An acquaintance is pregnant. She hates Los Angeles. She feels no sense of community here even though she’s active in Jewish life.
She misses her home on the East Coast where she grew up with a strong sense of community (even though her family was not Orthodox).
It’s hard to find close community in Jewish life outside of Orthodoxy except on the East Coast. There people have ties going back generations. Their families have lived in the same town for generations. Mores are more traditional. Where you go to school is more important. A Jew who’s lived in Philadelphia for ten years is still considered a newcomer by the community.
If you want close community, you might want to become Orthodox or move back to the East Coast.
People who move to California are generally looking to escape their bonds and start over with freedom. They want to get away from family and traditional expectations and allegiances.
If you want community in LA, you’ll have to work for it. Establish bonds with people with similar interests. I find a sense of community in yoga and writing and Alexander Technique in addition to my Orthodox Judaism and general Jewish participation.
