The completion of the first year of our Kehilla is a cause for celebration and also introspection. We can take much pleasure in reviewing our first year’s accomplishments, as well as uncover areas needing improvement. But far more important for the development of our community is to focus on our future direction. Where is it that Beis Kenesses HaGra is going – or better yet – where are we growing?

A focus on growth, as opposed to simply existence, is a fundamental Torah value in Avodas Hashem. At the end of Tractate Moed Katan (29a), after a lengthy discussion of death and mourning rituals, the Gemara tells us that when we bid farewell to a living friend, we must always say “go TO peace”, and never “go IN peace”. As the Maharsha explains, as long as a person is alive, he is always pursuing some goal, and we must wish him that he complete his goal successfully. Only when bidding farewell to the deceased do we say “go in peace”, as he is no longer pursuing anything.

The Gemara continues, giving an example of what is meant: “Anyone who goes from the Beis Kenesses to the Beis Medrash and from the Beis Medrash to the Beis Kenesses merits to receive the Divine Presence, as it says, (Tehillim 84:8) ‘They stride from strength to strength, until they see themselves drawing near to G-d in Tzion.’ ” A true Oveid Hashem is always moving. His (or her) inspirational moments serve as motivation to develop even further. His mistakes are impetus for self-improvement. He has a desire to be growing and to improve the quality of his Avodas Hashem. Ultimately the desire for growth becomes a middah in its own right, as the Gemara there concludes that a Talmid Chacham doesn’t rest even in Olam Haba. He has made growth his essence so that he is still able to grow even in the next world.

I feel very fortunate to be part of a community of growth-oriented people who serve as inspiring examples. People in our community are pushing themselves – to increase Torah learning, to improve the quality of Mitzvos, to find new ways to give and help others. To become better role models for their children, and more supportive spouses. I believe the clearest sign that people are striving to grow is the fact that they chose to move to Eretz Yisroel in the first place. Generally, people coming here from English speaking countries are not running away from danger, poverty or anti-Semitism. In many cases people found themselves in a comfortable environment, making a decent living, with full religious freedom. The decision to move to Eretz Yisroel was a decision to sacrifice that comfort and to choose the spiritual benefits of Hashem’s chosen Land.

However, achieving that growth often turns out to be more difficult than expected. The familiar elements of Jewish life that we had in Chutz LaAretz are hard to find. Particularly for those that are not in a kollel environment, the social support system for chizuk is less available. Where does one find a personal Rav? How can one set up an organized program of Torah learning? Who will be the supportive network of friends that can identify with one’s struggles and one’s dreams? The difficulty of finding these resources can bring Chutznik families to a frustrating and ironic situation. We came to Eretz Yisroel to grow spiritually, and we find ourselves stifled and lacking direction, perhaps even moving backward.

The purpose of Beis Kenesses HaGra is to create a framework for growth in Avodas Hashem specifically tailored for the needs of those coming from English speaking countries. The goal is to provide the community members with the tools and resources they need to succeed in building a life of spiritual growth and development.

This goal is being pursued on several fronts:

This last point deserves clarification. Many of us have warm memories of the Jewish communities we left behind in our native countries. Having been raised in a certain Jewish environment, we feel our personal Avodas Hashem is expressed best in that context. Maybe we even harbor hidden dreams that we can recreate that same environment in our new country. It is important for us to realize that we are not coming to a place that is void of organized Jewish life. On the contrary, there is vibrant and powerful Torah environment in Eretz Yisroel. There is a level of gadlus in Torah, dikduk in Mitzvos and general Kedushah that we may not have been exposed to before. These elements can be tremendous resources for our own personal growth in Torah and Mitzvos. We may not realize it, but these are the things we came to Eretz Yisroel to find.

However, the solution is also the challenge. Precisely because there is a vibrant, organized Torah community here, we who grew up outside of it may have difficulty joining in. The differences between the two communities are also social and cultural, and the two developed in completely different historical contexts. This creates artificial barriers to our entry into this community. The problem may be compounded by stereotypes and generalizations about English speakers which really have nothing to do with us. This is the difficult reality into which we have landed.

Difficult, but not impossible. Ultimately, we are all part of the same Nation, and we share the same national goals: to build a true Torah Society in this world, and to make this world a place where the Shechina can dwell. A sincere desire for growth in Avodas Hashem will cross all boundaries of society, culture and language. We may have to modify some priorities or behaviors in order to actively express the primacy of Torah in our lives. But those modifications will help enable us to establish a path of growth that will be successful in Eretz Yisroel.

The benefits of these efforts will be reaped by Israelis as much as by ourselves. We bring with us a unique and beautiful approach to Avodas Hashem of our own. The English-speaking community is distinguished by an emphasis on Derech Eretz, politeness, Kovod for every person, Achdus and warmth. Our community has the potential to be a powerful example of “Kehilla Judaism” for the Jewish world here. But that is the second step. We have to understand the society that we are in before we can resurrect the society that we left.

As long as we are sincerely focused on growth in Avodas Hashem, we can expect to succeed. The Maharal writes in Derech HaChaim (2:2) that the Yetzer Hara attacks us when we are in a rest state (“sitting”). Since no human being is complete, if we stop working towards a goal the Yetzer Hara will latch on to our intrinsic defects. However, if we are striving for growth we are attaching ourselves to the process of self-perfection, and the Yetzer Hara cannot get a foothold. We are going to peace.