Now that we have traveled, in the first part of this column (published in the previous edition of the Scroll), 44 years of history of the Kehilah, that is Kehilat Har-El of Jerusalem, let us review what it is that we do here.
The members of the Kehilah hold two regular weekly t'filot (public prayer sessions, or services) -- kabbalat shabbat (Friday evening) and shaharit l'shabbat (Saturday morning) as well as all holidays. Liturgically, we use the siddur and machzor of the Movement for Progressive Judaism in Israel, which contain a definite contemporary Israeli flavor, yet with which the user of European and North and South American Reform, Liberal and Reconstructionist siddurim and machzorim feel very much at home. Incidentally, while most of our prayer books are only in Hebrew, we also maintain bilingual books in English, German and Russian, all of which are frequently used, mostly by visitors. In addition to the formal text, our members add their own poetic and musical contributions to the t'filot, led by our rabbi, and our hazan (cantor) Evan Cohen.
Most other evenings we hold activities, such as a singing group, incorporating Jewish music, traditional and modern; Yoga and Judaism class; "Muse" workshop (Jewish inspiration for artists through text study); the rabbi's weekly shiur (lesson) which is centered around parashat ha-shavu'a (the weekly Torah portion) and which includes the study of other Jewish and non-Jewish texts; Hebrew lessons for new olim (Jewish immigrants--ascenders to Israel) and other periodic cultural events which include music, poetry reading, art exhibits and lectures. Once a year, we as a congregation, go on an out-of-town retreat. The retreats combine studying and social activities, and are suitable to all ages.
Education in Israel is generally provided through the public school system. This includes what would be considered in the Diaspora Jewish education. Har-El, like many other liberal congregations, also provides early child education to the children of its members. We operate Gan Pashosh and Gan Dror -- two different classes named after local birds -- which serve children aged two to four, six days a week, Sunday through Friday. When they are older, these children then join the public school system. The congregation also holds special preparatory program for b'nai mitzvah, led by the congregation's rabbi. And very recently we have been trying to re-establish the activity of the Youth Movement of the Movement for Progressive Judaism in Israel.
Presently the following committees are active at Kehilat Har-El: va'ad ha-kehilah (board of directors), va'adat t'filah (ritual committee), va'adat haf'alah (activities and cultural committee), va'adat haverim (membership committee), va'adat hinukh (educational committee) and va'adat k'safim (finance committee). The congregation also publishes a monthly newsletter in both Hebrew and English, and maintains a web site, accessible to English readers.
The congregation consists of approximately 130 to 140 households. The congregation is also the temporary home of many of the rabbinical, cantorial and education students who come from abroad to study in Israel -- Reform, Liberal and Reconstructionist students primarily from North America and Europe. We are also the home of the Jerusalem region of Forum Ha-tze'irim (The Young Adult Forum) which consists of people in their twenties and early thirties, most of whom are university students.
Members of the congregation are regularly involved in congregational initiated social action projects. Har-El runs a second-hand clothing store geared for the needy, host a group of elderly Russian olim, mainly women, visits children in a shelter for physically abused women, collaborates with a school for children with Down's syndrome, absorption of olim, etc.
We hope the above, and the column that preceded it, will provide you with an
idea of who we, the members of Kehilat Har-El, are. The somewhat dry
information provided, however, is only the context within which we hope to
see you too contributing to the content of our collective experience.
Nadav Katz