I Want Jewish Friends

Hi Rabbi. I grew up in a very Jewish area of my city and I’ve moved away. I, myself, am not Jewish. I’m missing my Jewish friends and I feel like I was brought up in a culture I can’t really get back into. How do I respectfully visit my local synagogue, if not to meet new friends, then for quiet respectful nostalgia?

Shalom!

Thank you for your question.

It is very touching and interesting to hear how much you enjoyed growing up in a Jewish neighbourhood and how much you miss your Jewish friends.

It is not common for non-Jews to attend synagogue or Jewish communal events to meet Jews and make friends. Most such events are intended for co-religionists and not for inter-communal relations.

Furthermore, I will guess that if you are not coming across Jews in day-to-day life, at work, on the street, and the like then you probably do not live in a Jewish neighbourhood. Indeed, it sounds like there might not even be a synagogue in your neighbourhood.

You might find the website https://www.netivonline.org/ of interest which specializes in helping non-Jews with religious beliefs from a Jewish perspective.

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