By Tara Rozen, Board President
Shana Tova! About a month ago, I enjoyed meeting new and prospective members at our annual event. I was chatting with a prospective member as their young child played nearby when he asked me a question I’ve heard in various forms over the years: “Are there many Jews on this side of town?”
I got the sense he was coming from a large Jewish community where Jewish kids were prevalent in classrooms and ended up on the same sports teams together…where adults didn’t have to explain why they would be missing work for holidays in September. If you come from a place where Jewish life is concentrated and woven into your daily routine, you will likely feel a difference when you move here. Northwest Columbus has more Jewish residents than many people realize, but we are spread across numerous suburbs and neighborhoods. I’ve spent some time thinking about his question, and I’ve realized that the question may be rooted in the desire for that feeling of belonging. And the answer may depend less on how many Jewish people actually live here than on how impactful the community feels.
When our kids were young, we intentionally looked for a Jewish community, and we were lucky enough to find it at Beth Tikvah. The relationships I built through this congregation changed my perception. The people I met here became the ones I socialized with, gathered with for holidays, and texted when I needed a handyman recommendation. Over time, this Jewish community literally became a part of my daily life. We were still a little geographically spread out, but not as much as I had thought, and the community no longer felt so distant. I started running into my Beth Tikvah community at my kid’s school, at stores, theaters, and sporting events. The population had not changed; what changed was my connection to it. Maybe in a similar way that, after buying a new car, you begin noticing that same make and model everywhere you go.
Once something becomes part of your life, you begin noticing it all around you. I would guess that this experience is exactly what Beth Tikvah’s founders had in mind.
Beth Tikvah was named the House of Hope by people who hoped they could build the community they were seeking. But hope alone would not be enough. They needed to create a home—a central place to gather for worship, learning, and celebration—a place that could make the geographic distance between people feel smaller and allow a community to take shape.
That hope was never passive; the founders—and all those who carried their vision forward—turned this into a place where Jewish life could be visible, meaningful, and shared. More than 65 years later, that commitment has not changed. Beth Tikvah remains an anchor for Jewish life in this part of Columbus—a place where we learn about and practice Judaism, gather, and build our community.
Many of us came here seeking that sense of belonging—the feeling of being surrounded by people who share our traditions, humor, and shorthand. You can find it in Northwest Columbus, but it may only reveal itself slowly over time. The more we participate and invest in relationships, the more present the community becomes in our lives. Our strength has never come from being the largest group; it comes from our commitment to gather and form relationships that strengthen our community. We build those relationships by showing up—for holidays, mitzvah projects, adult learning, and Shabbat dinners. A conversation after an adult learning class could lead to an invitation for coffee. A chat after a Shabbat service may lead to getting together for a show you both want to see. And parents lingering during religious school might just turn into a Sunday morning running group.
The Jewish community is already here; the more we participate in it, the more it becomes woven into the daily rhythm of our lives.
And that is how a strong, joyful Jewish community grows: not because Jewish life surrounds us at every turn, but because we’ve learned how to seek it, nurture it, and build it wherever we are. And that may be the greatest gift we can give ourselves and our children: the ability to create the community we seek even when it’s not immediately visible. Rosh Hashanah reminds us that what we hope for can still be created through the choices we make—that how we choose to react, interact, and connect can make a real difference in the life unfolding around us.
This time of year, specifically, we are asked to reflect on the ways we have missed the mark—hopefully just in small ways, though sometimes in larger ones as well. Jewish tradition teaches that those missteps do not define us. They are temporary departures from our inherently good souls. Teshuvah is the process of finding our way back to this core. This time of year is not about perfection but direction: making choices that move us closer to being the kind of people we want to be.
As we step into this New Year, we are reminded that this moment is a gift of hope because it’s a chance to begin again. We can listen with more compassion, judge with more humility, and move ourselves forward with greater intention. Each choice helps shape who we become, and who we become helps shape the community we are building together.
So, “Are there many Jews on this side of town?” As I look around this sanctuary, my answer is yes.
May the year ahead deepen our connections, strengthen our community, and fill our lives with sweetness and hope. Shana Tova.
Tara Rozen, Board President
September 27, 2026