Rachell Krell feels connected to Judaism and to God. But she hasnât been to services in years and isnât part of a synagogue.
âI would love to eventually go back to services if I found a temple that was a good fit for me,â she said.
Krell, a senior at Northern Arizona University, said the focus of the synagogues she has attended has been about âkeeping the temple going,â instead of âwhat is the value of this place?â
Krell is among the half of American Jews who attend religious services a few times a year or less, according to a 2020 survey by the Pew Research Center published in May.
As the number of asylum seekers at Arizonaâs southern border increases, so too does the number of buses dropping off migrants at International Rescue Committee community shelters in Phoenix.
Every day this year, between 75 and 150 asylum seekers have arrived in the Phoenix area, according to Stanford Prescott, community engagement coordinator for IRC in Arizona.
These arrivals have already gone through some initial processing with federal immigration officials and have been granted the opportunity to have their case heard before a judge. But they are on their own while they wait.
Often, they donât even know where they are when they get off the bus, Prescott said, and must find a way to travel to friends or family while they await a court hearing.
Temple Beth Shalom is the only Reform congregation in the West Valley, and we have a multi-generational and egalitarian membership. We are proud of our history of inclusivity and that we are able to offer a full range of educational programming, community and social functions and religious services to our members and all Jews located in the West Valley. And we have worked hard this past year to continue as much programming as possible. B nai mitzvah are one example.
Despite the effect of the pandemic, we continued with our commitment to provide timely bar and bat mitzvah ceremonies. During this last year of adversity, we successfully had three adult and five teen bânai mitzvah.