? After defining what your community is, ask yourselves what is not? Where do we draw the line between "inside" and "outside", and how do we treat people respectfully on both sides of the line?
Section: Care for Community, Connect via Judaism
Lo Titgodedu: Do Not Separate Yourself from the Community
Being alone is defined as the first "not good" thing in the Torah, and leads to the creation of the first companionship. Along the same line, the commandment of "Lo Titgodedoo" means that we should not separate ourselves from one antoher even when we have deep disagreements.
After learning the sources ask yourself what do they mean to you as a community? Try to map out up to 3 major conflicts and/or disagreements you have within the community and ask yourselves what is more important: to be right or to be together?
Section: Care for Community, Connect via Judaism
Tags: Community Resilience, Loneliness
Learning and Doing With Our Committees
This sourcesheet was constructed for a specific US community, but we find it, and its questions, highly relevant to almost any community within the Hakhel network. Come learn and see for yourself
Read through the texts together, and discuss the questions within it
Section: Care for Community, Connect via Judaism
I Don’t Trust Rabbis, So I Became One
Rabbis and religious leaders can be a surce for inspiration and thriving communities, but sometimes they can do the opposite, unfortuantely. In this self revealing text, one of Hakhel's communities leaders shares his personal exprience in this journey, and how he chose to actually become a Rabbi and serve as a positive role model
Section: Care for Community, Connect via Judaism
Communal Prayer – ????? ?????? Why I need you.
This resource looks at the power of communal togetherness form the perspective of the text of the Amida prayer.
Section: Care for Community, Connect via Judaism
Twin Oaks: A Commune Where 100 Adults Raise 17 Kids
What is the dream of all parents? Check this concept and see what does it do to community life
Raise this issue for discussion: In what way can our community support the daily parenthood challenges? What do you feel is your main struggle as a parent? What could help you overcome this?
Section: Care for Community, Connect via Education
Tags: Experimentalism
Full House
Might sound familiar to you. What scares the authorities so much about cohousing?
Section: Care for Community
Tags: Cohousing
Reclaiming ?Redneck? Urbanism: What urban planners can learn from trailer parks
Rethinking reality can quickly turn dreams into reallity. Co-housing makes a tight-knit community, this we already know. This article offers an interesting way of making it possible.
Section: Care for Community
Tags: Cohousing, Intentional Community
Reinventing Organizations
"Something old is dieing and something new might be emerging" says Frederic Laloux. Soulless organzations are the enemy of all our dreams. Do we pay enough attention to what needs to move on, and what must emerge in our community and society?
Watch this together and open a public conversation around it. Remember the more personal it get's the better.
Section: Care for Community
