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RABBI BRIDGETI went to high school and college in Berkeley, and later returned to the area after moving elsewhere for school and work. I’ve now lived in the Berkeley are for the past 27 years. Pluralistic, inclusive Jewish community is very important to me. In fact, I founded, direct, and am the rabbi of a local Jewish community called Jewish Gateways that is based on these principles.
I’ve been drawn to cohousing for many years, and the Jewish component makes it even more appealing. I was part of the group that began planning the Moshav in 2014, and was very involved with it for the next 7 years. I’m excited to now be able to live in the Moshav and enjoy the fruits of my and many others’ efforts. My adult son is a student at UC Berkeley and lives not far from me. He keeps kosher and observes Shabbat and Jewish holidays, and is excited about the opportunity to join us at the Moshav from time to time for Jewish gatherings. I enjoy reading, cooking, fabric art, Jewish learning and celebration, and exploring new places. For the last several years I’ve had less time for these activities because it has been such a challenging time for rabbis who lead communities. The pandemic, the war in the Middle East, and now Trump’s election and its aftermath, have made rabbinic work more demanding. I’m hoping that living in the Moshav will make it easier to do things I enjoy outside of work since we’ll be able to get together spontaneously with neighbors to do things we enjoy or just hang out. |