Filmmaker Jeremy Sarachan Features Dorshei Derekh

Facing the filmmaker - Reena, Jane, Betsy, Avruhm, Bobbi, George

Last summer an intriguing email landed in my in-box, from a filmmaker. Jeremy Sarachan, a Rochester-based professor, explained: “While on Sabbatical this fall, I hope to visit several synagogues throughout the United States to capture the spirituality and community associated with Reconstructionist Judaism.” He added that while he happily attends a Reform congregation, he identifies as a Reconstructionist, making this project a voyage of self-discovery.

We were pleased to be included in his travels. The Delaware Valley is rich ground for such a project, given the presence of RRC, numerous Reconstructionist communities, including Minyan Dorshei Derekh, and scores of RRC-ordained rabbis. Filming on shabbat was not an option, so we planned a Havdalah get-together on December 6^th. Jeremy first joined us at shabbat services, chatted with attendees over kiddush, and decided to not just film the Havdalah ritual, lead by Rabbi Malkah Binah Klein, but also to capture a discussion amongst us.

If you’ve seen one Reconstructionist community, you’ve seen one Reconstructionist community. There are many hallmarks of our movement; uniformity is not one of them. Jeremy was surprised at the amount of Hebrew in our service, as well as the level of literacy. The presence of a dozen+ rabbis in our midst contributes to that, and also helps attract Jewishly literate lay Jews.

Rabbi Tamara Cohen pointed out, at Havdalah, that while Reconstructionists make distinctions, we don’t privilege one distinction over another. We eliminate the traditional phrase marking the difference between Israel and all the other peoples. We note the difference between the sacred and the everyday, and appreciate both.

We reconvened in a circle, naturally, and responded to the prompts Jeremy provided. Reflects Rabbi George Stern, “Most exciting for me was the opportunity to listen both to Dorshei members with much more background about our minyan than I and to newer members who provided new insights. The conversation revived my enthusiasm about our wonderful minyan and its devoted and caring members.” We mentioned that our Chesed Committee has been very active, in response to our minyan aging in place and more people needing healing prayers and active support. Jeremy noted the high level of compassion echoing through our service.

Many expressed how impactful the Reconstructionist Prayerbook, Kol Haneshamah (many of its creators attend our minyan, as does the editor-in-chief, Rabbi David Teutsch) is on their prayer experience, providing so many different appellations for God, as well as its inspiring commentary and beautiful poetry.

Dick Goldberg, a newer member, was struck by “the depth and richness that exist within our minyan—depth of Jewish knowledge, of commitment to engaging with the world, of genuine compassion, and of inclusivity, as we genuinely believe that all are created in the image of God; and richness when it comes to the different Jewish paths that have brought us together, variety of life experience, and unique ways of being in the world.”

We are very proud of the role Mark Pinsky plays at RRC, where he serves as Treasurer of the Board. He and Jennifer were introduced to Dorshei Derekh by his colleague Adina Abramowitz z”l and have become pillars of our minyan. Mark’s takeaway: “We don’t usually sit around talking about Reconstructionism, so it was fascinating and uplifting to spend a few hours listening to a cross section of Dorshei Derekh. We discussed what makes it meaningful to us and what we appreciate about our community. It felt like an affirmation of the choices Dorshei has made over the decades.”

People treasure the variety of styles and approaches that change weekly. I observed how rarely a member assigned a task had not made it to shul. Maybe a half dozen times in the nearly forty years I have been attending? That’s barely once a decade! We are very committed to one another; people show up.

We are, of course, excited to see how many of our exchanges make the cut and appear in Jeremy’s film. Regardless, as Debbie Weinstein points out, “the film shoot provided us with the additional benefit of a wonderful opportunity for us to share amongst ourselves our appreciation for the Dorshei Derekh Minyan community.”

Thanks, Jeremy! We are excited about your film. Thanks for helping us see ourselves in a new light.