By Zach Benjamin

As we approach Hanukkah with its themes of rededication, it seems appropriate that our community is engaged in an ongoing conversation regarding the renewal and re-envisioning of its physical spaces going forward. The November 18 community conversation served as a challenging but necessary exercise in voicing and hearing difficult truths and deeply held convictions about the functions that those spaces should serve, as well as the processes that brought Jewish Federation and the community to this juncture.

I continue to be guided in this work by the belief that, while we will always hold differing and diverse opinions about that which serves the Jewish community’s best interests, far more common ground than division exists between us. Despite the at times fraught tone of the community forum, I walked away confident that we all hold in common certain non-negotiable perspectives: that Jewish values must guide and remain at the core of absolutely every function of the Jewish Federation and JCC; that our spaces must be rich with opportunities for generations to mix and meaningfully engage with each other; that athletics, recreation, wellness, education, kashrut, and Jewish communal advocacy must exist in a balance that meets current demands while remaining adaptable to changes in community need over time; and that Jewish Federation owes it to the community to ensure that our business model is a sustainable one that prudently utilizes and stewards the community’s resources to ensure that we can remain a central address for Jewish life in Central Pennsylvania well into the future.

We all remember the Maccabees as fierce defenders of the Jewish people. Often forgotten is the fact that they were a warrior tribe of Jews that, over the course of their existence, vanquished a diverse array of foes, including other Jewish sects. The Maccabees may have carried out the liberation of the Temple in Jerusalem, but by no means should we mistake them for champions of the concept of kol Yisrael averim zeh v’zeh: that all Jewish people are responsible for one another’s well-being. On the contrary, the Maccabees often found themselves in direct conflict with Jews outside their own tribe and, in fact, spilled a significant volume of Jewish blood.

Despite the Maccabees’ inconsistent record of coexistence with their fellow Jews, we can all agree that they nonetheless played an instrumental role in preserving the survival, advancement, and longevity of Jewish peoplehood.

Similarly—though, thankfully, in far less bloody fashion—many in our community may stand at odds regarding how to manage our spaces. However, not one among us would disagree that those spaces must be warm, robust, full of Yiddishkeit and of opportunities to gather in ways that are meaningful and informed by Jewish perspectives on engagement and wellness. Just as the Jews have weathered eras of painful evolution throughout our long history, so will this community emerge strengthened by the valuable, if difficult, process of coming to clarity on how our Jewish communal spaces will serve us and our progeny in perpetuity.

All of us at the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg are grateful to all who have candidly shared your perspectives, and for the many contributions that you have made and will make to this critically important, immensely challenging process. We hope you had a joyful Thanksgiving and wish you and yours a peaceful holiday season.