Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariel Tayler-Smith.
Hi Ariel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
We’ve been here, in Ludowici, GA, since 2018. I’m quite used to being the minority in regard to faith. For a while now, I had yearned for more activities, gatherings, anything to be provided for the Jewish community, in a local capacity versus driving to Savannah, GA. With traffic, it can take about an hour on a good day and after long days it just doesn’t always work out well.
I had actually seen a flyer for Norse Pagan gatherings on post, and it finally lit something in me to BE the idea that I had wanted to come to fruition.
I reached out to the director about how to go about allowing the Jewish community to gather on post – and the rest is history.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The hardest part is getting more people to come (Jewish or not).
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have been homeschooling our daughters in 2020. I’m a personal trainer (since 2016), and I’m also a cottage food licensed baker (since 2023 I believe). I specialize in baking babka – took me years to perfect the dough recipe.
I’d say I’m most proud of focusing on developing myself, ‘loving your neighbor as yourself’, – because that allows me to help others.
How do you think about luck?
There’s a saying that goes, “gam zu l’tovah”, which means “This too is for good”. So, good luck/bad luck, whatever anyone calls it, there’s always good in everything.
