Community

At B’nai Mitzvah, holidays, life-cycle ceremonies and Shabbat, I often hear people refer to the group who has gathered as the “audience.”  I always find that word a little jarring.  I consider those gathered to be the “congregation.”   The two words have fairly substantial differences in meaning that I think is interesting to explore.

The word “audience” comes the Latin audentia “a hearing, listening” and audire “to hear.”  So, audience connotates a relatively passive act.  The leader presents, the audience hears.  It is about observing rather than participating.   Whereas “congregation” comes from the Latin congregationem "an assembling together, union, society.” It is a much more active word and emphasizes the connection and commonalities between people. In a congregation, people have responsibility and relationship to one another.   

Congregation is much more similar to the Hebrew קהילה kehillah, which refers to community gathered together.  It comes from the root meaning “to assemble or gather.”

When I look out at Beth Chai when we gather, I see a congregation, not an audience. I see participants not spectators.  I see actors not listeners. I see a group of people connected to one another, participating and engaging. The feeling of connection is at the core of the community, and makes us a congregation.
 

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbie Cohen