Being Jewish in Mount Washington Valley

I sometimes think about how unlikely it seems that I would have ended up here.

I am Jewish, and I live in the Mount Washington Valley.

For some people, those two things might not seem connected. But after living here for so many years, I have come to realize that they are very much a part of my story.

The Mount Washington Valley isn't a place where Jewish life is immediately visible. There aren't Jewish neighborhoods or businesses on every corner. You don't necessarily run into someone wearing a Star of David or see people wearing kippot as you walk down Main Street.

And yet, I have never felt that being Jewish and living here were incompatible.
Quite the opposite.

There is something wonderfully unexpected about being Jewish in the Mount Washington Valley.

The Valley is a place of mountains, forests, rivers, ski trails, old New England villages and a strong sense of community. It is also a place where Jewish life may not always be immediately visible. In a region where the population is relatively small and spread across many towns, being Jewish can sometimes feel like being part of a very small, quietly connected thread within the larger fabric of the community.

And yet, perhaps that is part of what makes it so meaningful.

Finding Jewish life in an unexpected place

Judaism has always traveled.  For thousands of years, Jewish communities have carried their traditions from one place to another, adapting to new landscapes while holding on to the things that matter most: family, memory, learning, holidays, food, music, humor, and the rhythms of Jewish life.

Living in the White Mountains doesn't change that.

Shabbat might arrive on a Friday evening with the mountains glowing in the late-afternoon light. Jewish holidays take on a different feeling when they are experienced against the backdrop of New England seasons—the brilliant colors of autumn during the High Holy Days, the quiet darkness of a winter evening during Hanukkah, the first signs of spring during Pesach, and the long, beautiful days of summer.

The landscape may be distinctly New Hampshire, but the traditions remain our own.

A small community can feel like a close community
One of the interesting things about being Jewish in a rural area is that you become more aware of community.

In a large city, Jewish life can be everywhere. There may be multiple synagogues, Jewish schools, delis, cultural organizations, holiday celebrations and neighborhoods where Jewish identity is simply part of the everyday landscape.

Here in the Valley, it can require a little more effort.  We do not have a local shul.  You may have to travel farther to attend services. You may celebrate holidays with a smaller group. You may occasionally be the only Jewish person in the room. Some of us enjoy observing Shabbat and Holy Days at the Bethlehem Hebrew Congregation.  BHC holds Services between Shavuot and Yom Kippur at the synagogue, and in winter on Zoom.  They also have a concert series, “Sounds in the Sanctuary” and hold the White Mountains Jewish Film Festival at the Colonial Theatre in Bethlehem NH during summer months.

But there can be something beautiful about that, too.

When Jewish people come together in a smaller community, there can be an immediate sense of recognition. You don't necessarily have to explain why Passover matters, why Hanukkah feels special, why certain foods evoke childhood memories, or why hearing a familiar Hebrew prayer can suddenly make a place feel like home.

Sometimes a simple, "You're Jewish, too?" is enough to create an instant connection.

Being Jewish in a predominantly non-Jewish community

Being part of a small minority also creates an opportunity to share something about Jewish life with people who may not have had much personal exposure to it.

Most people are curious in the best possible way.

Friends and neighbors may ask about Jewish holidays, traditions or foods. They may have questions about Hanukkah, Passover or the High Holidays. Sometimes they simply want to understand.

Those conversations can be meaningful.

At a time when Jewish identity can feel complicated, especially in the broader world, there is something reassuring about ordinary conversations with neighbors—sharing a meal, talking about family traditions, explaining a holiday, or simply discovering how much we have in common.

Jewish life doesn't have to be loud to be present.

The importance of remembering
Perhaps one of the most meaningful aspects of being Jewish is the connection to memory.

We remember where we came from. We remember those who came before us. We tell stories. We preserve traditions. We light candles. We gather around tables. We teach our children and grandchildren the things that were taught to us.

Living in a place surrounded by mountains and wilderness can actually heighten that sense of connection to time.

The mountains remind us that the world existed long before us and will continue long after us.

Jewish tradition reminds us that we are part of a story that stretches back thousands of years.

Those two ideas can coexist beautifully.

Jewish identity and the meaning of home
One of the reasons I love living in the Mount Washington Valley is that home here isn't just about a house.
It is about place.

It is about knowing the roads, recognizing familiar faces, watching the seasons change and understanding that the landscape around you has become part of your own story.

Being Jewish adds another layer to that idea of home.

Home is wherever we create traditions, gather with people we love and make memories. It can be a synagogue, a kitchen table, a family gathering—or a home tucked away somewhere in the White Mountains.

Maybe that is one of the great lessons of Jewish life: we carry home with us.

A place for all of us
The Mount Washington Valley is wonderfully diverse in another sense. People come here for many reasons—some were born here, some came for skiing or hiking, some wanted a quieter life, and others simply fell in love with the mountains and never left.

There is room here for different backgrounds, traditions and ways of living.

Being Jewish in the Valley is not about being separate from the community. It is about being part of it while bringing your own history and traditions along with you.

And perhaps that is what makes this place feel so special.

We can stand beneath the same mountains, walk along the same rivers, shop in the same towns, support the same local businesses and care about the same community—while each bringing our own stories to the table.

For me, being Jewish in the Mount Washington Valley is a reminder that Jewish life doesn't require a particular city, neighborhood or landscape.

And sometimes, it simply requires lighting a candle on a quiet evening, looking out at the mountains, and feeling grateful that this beautiful place has become home.