Monday, June 16, 2014

The 2014 Reservoir Hill Homecoming Was a Wonderful Night



The 2nd Annual Reservoir Hill Homecoming was a warm and festive evening.  Eighty people gathered in the historic Beth Am Synagogue to share good food and participate in a discussion of the book, The Other Wes Moore.  In this book, two people sharing the same name, growing up in similar circumstances end up in very different places in life, having made very different choices. 

Park Avenue resident, Russ Moss, formed a reading and discussion group ahead of Homecoming, so some participants had read the book before attending.  Every table had a list of discussion questions, and Russ led a lively exchange centered around themes and lessons from the book.  It turned out to be an extremely stimulating conversation with a lot of participation.  Attendees represented a wide range of background and brought their experiences to the conversation.  For instance, state Senator Catherine Pugh joined us and brought to bear her experience in public service, in developing a school, and in writing children’s book.  Another person was an employee of the Maryland prison system. Much of the discussion became focused around the intersection of personal responsibility in making positive choices, the environment that supports ones ability to make such choices, and our responsibility in helping create that environment and to better understand the life situations of others.

We look forward to keeping Homecoming as an annual Reservoir Hill tradition.

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