Jeri Goodman

Jerilynne Goodman

I came to Beacon 16 years ago, searching for a spiritual home for my young family. I sat through my first service with tears in my eyes, because it really did feel like coming home. I couldn’t believe I had stumbled upon this community, and a faith, so filled with heart centered, intellectually curious people, fully engaged with the world, and committed to living their faith through action. Plus, I could immediately understand everything going on in the service, and the ministers were super cool (still are!) Unitarian Universalism felt like the best kept secret in religion.

Beacon welcomed my daughter, who found a tribe of smart, quirky kids here. She’s 24 now, and I recently heard her explain to a friend what it was like to grow up UU,  attending youth retreats. “Imagine, she said, “high school aged chaperones with ukuleles, singing lullabies to angsty middle schoolers to get them to go to sleep.”

Beacon welcomed my son, who stuck it out in RE for several years before deciding to drop out. When I sadly and reluctantly reached out to Tuli to tell her this, she responded “It’s important to honor the dissenting spirit”. You can’t get much more UU than that.

Beacon welcomed my mother, in her 80s and in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. At the end of one service, my little old Jewish mother turned to me and said, “You know, I think I’ve always been UU and just didn’t know it.” Beacon was the place I could continue to bring her as her Alzheimer’s progressed, knowing she’d still feel safe and included. I will always be grateful for that.

My children grew up, life moved in many different directions, and I didn’t stay as connected in recent years. But when the pandemic hit, and I needed grounding and community, a place to mourn, and a place to hope, Beacon zoomed right into my living room and welcomed me back.