It is all about COMMUNITY!

by Michalee Merritt

On June 17th, I was honored along with my husband Mark at our synagogue. We were being honored for our deep commitment to the Greater Hartford Jewish Community. I am not going to list all the Jewish organizations that we’ve been involved with. Instead, I am going to tell you why!

During the Covid pandemic, our synagogue doors were closed and we could not gather.  A group of us got together in the parking lot. We brought chairs and sat and brainstormed. I was determined that we were going to stay a well-connected community. We needed to reach all ages and stages. The calendar was going to be full! We did have online services but we needed socialization and to see and talk to our friends. Concerts, trivia nights, yoga, kosher BBQ and how to make your own lox were some of the things we offered. 

At this same time we knew that synagogue membership was becoming a challenge for many. I wanted the synagogue where my kids grew up to be there for their kids and future generations. I chaired the Strategic Planning Committee and the “Plan” was all about community and membership. In short, our community has grown exponentially! I looked out at the crowd that night, and it was from a vision that started in the parking lot during Covid! 

Reesa Ollins, President; Mark Merritt; Michalee Merritt; and Rabbi David Small

It is all about COMMUNITY!

You are never too old to make new friends. At the event I looked out and saw my community from the JCC preschool, baseball families, religious school, work friends, the leadership class that I went to Israel with, the mah jongg group where I made new friends, and the book group I started so I can share my love of Jewish books. 

Your community should always be growing!  That is what Chai Mitzvah is all about. Bringing people together. I have met so many people because of Chai Mitzvah. First, by bringing it to my friends to gather and talk about Jewish topics, then I brought it to a new group with people I didn’t know. (They are now friends.) And now to spread the word of what Chai Mitzvah can do for you and your synagogue community. 

One of the components of Chai Mitzvah is your POP – Power of Passion. If you have not already figured out, strengthening the Jewish community is my POP. At the end of the night, there was a lot of food left over, fresh produce, bread, and meat. I had the privilege to take all the food to a local food pantry with my mom. To see how thankful they made us feel, so good, but also knowing that so many people don’t have food. They just kept saying you don’t know how much this means and what we can do with this. It made me proud of all that this is part of the Chai Mitzvah journey.