What does it mean to belong? How do we honor the many identities that shape us while finding our place within a community?

In Heart of a Stranger, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl reflects on her journey as the first Asian American ordained as both a rabbi and cantor in North America. Through stories of family, faith, and identity, she explores what it means to be both insider and outsider, and how our encounters with difference can deepen our understanding of ourselves and others.

As we prepare for the High Holy Days, a season that calls us toward self-examination and growth, we will gather over four sessions to explore Rabbi Buchdahl's reflections and consider our own experiences of belonging, otherness, and community. Together, we will wrestle with questions of who we are, how we are seen, and what it means to create communities where every person can feel fully known and fully welcome.

Whether you have ever felt like an outsider, are seeking a deeper understanding of identity and belonging, or simply want to engage a thoughtful and moving memoir through a Jewish lens, this is a conversation worth having together.