< Más Articulos : Preserving Our Legacy: Lessons from a Small Kehilla (Times of Israel 21 May 2025)
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Preserving Our Legacy: Lessons from a Small Kehilla (Times of Israel 21 May 2025)
Judaism is not merely a religion—it is a comprehensive way of life, encompassing faith, culture, tradition, and values passed down through generations. In today’s world, where identity is often diluted and traditions tested, the preservation of Jewish heritage has become both more challenging and more essential. This challenge is not theoretical—it is personal. The responsibility to sustain Jewish life begins within each of us, and flourishes through the institutions we nurture.
Living within a Kehilla (community) helps transform that personal responsibility into a shared journey. Yet even the most vibrant Kehilla depends on individuals who are willing to work together with purpose and commitment. As with humanity at large, every Kehilla bears the profound responsibility of ensuring its own continuity—so that future generations can live proudly as Jews and carry our legacy forward.
The purpose of this article is to share key strategies that have proven effective in our experience with other small Jewish communities around the world. We believe the vitality of Jewish life—especially within the smaller Kehillot—relies on intentional efforts to build and preserve a lasting legacy.
RELIGION: A Welcoming Framework for Continuity
In Guatemala, our community is religiously diverse. While many members identify with Conservative traditions, we made a deliberate choice to adopt a modern Orthodox framework—not to enforce uniformity, but to promote inclusivity. Within this model, all members can feel respected, heard, and spiritually fulfilled.
Our rabbi serves as a unifying figure, working to meet the diverse religious needs of our members. Maintaining a minyan is not always easy, yet our community rallies when needed.
EDUCATION AND IDENTITY: Planting Deep Roots
Jewish continuity depends on identity—and identity begins with education. From Hebrew and history to tradition, holidays, and Zionism, we provide our youth with a deep understanding of their roots. We don't have enough members for a fulltime jewish school, instead we have a complimentary education program. But we also go further, instilling values such as responsibility, activism, and pride in being Jewish.
Initiatives like Maccabi, youth leadership programs, and Ajshara year-long experiences in Israel have produced young adults who return with a lifelong commitment to Jewish values. In small communities especially, every well-formed leader becomes a cornerstone for the future.
SOCIAL FABRIC: One Kehilla, One Family
Jewish continuity also depends on connection. Social engagement isn’t secondary—it’s central. We view our Kehilla as one extended family, and invest in creating regular, meaningful opportunities for members to gather and support each other. We also make a special effort to identify and include those who may feel isolated.
In a small community, no one should feel invisible. Strong interpersonal bonds create the emotional glue that holds a Kehilla together through generations.
MEMBERS NEEDS ASSESSMENT: Everyone is important
At regular intervals, the leadership conducted a comprehensive review of the entire members list to assess levels of engagement, as well as religious, educational, and social needs. This proactive approach ensures that no one is left behind and that each member feels seen, supported, and valued. By doing so, we foster not only a deeper sense of belonging, but also long-term communal continuity.
LEADERSHIP: Raising the Next Generation of Guardians
A Kehilla without succession planning is a Kehilla at risk. That’s why we’ve established a culture of mentorship and delegation. Each committee is advised to appoint a vice-chair or designate a successor. Theme champions—passionate leaders in education, culture, ritual life, or social action—receive institutional backing to develop their initiatives.
The goal is simple: empower the next generation now, so they’re ready when their moment comes.
FINANCIAL STABILITY: Sustaining the Mission
While funding is often a delicate subject, financial sustainability is essential for legacy building. Our budget is supported by a combination of mandatory dues and voluntary donations, with flexibility for those in need. Typically, dues cover only half our expenses; the rest is secured through personal fundraising by board members.
The ability to maintain core services while remaining inclusive is what keeps a small Kehilla strong and stable across generations.
TZEDAKAH AND SOLIDARITY: Caring Is Legacy
Tzedakah is more than charity—it is solidarity. We’ve implemented programs such as a group health insurance plan that gives families facing economic hardship access to care. The Tzedakah Committee may even cover premiums entirely when needed.
Looking ahead, we are encouraging legacy giving and have created an endowment fund for emergencies—tools that ensure our support systems endure beyond today.
CONVERSIONS: With Integrity and Care
Conversion is a sacred gateway into Jewish life. To ensure that our members are recognized worldwide, we accept only Orthodox conversions, guided by a Dayan from the Rabanut. For those genuinely connected to the Kehilla, our community counselor designs a personalized process, and the candidate is embraced as a temporary member.
This approach is not about exclusivity—it’s about ensuring that every member is fully accepted in the broader Jewish world.
GLOBAL CONNECTIONS: Amplifying the Voice of Small Kehillot
A strong Kehilla is never isolated. In Guatemala, we maintain relationships with key organizations such as Keren Hayesod, WIZO, B’nai B’rith, Maccabi, and the Israeli Embassy. International affiliations with WZO, WJC, AJC, ADL, and AIPAC link our small Kehilla to the global Jewish story.
These ties are especially crucial for smaller communities, where visibility and support can make all the difference during crises.
BUILDING A FUTURE: One Kehilla, Many Generations
There is no single formula for success. Each Kehilla must adapt to its people, resources, and unique context. Yet the principles we’ve embraced in Guatemala—intentional leadership, inclusive religious practice, deep-rooted education, strong social bonds, financial foresight, and global engagement—can serve as a model for small Jewish communities everywhere.
In the 1980s, a demographic study predicted that our Kehilla would cease to exist by the year 2000. Yet, against all odds, we remain very much alive and active. While it's true that our population declined by nearly 50%, we eventually reached a turning point: many young people who had left are now returning with their new families. Little by little, we are beginning to grow once again.
My journey in Jewish communal life began at age 20, when I joined the board of Bet El synagogue. Over the years, I chaired numerous committees and served on multiple boards. In 2018, I had the honor of being elected President of the Kehilla. Since then, my focus has been on improving member services, expanding our reach, and safeguarding our identity—not only for today, but for generations to come.
Now, at 68, even after completing my term, I continue to serve. I founded Cadena CJG ONG, our humanitarian arm, and currently lead the development of the Kehilla Museum—a modern, technology-driven institution dedicated to preserving and sharing our community’s story with pride.
Because in truth, a Kehilla member’s work is never truly done.
Final Note:
Every community leader will have their own insights and stories. What I’ve shared here is rooted in the lived experience of a small but determined Kehilla in Central America. My hope is that these reflections serve not only our successors in Guatemala—but also the many other small Kehillot around the world, whose size may be modest, but whose legacy is immeasurable.
(Times of Israel 21 May 2025)
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/preserving-our-legacy-lessons-from-a-small-kehilla/
( Por: Yehudi Sabbagh , 21/05/2025 )
