There’s no place like home. And this lucky girl is blessed to call many places my home.
There’s the home I’ve built with my amazing husband, Alex, in Livingston. We were newlyweds, first-time home owners, new parents, and now the parents of teens who we’re raising in our very own hometown where our parents raised us. Together, the Lee family has also found a home-away-from-home in a little town called Kunkletown, PA.
URJ Camp Harlam is known for two phrases:
“Where friends become family…” and “Welcome Home.” As a member of the faculty for 11 years, I’ve certainly found a home at camp, and some of my closest friends are clergy and educators from around our region with whom I’ve served alongside. Even after all these years, it still brings tears to my eyes when I arrive at the entrance gate and I’m greeted by a smile and a hearty, “Welcome home, Abra!”
And finally, there is my spiritual home, the place where I feel grounded in my Jewish roots, deeply connected to something much greater than me. It’s also a place to which my daughter and I share a special bond, like an inside secret between just the two of us, where she felt she became her most authentic, Jewish self. This summer, prior to my arrival at Camp Harlam, I was blessed to also return home to Israel.
Welcoming our new Assistant Director home to Temple Emanu-El began with a week of professional development in Israel. Samantha and I had the opportunity to travel through Israel with 200+ educators representing delegations from the USA, France, Morocco and Israel as participants in the JNF- KKL World Educators Conference. We look forward to sharing with you highlights from our learning about JNF’s work in Israel, which focuses on Community Building, Disability Inclusion, Zionist Education & Advocacy, Forestry & Green Innovations, Heritage Sites, Research & Development, and Water Solutions.
Throughout the year, our congregational family will strive toward a deeper connection to our Judaism through the theme of Am’cha: Your People. Your place. Your story. While in Israel, one activity helped us to find our connection to Israel through photography. Here are a few of the groups’ selections. We want to know what you see in these photos that speaks to you and reminds you of a special connection to your Judaism and your story. And, we welcome you to join us by submitting your own photos of something that represents your Judaism. Please share your photos here.
-Abra Lee