Our Commitment to Being Welcoming, Caring and Inclusive
Keeping Connected March 2025
Dear Friends,
Our Jewish values teach that all people are created – B’tselem Elohim – in the Divine image, that each person is precious and deserves kindness and safety. These values have always been a guiding light for Congregation Shalom. Our mission statement is:
Congregation Shalom is a Reform Jewish community committed to education, spiritual growth, and Tikkun Olam (healing the world). We are proud to be an extended family of equals – welcoming, caring and inclusive. Together, we engage in religious observance, enjoy social activities, and pursue life-long learning.
Today, more than ever, it feels important for us to affirm the commitment to being welcoming, caring and inclusive. That every person, regardless of who they love and how they identify, is a valued member of our congregation. We aspire for our synagogue to be a sanctuary and safe place for every person, child or adult, and we are also committed through our actions to make this mission a reality. As it says in our siddur:
May the door of this synagogue be wide enough
To receive all who hunger for love, all who are lonely for friendship.May it welcome all who have cares to unburden,
Thanks to express, hopes to nurture.
Recently, in our nation, there have been significant efforts on the national and state level, to diminish the rights of people who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. This has included legislation that would take away the right to gay marriage, the elimination of gender-affirming care for children who are trans and nonbinary, restrictions on receiving passports, etc. We understand that this has caused tremendous emotional and spiritual distress for some members of our congregation, both young and old. We want to reiterate that we are present with you on this challenging journey and that we will always be here to offer our support and guidance. We are committed to being a caring and inclusive community. We may not always know who is in need of support, so please reach out to us so we can be there for you.
As mentioned earlier, it is important to not only believe in these values, but to live these values. Towards these ends, as a congregation, we have incorporated Seven Jewish Values for an Inclusive Jewish Community into our daily practice. You can see the entire framework of principles below, but they include: Respect, Peace in the Home, In God’s Image, Communal Responsibility, Guarding One’s Use of Language, Love Your Neighbor as Yourself, and Solidarity. Along with the Union for Reform Judaism, the RAC (Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism), and hundreds of other synagogues and Jewish organizations, Congregation Shalom has joined the Thrive Coalition, which is a group of Jewish community institutions that want to protect and advance LGBTQ+ civil rights on both the state and federal levels. If you are interested in becoming a part of Congregation Shalom’s engagement with these efforts or would like to be a part of our Inclusion Committee, please reach out to Tina Kempner, Caryn Navy, or Rabbi Perry. Please see our e-mails below.
With deep care and concern for each and every one of you,
Rabbi Perry
Rob Berkovitz, President Congregation Shalom on behalf of the Board of Trustees
Tina Kempner, Chair Social Action/Social Justice
Caryn Navy, Chair of the Inclusion Committee
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