Daria Ogden and her husband, Michael, were not sure which religion they would choose to raise their new child. He is Jewish; she is not.
She spotted an advertisement in their local Hollister newspaper for a “Taste of Judaism” course at Reform Congregation Emeth in Gilroy.
The class was part of a full outreach program titled “Open Arms” that was created by Yitzhak Miller, the synagogue’s student rabbi.
“The goal is to make the arms of the congregation as wide as possible,” said Miller, “including interacting with the community and all members of the congregation.”
In December, at the Union of American Hebrew Congregations biennial convention in Boston, the congregation was one of 10 recipients of the Belin Award, which honors outstanding outreach programming.
The 10 were selected from more than 900 congregations throughout North America, according to Congregation Emeth’s Web site. Each received $1,000 from UAHC.
On receiving the award, Miller said, “There is magic in integrating and working in a small setting. This demonstrates that small and very small congregations are capable of serving broad-based needs.”
He said the money has been distributed among a variety of education and outreach programs within the synagogue, which has 50 member families and holds Friday night services at a fellowship hall in Gilroy.
More than 60 percent of the congregation is made up of interfaith families, according to Miller. “Open Arms” serves the needs of those who are not Jewish but still interact in the congregation.
“Taste of Judaism,” for example, included such topics as “Conversion Exploration Group,” “Shabbat Experience,” an adult Hebrew class, and various interfaith family programs. The class ran last summer and may be repeated this summer, Miller said.
For the Ogdens and others in the community who attended, the course provided a springboard for them to continue to the next level, “Rediscovering Judaism,” which is currently in session through June.
Ogden said, “You are instantly warmly welcomed. There is such an interesting mix of backgrounds. People feel involved, are very open, respectful and enjoy learning from each other.”
A small group enrolled in the Hebrew class. Congregant Susan Meyers of Gilroy said, “We feel connected and like we belong. It has not been easy to study, but we have all learned together.”
Lisa Maisel of Gilroy, the synagogue’s outreach coordinator and a recent convert, took the conversion class. “There is an atmosphere that gives you the feeling of family participating together,” she said. “Those participants with recent experience want to help others learning together.”
In addition to “A Taste of Judaism,” the “Open Arms” program offers a series of panel discussions with the rabbi. Some topics include: “The Concept of Sin in Judaism and Christianity,” “What the Heck is a Chanukah Bush?” and “Is My Sabbath Saturday or Sunday?”
Belin Award honorable mentions went to Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills and Temple Sinai in Oakland.