05/15/2020
Community is a Verb
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Community is a verb.
The English majors out there are cringing right now but hear me out. Yes, community is technically a noun. But in Jewish Cleveland, it’s also a verb. It describes how and why we care; how we embrace; and how we treat each other. When I think about the word community, I think about you, the people you care about, and those we care for that you and I will never know.
Community equals action. And that makes it a verb in my book.
Some recent examples of how we “community” in Jewish Cleveland include:
- The young local couple who got the baby formula they needed thanks to the Jewish Family Service Association, the Chesed Center, and a young leader on the West Side community-ing together.
- The thousands of older adults in Jewish Cleveland who were reassured they weren’t alone or forgotten during this pandemic when they received caring calls from community volunteers they’ve never met.
- Older adults in our sister city, Beit Shean, Israel, who received food and supplies, packed and delivered by adults with special needs, and coordinated by teenagers who are managing the city’s emergency response center.
- The several hundred people that came together last night to celebrate Federation’s 116th Annual Meeting.
Community is not a new verb to Jewish Cleveland – this just published 2019 summary annual report is further evidence of that.
I’m interested in knowing your thoughts on the verb community. How do you community? How can we better community together? How can we encourage even more people to count themselves in, to participate, to assist each other, and – perhaps most importantly – to ask for assistance for themselves? Write me. I look forward to continuing this conversation with you.
Community-ing together is what fuels Jewish Cleveland forward with determination and resilience. For that, I am sincerely thankful.
Stay home, stay healthy, and stay in touch.
Shabbat Shalom,
Erika B. Rudin-Luria
President
P.S. To make caring calls to our older community members so they don’t feel so isolated at this time, click here. If you or someone you know is struggling, please contact Access Jewish Cleveland at 216-292-4636 or online. We are here for you.
