Page 17 - Harlem Shavuot Companion 2020

Pirkei Avot: Building a Community
By Batya Weiss, Resident of Harlem Moishe House

“Make for yourself a Rav, acquire for yourself a friend, and judge
everyone favorably” – Pirkei Avot 1:6
Last September, I moved to Harlem. I knew very few
people in the community and was unsure what this next step on
my journey would bring. I was pleasantly surprised to find a group
of people living the values of community, religious life, and social
justice in a connected and meaningful way. This community may
be small, yet it harbors amazing talent and commitment. When I
think of how to describe our community I think of the above
Mishnah in Pirkei Avot.
The Mishnah tells us to “make” for ourselves a Rav. This language usage teaches us to not
just find a Rabbi who serves our needs but to actually build up a Rav. I think this means to find
people in our community and give them the opportunities to teach and to learn from them. We are
blessed to have multiple religious organizations working to empower the community and provide
those spaces. We as a community both look to those with the title Rabbi to teach us and provide
spaces to cultivate communal learning and communal leaders.

The next part of the Mishnah tells us to “acquire” a friend. The language usage is again
interesting. Acquiring implies a sense of payment and output in order to gain the friendship. The
Mishnah is teaching us that to develop a deep friendship one needs to put in effort and
commitment. In Harlem, many of us in the Jewish community are transplants. It’s not easy to
enter into a new environment and find your place. It’s inspiring to me how many people are
involved in building our community, not only spiritually but socially. Organizations like Based in
Harlem, The Harlem Moishe House, and Repair the World all work to create incredible social and
volunteer opportunities. We all have busy schedules and attending events or volunteering can
seem overwhelming, yet our community members continue to show up and show their support.
Making new friends takes effort and the people in the community have shown that they are willing
to put it in and go to great lengths to make all newcomers and community members feel welcomed
and loved.
Our amazing JCC is a judgement free zone where all are welcome. The last part of the
Mishnah, “Judge everyone favorably”, describes the way they interact with everyone in our
community. They have an incredible amount to teach us and the world about accepting people as
they are and welcoming them into the fold no matter their background. It is a place where Jews of
many stripes feel comfortable and supported.

I am so grateful that I chose this community. I have made wonderful friends and have found
incredible role models. I am appreciative of all the efforts our community members and its leaders
put in on a continuous basis to keep us growing and thriving. I want to thank everyone involved
for creating such a beautiful space to flourish both individually and communally. May we be able
to safely celebrate together as a community soon!

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