Spencer Jarrett: A Profile in Jewish Life
Name and Current Locale: Spencer Jarrett, Bennington, VT
What you are doing now: I’m married to Marcia Levin. I’m a freelance blues musician, and creative director and writer for corporations and non-profit organizations.
What do you do beyond your work? I’m on the board of directors of Congregation Beth El; an active member of the Greater Bennington Interfaith Council; and a hospice volunteer for Bayada.
What was your upbringing like? I was born in Brooklyn and raised in Philly. I also worked as a forest ranger in the rural Midwest where there was almost no Jewish life. My upbringing was Conservative but I gravitated to Orthodox Judaism in the past decade.
How would you describe your connection to Jewish life now? Judaism is central to my life. I daven at home and study with a chavrusa in Jerusalem four mornings a week. I’m shomer Shabbos so don’t attend on-line services, but will return to synagogue when things open up post-COVID. I’ve also been a member of several chevra kadishas, and have performed that function in Bennington.
How has your Jewish identity evolved over time? As a musician I spent 20 years playing guitar with two black gospel groups. I was around non-Jews with deep personal faith. That experience helped me look for and find my own personal faith within Judaism. Before moving to Bennington I became the shammash of a small Chasidic shul in Seattle, which reflected a deepening of my faith.
One interesting Jewish experience in your life: About 35 years ago I bought a house with many rooms. I wanted to put mezuzahs on all the doors, so I went to a sofer. The total price for the mezuzahs wasn’t huge, but I balked at paying it. The sofer looked at me with a puzzled expression, and asked, “Didn’t God just give you a house?”
How has your Jewish identity made a difference in your current life? We’re living in turbulent times. Judaism turns my focus from things that are temporary to things that are permanent. I also study mussar which helps me make better, more ethical decisions.
What do you think is special about Jewish life in Vermont? I think rural Jews have a unique perspective. We don’t take Yiddishkeit for granted. Jewish communities are diverse and spread out, which means that community-building requires time, acceptance, and love.
What you value most about your Jewish experiences: My belief in God gets me through the rough patches. I may not understand what God is presenting me with in the short-term, but trust that in the long-term it will be what I need.
Anything else you want to communicate to people in the JCVT community? The older I get the more I know how much I don’t know, and that’s a good thing.
