When I first arrived at BJ four years ago, before I was a member, I mostly kept a low profile. I would arrive each Friday night for Shabbat services and sit in the same seat to enjoy the prayers, the singing, and the moment of transition from the work week into Shabbat. Then I would head on my way. After about a year of this, I arrived at a Shabbat service that was fully packed, and my usual seat was taken. I stood there for a few moments, trying to figure out where I might sit, when a BJ member came up next to me and said, “Oh no, your regular seat is taken, where are you going to sit?” and then kindly pointed me to a seat nearby. It was a small moment, but it made me feel seen and a part of a community that I wasn’t even officially part of yet.

Now as a member of BJ and a volunteer on the New Member Committee, my intention is to help create the same sense of belonging that was offered to me—to notice others, to make space for them, and to remind them that they are already part of something larger. Connecting with new members and fellow members of this committee has deepened my own sense of belonging to the BJ community and has been a small way to give back to the community that has given so much to me. May we each find a way to give back, to welcome others, and to build the kind of community at BJ where everyone feels seen.