Idyllwild\u2019s synagogue, Temple Har Shalom, is welcoming a new rabbi. Rabbi Ilana Grinblat has led high holiday services for several years, including virtually during COVID, but will now be performing shabbat services regularly in person.
Temple Board President Pat Schnetzer described how a community gathering for religious observances became a synagogue: \u201cIt started in April of 2014. In December, we were having a community gathering for Hanukkah, and someone said, \u2018You know, I think Jewish Federation of the Desert can help us become a synagogue.\u2019 We were able to find a student rabbi, Julian King, and then we had a retired rabbi, Malka Drucker, from Santa Fe, up here for five years. Then Rabbi David Lazar, who came from the desert, and now we\u2019re starting with Rabbi Ilana Grinblat. She did high holy days here a few years ago, so we know her, and really like her.\u201d
Grinblat grew up in Washington DC, and after working summers in the capital, attended Brown University in Rhode Island, studying world religions. She spent two semesters abroad, teaching school in Ecuador, and studying art and culture in Ghana. Returning to DC, she worked for the American Jewish Committee in Washington. She came to Los Angeles\u2019 Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies. She also earned a master\u2019s degree in Midrash (Biblical studies) from the University of California, Los Angeles. She has over 15 years of experience serving as a rabbi.
The Crier spoke with her this week.
TC: \u201cYou have been coming up here for a while?\u201d
IG: \u201cI have done services on high holidays for several years, 2019 and 2020. I\u2019ve been leading services. My first shabbat was in May, and doing virtual Friday night candle lighting services. I\u2019ll be coming up in June.\u201d
TC: \u201cYou\u2019re commuting?\u201d
IG: \u201cI live in LA. I applied because it\u2019s so beautiful. I wanted to spend some time up there. I got to know the community during the high holidays; such a warm synagogue, the people are lovely.\u201d
TC: \u201cYou have quite a r\u00e9sum\u00e9.\u201d
IG: \u201cThankfully.\u201d
TC: \u201cWhat else should we know about your work?\u201d
IG: I wrote two books: one is called \u201cBlessings and Baby Steps.\u201d It goes from pregnancy to pre-school, with spiritual lessons for each of those stages. My second is called \u201cCastles and Catch.\u201d It goes through the Bible with three spiritual reflections from each part on the lessons that children teach us.\u201d
TC: \u201cAre you a parent?\u201d
IG: \u201cI am. I have two kids. My son is graduating from high school next week, my daughter is finishing ninth grade. I\u2019ve been writing about what I\u2019ve learned from them basically their whole lives.\u201d
TC: \u201cWhen did you first realize you wanted to be a rabbi?\u201d
IG: \u201cI figured that out in college. I was raised in a very Jewishly religious household. My father was a rabbi, not a congregational rabbi, but a rabbi. In college I realized that \u2018rabbi\u2019 combined my passions for counseling, writing, community building, teaching and ritual.\u201d
TC: \u201cAnything else you want to say to readers?\u201d
IG: \u201cHow excited I am to be part of the community. The people are so warm and welcoming, I have been enjoying getting to know them better; it\u2019s such a beautiful place, and beautiful to be part of that.\u201d
Schnetzer said Grinblat also is a certified Zumba teacher. \u201cIn the past she has done it to Jewish music; maybe you\u2019d call it Jewmba? And she sings and plays guitar.\u201d Synagogue member Karin Greenwood relayed an invitation to \u201cnew-to-the-Hill members as well as others who are interested in taking part \u2026 to join us and help Temple Har Shalom move forward to best serve the needs of our Jewish community.\u201d Schnetzer also spoke of the last few years and the new \u201cvirtual\u201d services. \u201cDuring COVID there emerged a small but mighty group who have stayed together on Zoom. It\u2019s been pretty wonderful \u2014 on Friday night to light the candles, and Saturday afternoon book club with Rabbi Malka.\u201d
These modern resources mean that even when members move away from the Hill, they may still participate and keep in touch. The active involvement of former Hill residents made their recent yard sale a success, with several members making the trek up the Hill to reconnect and help out.
A newer member, Julia Ruchman, pointed out that meeting the challenges posed by the pandemic has strengthened the group. \u201c[I]t is wonderful and inspiring to join a congregation that is actively seeking new ideas, and wants to grow and evolve. It is an important part of our culture that our religion must keep evolving in order to survive \u2014 and our adaptability is a key component of our survival.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ruchman also described the joy of unexpectedly discovering community. \u201cI am a new member of the congregation, but not super new to the Hill. I have lived here since 2019. I grew up in a small, rural town in New England, very much like Idyllwild, where we were one of the only Jewish families in the community. I (incorrectly) assumed that there weren\u2019t any other Jewish people living in Idyllwild-Pine Cove full-time, and so I didn\u2019t look for them. Then \u2014 just last week \u2014 I was standing in line at the post office and overheard one of the members talking to someone else about Jewish services. I couldn\u2019t believe it. I basically chased after her to find out more information.
\u201cShe introduced me to Pat and many of the other members. It\u2019s such a wonderful group of people who I am so pleased to know. The sense of community, their hospitality and generosity of spirit is very inspiring. They made me feel so welcome.\u201d
Services are held at St. Hugh\u2019s Episcopal Church on Tahquitz Drive. Those interested in attending may email templeharshalomofidyllwild@gmail.com or call (951) 468-0004.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Idyllwild\u2019s synagogue, Temple Har Shalom, is welcoming a new rabbi. Rabbi Ilana Grinblat has led high holiday services for several years, including virtually during COVID, but will now be performing shabbat services regularly in person.Temple Board President Pat Schnetzer described how a community gathering for religious observances became a synagogue: \u201cIt started in April of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":414305,"featured_media":55412,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"amp_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n