Sha'arey Shalom is a mid-sized Reform congregation that is immensely proud of our 50 plus years legacy of Jewish devotion, and excited about the future. We are a diverse community of liberal Jews. Our programming runs the gamut from traditional text study to volunteering at a local soup kitchen. Most importantly, we truly strive for the personal, warm touch, in hopes that every member will make an impact. Our goal is to be a catalyst for dynamic Jewish living. At the same time, we warmly welcome interfaith and other non-traditional families into our inclusive, egalitarian style. We are blessed to be led by our spiritual leaders, Rabbi Joshua Goldstein and Cantor Amy Daniels (also our Religious School Director); our pre-school director Nina Greenman; our Family Educator Mindy Schreff; and our devoted partners in lay leadership.
Sha'arey Shalom has experienced more than five decades in which our Temple has enriched Jewish lives in more ways than we can count. In the words of one member: "One of the greatest decisions of our lives was the choice to join Sha'arey Shalom. Our affiliation has given us connections to our tradition and community that have comforted us in sorrow, educated us, challenged us, rejoiced us, grounded us in faith, enriched us through friendship and strengthened our very identities. Belonging to Sha'arey Shalom is a privilege".
Temple Sha'arey Shalom is entering the 52nd year of our existence, with a wonderful sense of vitality. We are a Reform synagogue that is challenging, family oriented, and devoted to offering fulfilling Jewish experiences.
As a House of Worship, we recognize that prayer speaks to modern Jews in different ways. That is why Sha'arey Shalom has developed a variety of worship experiences. Our Friday evening services, beginning at 8:00 p.m., are always inclusive and egalitarian. We take pride in the numbers of members who participate, often chanting abbreviated Torah portions. We love to sing, enhanced by our wonderful adult and junior choirs. We love to think about the issues of the days as they impact Judaism, articulated by the the Rabbi. We love to join our Cantor as she leads us in a variety of musical styles. And we love to engage in a worship style that is vibrant and alive. The first Friday of each month is generally a Family Shabbat characterized by warmth, storytelling, religious school participation, and song. Younger children join us at an earlier hour for "Tot Shabbat" with age appropriate activities. And we have begun to use the new Reform prayer book "Mishkan Teffilah" for our other services.
Then there's Shabbat morning! Each week a group of adults meet for lay-led study and an informal service. We call it the "Shabbat Morning Study Minyan". At the same time, a 45 minute service takes place in the Sanctuary for grades K-3 and their parents. There, we talk about the mitzvot children have performed each week, we sing, we hear a story from the Torah, and we have a great time. At 10:30 am, we hold yet a third opportunity for a Shabbat morning worship experience: Bar/Bat Mitzvah. We are so pleased that our 13 year olds feel proud of their achievements, that our Rabbi and Cantor make certain to "personalize" the milestone, and that the day is recognized as not the end of Jewish learning, but a stage in a life-long Jewish journey.
The spirit of our educational programs is contagious! You'll see it in the smiling face of a 3 year old sitting on the Rabbi's lap, the pride of a high school student being confirmed on Shavuot, the joy of a 50 year old celebrating an adult Bar/Bat Mitzvah, or adult Confirmation, the achievement of an interfaith couple completing Intro to Judaism classes, or simply the fulfillment that comes from discovering new insights from our rich heritage. Religious School now extends through the 12th Grade with special monthly programs. We are immensely proud of our superb full time PreSchool, led by Nina Greenman; our wonderful Religious School led by Cantor Amy Daniels; and our wide-range of adult education opportunities. At Sha'arey Shalom, we have developed a reputation for excellence in learning, enhanced by our Family Educator, Mindy Schreff.
Finally, Sha'arey Shalom is a place for Jewish community, in the best sense. There are so many ways we involve ourselves with each other's lives, that we can never really exhaust the possibilities. But consider: an incredibly active and wonderful Sisterhood; an absolutely terrific Brotherhood (boasting a dynasty of softball championships); a Renaissance Group of members ages 50 and over that is the envy of so many synagogues; a unique program called "Health Initiative"; an active Youth Group and Junior Youth Group that knows how to do "Jewish fun"; an award winning social action program that involves itself in activities that impact our wider community; High Holy Day Hunger Project; and a myriad of other activities.
This year, we are truly excited about the many highlights we have planned: two Scholar-in-Residence programs; a concert with the "Afro-Semitic Experience"; Cantor Daniels' Fund Raiser for victims of terror in Israel; and so much more. Please consider joining us for these and other wonderful moments this year at Sha'arey Shalom.