If you're in Nashville and identify with Conservative Judaism, look no further…read more
No really, because it is Nashville's only Conservative shul.
But all joking aside, when the wife and I first moved to Nashville, we were very happy to have a larger Jewish community. We shopped around at a few different places, but at the end of the day, we felt so welcome here. From the second we made eye contact with the usher, he greeted us warmly, asked if we were kohanim, and when we said 'no', was quick to offer an aliyah to us immediately. At one of the Reform shuls we went to, nobody even said 'hi' to us the whole time we were there. We were really impressed.
So, we met with the rabbi, who was canned shortly thereafter, but we made quite a few friends our age and discovered a really vibrant, welcoming community. They also have an amazing education program, it is hands-down the best Hebrew school in town and people from all of the different congregations in town send their kids here. Great facilities, too! And we just got a fantastic new cantor, too! Really devoted to education - truly goes above and beyond. And she has a good set of pipes, too!
The last thing that I will say, is that in addition to the very strong, supportive community here, they also have been very welcoming to families, especially families with young children. It is not uncommon to see lively kids of all ages having fun and playing with friends in the hallways. They always seem to have a great kiddush every Shabbat too, which doesn't hurt either.
Fantastic, safe, warm welcoming home - that's how I would describe West End.