Ilana

I personally had a challenging experience at a previous synagogue, but knew that after healing time, I would find a shul that was right not only for me, but inclusive to all our needs as an interfaith family.

During one summer after contacting various people, I received a lovely phone call from one our WLJC’s founding members. They invited us to Bournemouth as an entire family to a service.

On arrival, I felt instantaneously ‘homeward bound’, so much so that I felt I had both the courage to enquire with one of our welcoming security team, if it were permissible for me to don my tallit and secondly relaxed enough to join in much of the service itself.

Whenever I have visited any synagogue around the world, I will often sit and observe and quietly participate under my breath.

After a short discussion we became members, within the year.

A year or two later, my son who suffers with Anxiety and later diagnosed with ASD had his Bar Mitzvah.

Covid has brought out the real ruach, resilience and friendliness from WLJC.

With the power of virtual Shabbat services and other social events, online, biennial and shared synagogue meetings, I have grown spiritually and socially with our community. Even our teenage children embrace the action. WLJC is lovely sized and meets a whole host of personal needs.

I never envisaged ‘singing’ solo over Shabbas Zoom; it is the support from our beautiful unique chorister who has enabled us to sing up and out, even with our vocal limitations!

Creating our 10^th Anniversary book was delightful and creative

Judaism is spiritually integral to me. Even though geographically far from WLJC, it is our home, and both socially and spiritually nourishing.