As the pandemic lockdown eased, we talked a lot about rebuilding community. We thought about how and when to bring people together, aware of the trauma of isolation and the fears we had about socialization. How did we return to work? To social spaces? To religious spaces? Would we sit near each other in shul? Did we hold onto our masks or fling them away?

Each of us needed different amounts of space. Many of us immediately went to see the family we had not seen for 18 months. Airlines were full of people going to hug those they love.

We thought a lot about how communal spaces could and should reopen. And we talked a lot about community – how to rebuild it, how to acknowledge our losses.

Recent research tells us that, despite all of our best efforts, we are still remarkably isolated. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that most of us spend about 35 minutes a day socializing, regardless of age. This represents a 6-minute........

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