Testimonial from Rabbi Lauren Grabelle-Hermann

On August 13, 2006, Kol Tzedek Reconstructionist Synagogue held a community conversation on the Israel-Lebanon war that used the framework of the Jewish Dialogue Group (JDG).

Kol Tzedek is a congregation that was founded in 2004 as a progressive Jewish community in West Philadelphia. Our membership is diverse in many ways, including their feelings toward Israel. We decided to hold a community conversation because we wanted to create a forum to honor the feelings and thoughts of each person in the community. We wanted to create a forum in which each person could experience themselves as btselem elohim, created in the Divine Image—in which they could express the pain, conflicts, passions, disappointments, and fears they were experiencing due to the outbreak of the war.

We had a model of such a forum from the JDG. In May 2006, The JDG facilitated a community conversation about Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that brought our community together to struggle honestly and support each other. For this forum, we followed a similar format and were able to enable a sacred conversation on a very challenging topic.

We began by compiling a list of values that we hoped would guide our conversation. Next, we created a community covenant; members of the group agreed to a set of guidelines which would create safety in the conversation, including confidentiality and intentional listening. Then we broke into two groups to talk in a more intimate setting. Each member of the group was able to speak for a set amount of time on three particular questions. When they were not speaking, participants intently listened to each other without interruption. After this time of sharing, the group was able to discuss and challenge each other. The group recognized differences, while not trying to convince each other of their viewpoint. Individuals were able to express deep emotions and fears in a safe environment. After this time of sharing, we closed together with highlights from our experience and reflections on the experience. Overwhelmingly, participants expressed gratitude for a safe space in which to express themselves and explore their perspectives. Many suggested we continue conversations in this format during the year.

We are thankful to the JDG for giving us the resources to create such a program. We came together to discuss something very personal, challenging, and in the end, we came away affirming ourselves and others as btselem elohim, created in the image of God.

In addition, the dialogue session served an important practical goal. It gave our members a safe way to talk about the very different things that they want and need from the congregation in relation to Israel -- spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually. Our members have many different ideas for how Kol Tzedek should engage with Israel. They want and need very different things from each other and from the community as a whole; sometimes these needs come into conflict.

During the dialogue, members talked in an open, caring way about their different hopes and needs, and learned about ways they could make the congregation a more welcoming, engaging place for everyone. As a new congregation, we are just beginning to figure out how we should engage with issues related to Israel. These dialogue sessions have served as a great way to begin an important conversation that we know will take a long time.