Katherine ozment boston

It was a church procession. We stood at the window and watched as members of the congregation—elderly, middle-aged, twentysomethings, tweens, young children—walked solemnly down the street, which was closed off to accommodate their passage toward the church. A priest in a long robe led them, followed by several men carrying an ornately decorated kind of chariot. The procession stopped directly in front of our house. Little boys pulled at too-tight ties, girls swayed in holiday skirts, husbands and wives pressed close to each other.

Outside our window, the priest read a long passage aloud, and the crowd sang something in response. After a few more prayers, the congregation made its way down the block and into the church.

Religion is the big exception. Most days I can shrug this off. When DJ Henry was shot to death by police last year, it made national headlines—a black college football player from a comfortable Boston suburb killed by white cops in Westchester County, New York. The media coverage focused on what had gone wrong and who was to blame. Before the wrecking ball swings: one last look at Faces, the iconic nightlub where the party seemed to last forever.

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Was it worth turning their worlds upside down? About Copyright Privacy Terms of service Contact. Five things I learned from three years on the trail of godless America. The story started out small, as a personal question I wanted to answer for myself and my family: What did we lose when we left the spiritual flock we were raised in?

I checked Jewish on the box, but that mark was more about a cultural than religious identity. In my teens and through most of my 20s, I felt disconnected from Judaism.

I was a religious school dropout at Leading prayer during my bat mitzvah ceremony. But at age 41, I was in a much different place. I belatedly celebrated my bat mitzvah. Between my 20s and early 40s, I became more attached to my faith and took the time to learn more about Judaism. I found community among Jews, not just at temple, but in singles groups, outdoors groups, and Jewish choirs.

I agree with many points Ozment and others make in her article. People can form a community in many ways. Theater groups, musical organization, and even the workplace provided me with communities over the years.