VOICES OF CONGREGANTS

Karen Hoffman

My grandmother was born in Safed. On each of my visits to Israel, I walk those sacred streets and try to imagine the tragic circumstances that brought these Orthodox Jews to Chicago and then Los Angeles. I’ve never been able to walk in their footsteps, on the same journey as my great grandparents, and yet their presence has always been with me as I’ve traveled my own Jewish journey.

Martin Buber said “All journeys have secret destinations, of which the traveler is unaware.” I would say that my Jewish journey has been filled with numerous secret destinations---and so many of them were NOT in the direction I ever intended.

I grew up in Los Angeles, attending public schools that were so filled with Jewish students that they closed on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because of low attendance. My family ran the spectrum of Orthodox and Conservative Jews, with kosher homes and observant of Shabbat.

However, when it came time for Hebrew School, my parents made a bold decision to leave their Conservative synagogue and to join a then-fledgling, small Reform congregation called Stephen S. Wise Temple because THAT is where all the neighborhood families were joining. My parents instilled in me the importance of COMMUNITY. They felt it was more important to be at a Reform Temple where my 3 siblings and I would ENJOY Hebrew School, SOCIALIZE with friends, and HAPPILY attend Friday night services each week, compared to being part of a conservative synagogue where we might attend begrudgingly each week.

So, it’s no surprise to me that when I hear people say to their kids “I had to suffer through Hebrew School and now it’s YOUR turn to do the same” --- I could never relate to that! I always loved being Jewish and attending Temple activities---it’s part of the fabric of my family. Every value my parents instilled in me and that I’ve been instilling in my kids for 25 years has Jewish imprints.

Yet I never intentionally planned to be a Jewish communal worker. Each step along my Jewish journey has led me to where I am today. I can honestly say that I’ve come across Buber’s “secret destinations” so many times that it now all makes sense---and I truly couldn’t imagine any journey more perfect for who I am.

When I went to UCLA, I thought I wanted to be a psychiatrist. I didn’t like the sciences though, so I majored in psychology. I went to a graduate program at the University of Judaism---to become a non-profit manager---and ended up a nursing home administrator at the Jewish Homes for the Aging. When my husband and I moved away from family with our two oldest kids, I made the decision to be a stay-at-home mom. And I loved and cherished every aspect of that for over 15 years. Whenever I had free time, I gave it to the Jewish community or causes associated with Jewish values.

Through my Melton program here in Dallas, I met then-JFS president Gail Gilbert who introduced me to the incredible Jewish Family Service staff. I was hooked, once again, into the Jewish community as a professional.

A few years later, learning from my friend, Terry Greenberg, about the things going on at Temple Emanu-El, I couldn’t resist talking with Rabbi Robbins and pursuing the opportunity to work here. I have to say…from joy to joy and from known destination to secret destinations, I have found a place here ---that’s like home. In many ways I feel I’ve come full-circle. I grew up at what became the largest Reform congregation in the country and now I’m here at Temple, almost as large, and in a role I cherish every day.

My Jewish journey wasn’t planned---but it certainly has evolved. The secret or unknown destinations that Buber referred to have been an integral part of my journey. When I think about my grandmother and my great grandparents, and the journeys they each traveled, I carry that with me, along with all the other facets of Jewish life that have enlightened my way along my path. In terms of where the journey has led me today, I can honestly say that I’m pleasantly surprised and wholly fulfilled with what I get to do each day as a Jewish woman to support this wonderful congregation.

On Jewish Life
Karen Hoffman