Building an Inclusive Jewish Community

Abby Allen ’19 grew up in Minnesota, where her family belonged to a conservative Jewish congregation and she attended Jewish day school and summer camp.

“I was pretty grounded in that type of Judaism and connected to that community,” she says. “And then when I came to Smith, I realized I had the opportunity to decide what religion looks like for me outside of my family home.”

This spring, Allen—who majored in Jewish studies and sociology at Smith—is completing an academic year as a rabbinical student in residence on campus. Her internship—the first by a Smith alum—is part of her degree program at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.

“The [residency] program sends people to college campuses where they meet with students, lead services and help out with different things,” Allen says. “I thought, what if I went back to Smith, where I learned so much about Judaism and pluralism?”

Rabbi Bruce Bromberg Seltzer, Smith’s Jewish student adviser, says having an alum as a rabbinical student in residence has been an advantage.

“Abby is approachable, easy to talk to, and excited to interact with students,” he says. “Sometimes it’s hard to connect to a clergy member you see once a month. Being a relatively young Smith alum has helped students see parts of themselves in Abby, which increases feelings of connection.”

Allen says she has also benefited from being back on campus. “It’s been really lovely to meet students consistently and build relationships,” she says. “It feels special to have been able to do this.”

Here’s what else Allen had to say about her residency at Smith.

What kinds of activities have been part of your monthly visits to campus?
“I’ve led some Friday night teaching and Torah studies. And I’ve given some talks on things that come up in the prayer service. When I was here for the High Holy Days [in the fall] I led a ritual called tashlich, where you cast things off as a means of atonement at the new year. We stopped along the Mill River and wrote in journals about things students wanted to let go of, and then we threw those rice paper messages into the water. That was something I had done as a student, and I was really happy to be able to bring that to students here now.”

What was it like for you as a Jewish student at Smith?
“When I came to Smith, I was really far away from home and I was feeling like, I don’t know what my Judaism will look like. It was really important for me to find Jewish community when I came here, and what I found was so warm and welcoming. It’s a pluralistic community, with people coming from different Jewish backgrounds or some connecting with their Judaism for the first time. And that was really inspirational to me.”

What has changed since you were a student here?
“It seems like the Valley Jewish community has grown and there is more connection between the Jewish community at Smith and the community In Northampton. Rabbi Bruce is really involved in that community, so students are able to go to synagogue services [off campus] and see him there. I’m so glad that students have this intergenerational community to be a part of.”

How has your Smith experience influenced your choices after graduation?
“Being a Jewish studies major was huge and impactful for me. Having the knowledge of Jewish history and Jewish peoplehood that I gained at Smith through an academic lens has informed how I look at Jewish texts today and how I think about them, both academically and spiritually.

“The thing that really helped me think about rabbinical school was being part of the Smith College Jewish Community [student group]. I was in this Jewish space with people who practice Judaism differently from me. I realized I wanted to take the path of Jewish leadership and think about how to build an inclusive Jewish community, similar to what I’d experienced at Smith.”

Why do you want to become a rabbi?
“I worked for four years before going to the Jewish Theological Seminary—at a Jewish nonprofit and then at a synagogue doing full-time education. I realized I wanted to work in the Jewish world professionally and being in the rabbinate is giving me the opportunities and skills to figure out how to build an inclusive Jewish community. There are a lot of different divides in the world, in the U.S., and in the Jewish community. And I really want to find ways to be a bridge so that we can have more intergenerational community in synagogue and institutional Jewish life.”

How have you helped Smith students address those divides?
“In most places I’m in, people want to engage across difference. Sometimes fear holds us back: ‘What will this do to our relationship? What will this do to our community?’ But there is an eagerness to take down some of those barriers and have hard conversations. I really want to make sure people don’t see things as black and white—that we live in the grey areas. And that the Jewish community feels welcoming for everyone.”

What have you liked best about this year at Smith?
“Being back on campus is so special. As you know, Smith is magical. I tell students that this is my favorite weekend each month, to be back with them on campus, having informal time to build relationships. At Shabbat dinners there’s time for them to talk with friends and just hang out together at the end of the week. I really value their openness and that they’ve let me be a part of this community.”