In existence for over 100 years, Beth Israel Synagogue is one of the two small congregations in the Jewish community of Roanoke, Virginia, and the only Conservative synagogue. Though the community is small, it only adds to a vibe of warmth and welcoming in Roanoke. Rabbi Jama Purser became their Rabbi in 2018, thanks to USCJ’s and the Jewish Theological Seminary’s help with placement, and has been there ever since. They were both lucky to find each other; Beth Israel Synagogue was very attracted to Rabbi Purser’s less traditional journey to the pulpit, and Rabbi Purser has been able to utilize all of her talents and experience to help build a welcoming and heimish community.
Rabbi Purser was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2018, after becoming a Jew by choice many years earlier. It was a pivot from her previous role as an epidemiologist on the geriatrics faculty at Duke University. Rabbi Purser, who tries to follow her heart, was not surprised that she was drawn to the pulpit.
She recalls, “I was really involved in my synagogue. And from the minute I became Jewish, I thought I might also eventually be drawn to spiritual leadership. I just loved everything about being Jewish, and was already involved in committee and Board leadership. So I went to my chair at Duke to let him know I wanted to pursue the rabbinate, and he supported me.”
She eventually moved to New York with her wife and began training at JTS. While the roles are different, she sees the rabbinate as an extension of her epidemiologist journey.
She shares, “Some people comment, ‘wow, that’s a big change from physical therapy and epidemiology to the rabbinate.’ But from my perspective, it’s all on a trajectory of health, wellness, and lifelong learning. This is the spiritual side of that journey. It’s about the whole person and trying to help individuals stay healthy and well. And the spiritual component is powerful. Social support, community support, religious support, family support…all of that is tied up in Jewish community. Being a Jewish person and loving Jewish community, study, and worship….well, one thing led to the next.”
JTS and USCJ were essential in introducing Rabbi Purser to Beth Israel. She met Jo-Anne Tucker-Zemlak, the USCJ Synagogue Consultant for the Southeast Seaboard region, back when she first entered placement in rabbinical school. Since then, Jo-Anne has always been available to assist Rabbi Purser. She’s even visited and stayed with the community several times. USCJ has continued to be a great resource for them.
Rabbi Purser notes about USCJ, “I personally and as a rabbi get a lot of support from USCJ and from the Rabbinical Assembly and from that partnership. We consult with them frequently, follow their publications, and try to take advantage of the resources they offer to enhance our services and programs.”
Beth Israel Synagogue feels very fortunate to have a rabbi with a background in epidemiology and physical function. Her expertise was essential in helping to navigate the COVID pandemic, and most recently, her knowledge of health and wellness led to a new exercise class called “Kvetch and Stretch,” combining spiritual and physical components of wellness. Rabbi Purser has applied her talents in many other ways; a few are outlined below.
A New Year-Round Preschool and Daycare – Yeled Academy
Beth Israel wanted to grow their community with young families with children, but they did not have a preschool operating in their building, which would provide access to new young families. To develop that age group within the congregation, Rabbi Purser worked with the Board of Directors, the Education Director, and a new preschool director to create a community preschool and daycare housed within the synagogue. The Board first approved painting the existing and ample classroom space and renovating a basement storage area to create a large indoor playground. They received significant contributions from congregation members to aid the project, including large donations from several Holocaust survivors in the community, Helga Morrow and Regine Archer, who were passionate about the new school since children in their own families had been lost to the Holocaust, never having had the opportunity for a thriving and happy childhood.
In a little over one year, the project became a huge success. The initial small cohort of 10 students quickly grew to 21. And the congregation has even been able to provide financial assistance to some of the enrolled families. The program now has three classrooms, five full-time teachers, two part-time, and two substitute teachers. While the intention is to keep the program small with high-quality instruction, the growth has been significant, and a waiting list already exists.
A New Playground
In addition to the new preschool and indoor playground, Beth Israel considered replacing their outdoor playground.
Rabbi Purser recalls, “We don’t have a lot of outdoor green space because we’re an urban synagogue. But we do have an outdoor playground that’s fenced in. The kids loved it, but the equipment was showing some wear and tear. We considered replacement, but that entailed significant costs.”
Rather than scrap the old playground, Beth Israel President Lauren Foster did research into other options. She found a company that specializes in playground refurbishment. This left the playground looking and functioning like brand new, and was completed within the board’s budget. One unique feature of the new playground is the eco-friendly resurfacing, a special kind of flooring mulch that is toxin- and chemical-free. The new playground was such a success that they are now in the process of updating an additional outdoor playspace specifically for younger age groups. New Fun-Friday family programming and “Parent Nights Out” are ensuring that young families and their children feel welcome in the broader community.
Updated Programming
During and after the COVID pandemic, Rabbi Purser worked with leadership, staff, and volunteers to create new programming to encourage socializing and community building, which took time to rebuild after the isolation of the pandemic. One such program is a Friday night ‘Soup and Share Kabbalat Shabbat.’ Several congregants are recruited each week to make soup to have at the synagogue after lighting candles and making Kiddush and Motzi. While congregants eat, there is a guest speaker or Rabbi Purser leads an interactive teaching. Congregants in mourning or observing yahrzeit say kaddish together. Rabbi Purser also gives occasional classes on ‘cooking in a kosher kitchen’ to enable more congregants to make soup for future events and to feel more comfortable in the synagogue’s kitchen.
Another program in warmer months is ‘Shul by the Pool Kabbalat Shabbat.’ A congregant hosts everyone at her backyard pool, and people bring dairy and vegetarian food for a communal potluck. The idea behind these programs is to share Jewish rituals in a casual environment while maximizing sacred time socializing on Shabbat.
Rabbi Purser shares, “We wanted people to do more than just attend formal religious services and go home. We wanted them to engage with other community members.”
Rabbi Purser notes, “These programs have grown because people love them so much and find casual gatherings over food an appealing way to get to know each other and to learn. We draw a large segment of our community on a routine basis on Shabbat. Many other regular programs include: The free Jane T. Black religious school (including free B’Mitzvah tutoring), regular Talmud/Torah classes, basic and advanced Hebrew, Intro to Judaism, Jewish Spirituality, Hebrew Chanting and Torah Trope classes, occasional guest speakers, including most recently, Award-winning Local Author Beth Macy. There are also many opportunities to join clubs (Chess, Reading, Stamps, Birding, Hiking, and Dinner clubs), to serve others via caring teams for those in need, or via Family Promise, a program supporting families with housing instability. The community also partners with Congregations in Action, a multifaith organization serving schools and children in poverty.”
Thanks to USCJ and JTS, Rabbi Purser found her community, a place where she has been able to thrive and grow. Beth Israel Synagogue is also benefiting from Rabbi Purser’s leadership, with a thriving new Yeled Academy Daycare and Preschool, refurbished playground, and a deeply engaged congregation. We can only imagine the wonderful things Rabbi Purser will continue to bring to her community.
