Envision our members of all ages working together with one another and our clergy to create and sustain a synagogue of which we can all be proud and which will nurture each of us as we strive to deepen our knowledge of Judaism, pursue our personal spiritual journeys and foster our commitment to passing on a meaningful form of Judaism to future generations.
Envision being part of a community in which you, with your unique talents, skills, background and lifestyle are respected and valued and where we honor the many different paths and traditions that have led you to us.
Envision our congregation making itself known throughout the greater Huntington area for its unique Reconstructionist approach to Jewish life, for its leadership in tikkun olam projects and advocacy and for its active participation in the interfaith community in which we live.
Envision Kehillath Shalom as a place in which you feel as though you are part of an extended family.
Envision walking through the door of our building and feeling as though you have finally come home.
Kehillath Shalom
Mission Statement
Our
name, Kehillath Shalom, means Community of Peace.
A. We are a fully participatory,
egalitarian, Reconstructionist congregation,
dedicated
to the pursuit of a meaningful approach to contemporary Jewish
life.
Arising out of our diverse experiences of the divine, we share a
commitment
to cultivating our inner lives and working together to create
a
more godly world. Both as individuals and in community, we strive to
deepen
our Jewish spirituality and to help one another develop meaningful
ways
to explore and express ourselves. We are committed to maintaining
a
warm and supportive environment within which we can all find courage,
strength
and joy through our interactions with one another.
B. We are inclusive and welcome members
of diverse backgrounds and
lifestyles.
C. In partnership with our clergy and
other synagogue staff, we strive for an
atmosphere
of meaningful spirituality, vibrant study and creative worship
and
we aim to instill our Jewish values into every aspect of synagogue life.
We
encourage all members to play an active role as we join together to
explore
and define the unique path of this congregation and we ask each
to
contribute his or her interests, talents and skills to our efforts.
D. We are committed to social action as a
way of putting our Jewish
spirituality
into practice. As individuals and as a community, we dedicate ourselves tothe
task of Tikkun Olam.
E. We believe, and aim to teach our
children, that it is our responsibility as
Jews to help heal the pain and suffering that
we see all around us and to work
towards
preserving the health of the global ecosystem upon which all life
depends.
We hope to help our children appreciate their Jewish heritage and
to
encourage them to love learning and find meaning and joy in our tradition.
F. We are committed to the State of
Israel and recognize its importance to
the
cultural and spiritual survival of the Jewish people. We support and encourage it
to flourish as a home for all Jews based on a foundation of justice and equality
for all its citizens.
G. We seek to partner with other members
of the Jewish and interfaith
communities
in our attempts to create a more just and peaceful world.
