Community Blog Building Lifelong Community: The Shannie Lightman Goldstein Shabbaton
As someone who is new to the Hebrew College community, I am in a season of beginnings; not only as the newest member of the marketing team, but as the partner of a new rabbinical student. As we emerged from the High Holidays and the temperature began to drop, I found myself in the unique role of employee and partner at the Shannie Lightman Goldstein Annual Shabbaton, a rabbinical school retreat hosted at Camp Ramah New England in Palmer, Massachusetts. From the ambitious new cohort of Mekorot students to the devoted retreat leaders from the Shanah Heh graduating class, the shabbaton welcomed the community into the new year with shared davening, learning, and connection. (Featured photo credit: Mel Powsner)
I attended shabbaton eager to leap into the community with both feet and immerse myself in both worlds. At the Partners’ Meetup, a chance for partners of rabbinical students to connect, we discussed what it means to be the partner of a future rabbi. This designated space demonstrated Hebrew College’s commitment to inclusivity by structuring a time just for us – the supporters of future rabbinate – to discuss the challenges and beauty to come. As one of our facilitators pointed out, the rabbinate is small; we could be in each other’s rabbinical circles for decades to come. My eyes widened at the thought. I looked at the faces around the room and I imagined what that future could look like: a warm Shabbat dinner, lighting Hannukah candles, or even relaxing on a Saturday afternoon, chatting about the old days.
As the rabbinical students prayed, laughed, and reflected, I learned about the unique journeys that led them to study for ordination. There are students born and raised in the Jewish faith, students born of different faiths, and students raised with no particular faith at all. Yet each of their paths led them to this meaningful community with a commitment to pluralistic Jewish education. Whether they were sharing meals, studying with their teachers, hiking through the woods, or telling stories at Tisch, each rabbinical student contributed to the soulful atmosphere.
At Hebrew College, we often pose the question: “What kind of rabbi will you be?” Whether studying in pairs in the beit midrash, or gathering as a whole community for a shabbaton in the woods, our ordination students – and their partners – embark on a journey of enrichment, engagement, and mutual support, while discovering their own role in the Jewish world.
Meet students and faculty at one of our fall open houses, Ta Sh’ma (Come & Hear) November 16 (in-person) or online (Dec. 6).
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