Building Community One Conversation at a Time

This week, I attended Kettering Health Dayton’s annual Clergy Appreciation Luncheon, where I had the chance to reconnect with many of my colleagues from across the Miami Valley. Conversations like these remind me how much I value the partnerships we’ve built through the years—relationships that grow one conversation at a time and strengthen the bonds among our faith communities.

Among those present were Pastor Joshua Ward of Omega Baptist Church, with whom Temple Israel has shared a long and meaningful connection, and Pastor Jonathon Cobb of the Kettering Seventh-day Adventist Church, a newer colleague and one of the partners helping to establish our multifaith collaboration. I am grateful for the relationships that have accompanied me throughout my rabbinate as well as those that are just beginning to take shape. Together, they remind me that community is something we continually build through listening, trust, and shared purpose.

Next weekend will be another opportunity to strengthen those bonds. On Saturday, November 1, Temple Israel will join with our interfaith partners for a Multifaith Service Day and Community Gathering—an afternoon dedicated to caring for our neighbors and exploring the purpose we share as people of faith.

We’ll begin at 3:00 p.m. at the Kettering Seventh-day Adventist Church, where volunteers from across the community will come together before heading out to a range of service projects throughout the Dayton area. Opportunities will include preparing food packages for families in need through Good Neighbor House, joining a community clean-up with Waste-Free Dayton, and other hands-on ways to make a difference—ensuring there’s a place for everyone to participate.

Following the projects, all are invited to gather at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for a potluck dinner and a multifaith panel discussion on

“Why We Are Here: The Purpose of Humankind and the Purpose of Creation.”

Panelists will include David Bright (LDS Church), Jonathon Cobb (Kettering SDA Church), and Attaul Qayum (Ahmadiyya Muslim Community), along with me representing Temple Israel.

I hope you, your friends, and your families will join us for this meaningful Shabbat afternoon of connection and shared purpose—a reflection of Temple Israel’s ongoing commitment to tikkun olam, repairing the world through partnership, understanding, and the sacred work of community