September 10, 2026
Each week during our Fall 2026 Membership Drive, we’re introducing you to a sangha member reflecting on what practice and community at Brooklyn Zen Center means to them. To kick off the series, here is Jules!
Missed the others in the series? Browse all Meet a Member stories →
Jules Becerra (she/they)
Member Since: 2020 (with some pauses along the way)
Favorite BZC Program: Buddha’s birthday celebration!
BZC Roles: Shika Ryo; Interim Work Leader this fall
Fun Fact: I do comedy around Brooklyn
How would you describe your practice in your own words: “Always a work in progress”.
From Jules’s own voice (watch below, and read on):
My Story:
During good times in my life, I think Brooklyn Zen Center has been a nice place to go. And during bad times in my life, it’s been a really nice place to go.
I started practicing with BZC in 2020, right before the pandemic, and have been involved intermittently since then. Pauses in practice were due to things like moving away temporarily for grad school, and pauses in membership have been due to changing job status (although I recently rejoined when realizing your monthly donation can be lower than $30!)
I try to make it to as many Saturday programs as I can, because it always gives me a sense of grounding for the week, as well as a space of calm to anchor the more chaotic elements of my life around. After coming consistently the past year, I have joined the Shika Ryo and will also be Interim Work Leader this fall! I’m excited to volunteer in this way because it feels like adding to a place I care about, and frankly I tend to enjoy simple repetitive tasks in low-stress environments.
I can remember a time I was paired up with a woman I didn’t know that well at a retreat and we were checking in with each other and I was talking about this conflict in my life that was really stressful and I couldn’t do anything about it. um nothing that was within my control. And the woman empathized with me and she thought a little bit and she said, “I guess you just have to sit in the discomfort.” And I feel like I really don’t get that anywhere else. And I was like, “You know what? You’re on to something.” And that’s sort of why I keep coming here.
The people at BZC have been such a huge part of my time there. It feels special to find a place with people who are not only kind, friendly, and interested in a common thing, but who have such interesting and thoughtful ways of looking at the world and are willing to talk about it after just meeting you.
Since I spend money on other nice little things like an overpriced ice cream cone or a streaming service, it feels good and doable to carve out a little bit to pitch in to a place that seeks to serve people.
Join the campaign by becoming a member, renewing, or upgrading your membership!