Following services this past Shabbat I sat across the Kiddish table from a woman who had grown up in Des Moines, moved away at a young age and came back from New York to visit her 87 year old father. She is frum and living in New York. She looked at me and said, "So, what is there to see and do in Des Moines?" She asked the question like she had never been here. And, in truth, she's been gone for over 35 years and in that time Des Moines has changed from a sleepy little town to a city that is full of promise and opportunity.
And that is the "sell".
Last month Rabbi Aaron, Janice and four of their children were in New York City at the Orthodox Union - Emerging Communities and Job Fair. (Also present were congregations from Dallas, Houston and Detroit....we thought it was "emerging communities"?)
And clearly, by looking at the other Jewish Communities involved Des Moines was a real long shot... It's not that "bigger" is always "better" it is about fighting the
unknown of Iowa and Des Moines.
To many of the over 600 people who attended the event, seeking a new beginning and a way out of the congestion and mind-bending "largeness" of New York City, Des Moines was a virtual unknown. "Oh, Iowa? Just where is that?" It's something we heard time and time again. It's pretty easy to figure out where Houston is, "...someplace south, right?" But clearly, Iowa...and for sure Des Moines...remains a mystery to a vast majority of the Orthodox Jews we encountered.
But we're changing that. If you are one of the many people who read this blog on a regular basis you've come to realize there is "Life West of the Hudson" and that Des Moines is not only a great place to raise a family but it's also loaded with positives like jobs, culture, affordable housing, time and a warmth you'll never find in the larger urban settings.
"Wait! Did he say, 'time'?"
Yes...here people don't lose two hours out of their day on a commute. If you work
only five days a week, commuters in major cities lose at least ten hours. Forty hours a month 480 hours each year. Just going to work and coming home. Think of what you and your family could be doing with an additional...month.
But, it's hard to see from long distance so here is our invite. Contact us...let us help you better understand our quality of life. Let us help you understand how each member of our shul really counts. Let us explain the economics of living well within your means and still being able to walk to shul.
I'm easy to contact, MichaelBenDovid@BethElJacob.org. Let's visit?
Now, I've got to print out directions to a couple of fantastic "things to do" for my transplanted new friend. Living History Farms? The Iowa Cubs? The Iowa Historical Building? The Iowa State Capital? The Iowa Art Center? Decisions...decisions... I hope they have enough...time.
See you in shul!