Through our weekly Zoom Shabbat, we’ve loved reconnecting with so many of our Havayah alumni this spring. Emily London shares her story of reconnecting with TBE through Shabbat services:

At first, it started as something that I thought might be a nice one-time thing, especially back when I thought we’d be social distancing for one, two, maybe three weeks. I grew up at TBE and find such comfort in being with the community, but living in DC as an adult has made it be that I’m only home for Shabbat on very special occasions. That first week, when everything felt so scary and overwhelming and unknown, tuning into services gave my whole body and soul a chance to breathe, relax, be present, connect, and sit with community. Hearing the familiar voices of the clergy, the tunes I grew up with, and the prayers and reflections was incredibly restorative.

And now, many many weeks into this pandemic, I keep coming back because it’s an important way for me to take a break, to mark Shabbat, to see old friends and family from afar, and to make the best of this challenging situation—how special is it that I’ve attended TBE Shabbat services more regularly than I ever have before in my life?