Rabbi David Fainsilber

Since the horrific events in Israel of October 7, 2023 and the devastating war and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Jewish families and communities around the world have been torn apart by polarizing views. The Jewish Community of Greater Stowe (JCOGS), nestled in the natural beauty of rural, mountainous Vermont, has members with long-held views representing a remarkably broad spectrum of belief on Israel and Palestine. Since October 7, as the only synagogue in town, with emotions running as high as ever, our leadership has been challenged to find a way to respond with sensitivity and prudence.

I had only known urban or suburban living until I moved to Vermont.  Having grown up in Montreal in the suburban shtetl that is ironically called Cote-Saint-Luc, I moved to the west coast, then New York City, and finally, to Boston for rabbinical school at Hebrew College. Rural living was as foreign to me as a New York bagel (I am a Montrealer after all, and we know our bagels are the best in the world), but almost 10 years later, there’s just no going back to urban life. While pollsters and their analysts may bemoan the crumbling of Jewish life across North America, I can tell you that, in rural Vermont, Jewish living is thriving with great potential for more meaningful engagement.  It is […]