Zev Nagel, Commercial Real Estate
Na’amit Nagel, English Teacher, Shalhevet High School
Dael, 3; Leela, 16 months
When Na’amit and I moved to Los Angeles as a young couple in 2011, joining the right shul was at the top of our mind. There are so many options in this neighborhood, each with their own feel and flavor. We wanted to find a place that was spiritually and intellectually engaging, open-minded, and diverse – and B’nai David fit that description perfectly.
BDJ is a community that we naturally feel a part of. It welcomes nuance and critical thinking about key halachic and social issues, and it’s willing to grapple with them. It’s got a great perspective on inclusion, dialogue, and discourse with people or groups that see things differently.
I’m originally from L.A. and Na’amit is from Toronto. I didn’t attend BDJ as a child, but that was part of the draw. When people introduced themselves to me, they would say, ‘Oh, are you new here?’ It helped us feel like we were developing something new just for ourselves.
We have two children, Dael, 3, and Leela, 16 months. I now help run the BDJ Young Professionals monthly minyan, and Na’amit joins in the BDJ Babies group.
BDJ is really unique among shuls in LA. At the end of the day, if there wasn’t a BDJ, we would feel less settled here in Los Angeles.
