A few summers ago, I had the fortune to travel to Costa Rica.  My first morning there, I was offered a mangosteen for breakfast.  I had never heard of such a thing. Was it a Jewish mango?  

In one bite, the mangosteen rose through the ranks to become my favorite fruit—and my favorite metaphor for Jewish education. 

For me, the mangosteen represents that which hasn't yet been discovered, invented, or dreamt—something entirely fresh and innovative, not a reformulation of what is already known. This simple breakfast was a radical experience for me and a reminder that in life, there are new things under the sun. 

The mangosteen is my rally cry to think entirely beyond what is already known--to not only educate our community in innovative, creative, imaginative ways, but to question all prior assumptions and even the very models that we are using. Why improve a system that has been failing for many decades when we can instead create a new paradigm? 

At Temple Micah, I have found a haimish community with congregants who are extraordinarily intelligent and committed to thinking seriously and critically about their Jewish lives.  I work with a talented team of professionals. My mentor, Rabbi Danny Zemel, is a big-thinker, creative, innovation-embracing, and dedicated to partnering with me on building a mangosteen at Micah. I was seeking to create a serious evolution and profound innovation in Jewish education, and in Micah, I have found a place ready and eager to embrace those changes.

Machon Micah is at once traditional and innovative, combining a good helping of time-honored ritual with groundbreaking, new approaches to Jewish life. We put a premium on creativity, experimentation and learning. We urge every member to join us in a meaningful religious journey and to build personal connections through active participation in the life of our community.  Machon Micah is Jewish education for ages 0-120.

Kol tuv,

Deborah