By: Katherine Podolak
Young Adult Division (YAD) Manager
Where do you feel most “holy”?
Last week, we left off with Moses ascending Mount Sinai at God’s request to receive the Ten Commandments. In this week’s Parsha, Terumah (“offering”), Moses spends 40 days and 40 nights at the peak, receiving detailed instructions from God on how the Israelites must construct the Tabernacle—the portable earthly dwelling of God.
These instructions are extensive, intricate, and incredibly precise, specifying every element required to make the space truly holy. Gold strands of this, crimson strands of that, an ark made from a specific type of wood cut to an exact length—every conceivable detail is commanded by God to Moses and the Israelite people. These commandments made me reflect: Why do these specific elements make this space “holy”? And what makes a space “holy” for me? For Moses and the Israelites, the Tabernacle, as God’s dwelling place, is profoundly sacred and ultimately becomes what we might call their “third place.”
Sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term “third place,” referring to a social environment—distinct from home and work (one’s first and second places, respectively)—that serves as an “anchor” of one’s life, fostering community through broad and creative interactions. To me, although I was too young to watch it when it aired, the theme song from the classic TV show Cheers perfectly captures Oldenburg’s concept of the “third place”:
“Be glad there’s one place in the world, where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came. You want to go where people know, people are all the same. You want to go where everybody knows your name.”
My “third place,” though I don’t visit as often as I’d like, is JCC Ranch Camp, where I spent 13 summers building and nurturing my own special community. No matter how long it has been since my last visit, I am always overcome with a deep sense of comfort the moment I step through the metal entryway gate that separates camp from the rest of the world.
Now more than ever, as divisions between people continue to grow, the importance of having a “third place”—where one can be their most authentic self—cannot be overstated. As the YAD Manager, my role is to help guide people toward and even create “third places” where Jewish young adults in Colorado feel safe and supported in their surroundings, and it truly feels like a privilege to do so. These spaces can define how we think, feel, and operate in this world, and to me, being a positive cog in that machine, is truly “holy.”
Life may not always be like an ’80s sitcom, but if you can find your “third place” where “everybody knows your name,” you might just get close.
Please email Katherine Podolak at kpodolak@jewishcolorado.org with questions or comments.