Imagine a place where TBE members can gather as a community online. A place where we can support each other in good times and not so good times. A place where we can share ideas, spread news and promote all that we love about TBE. A place where you can feel safe and supported and perhaps even elevated. A place residing on a platform that does not contain ads and does not share your personal data.

Welcome to TBE Together!

TBE Together has its origins in the Temple’s Positivity and Relaxation Training (PART), which my wife, Arlene and I, along with eight other TBE members, took part in this past winter, and which was conducted by Temple member, Jodi Bring. For those not familiar with the program, it was developed by the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. With the class concluding, many participants wanted to find a way to stay in touch and to continue the PART journey. At my suggestion, I started an affinity group on Insight Timer to accomplish just that.

Insight Timer is most well-known as a meditation and yoga app and, in that regard, it fit in nicely with the PART program. But, it is also a great vehicle for engaging in meaningful discussions about topics that go deeper than social media. What makes Insight Timer unique—and I believe the right platform for TBE Together—is its focus on community and wellbeing.

TBE Together is one of hundreds of discussion groups on Insight Timer, each with its own community of participants connecting with each other in meaningful ways. For the most part, those participating in these groups are strangers, sometimes discussing challenges they face in their personal lives, sometimes sharing inspirational messages, and sometimes sharing happy moments, among other things. What excites me is the possibility of constructing a group, not among strangers, but among those in our TBE community. And, you don’t have to be a meditator or a yoga practitioner to participate.

The topics for discussion on TBE Together are endless, whether they be personal challenges, celebrations or things going on at the Temple. Here are some ideas:

• I went to TBE Holy Singers Tuesday night. It was great!
• I’m looking for a caregiver for my mother.
• We are looking for volunteers for TBE Table next week.
• I need a ride to the Temple on Friday night.

Of course, with each post there is an opportunity to respond.

For those who are meditators or yoga practitioners, there are ways to share favorite recordings or live classes. There are a number of talks and meditations on Jewish topics (search “Judaism”), including some given by rabbis.

TBE Together is in its infancy and it will take time to build, but together I think we can make it into a powerful and meaningful tool for our community.

If you are interested—and I hope you are—you can download the Insight Timer app at the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. It is completely free and there are no ads. Once you download the app, search for TBE Together and ask to join the group. Alternatively, send me an email to jbodoff@gmail.com and I will send you a link to join.

In the words of Insight Timer, “all you need to do is show up.” I hope to see you there.