For 30 minutes every week, Jessie does something unusual for someone her age. She talks on the phone for pleasure. The weekly phone call, part of her participation in Temple Emanu-El’s Calling Generations program, a mentorship program for temple teens that pairs them with members who are older adults. She has been speaking with her mentor, Linda, for over a year. It’s a highlight of her week. The two have built a close friendship. Jessie and her family have hosted Linda for Rosh Hashanah in the past and are hosting her again for Rosh Hashanah to kick off 5786.
“We’ve built a super close and special relationship,” Jessie said. “There is so much knowledge Linda has shared with me that I would have never known.”
Jessie and her family joined Temple Emanu-El after returning from New York after living in London for several years. At Emanu-El, Jessie quickly found a strong group of friends.
“It was great to find other Jewish friends who you share that other part of your identity with,” she said.
Jessie and her family try to go to Friday Evening Worship Services as often as they can. When she can’t make it in person, Jessie and her family stream services. In April 2024, Jessie celebrated her Bat Mitzvah at Temple Emanu-El.
180 years since its founding, Jessie said the role Temple Emanu-El serves is more important than ever. “The world we live in today, it is so important that Jews have a community to rely on,” she said. It’s a community that Jessie is helping to build for her generation and the ones to follow.
