What I just send via email to my congregation.
Our synagogue has a vision statement that includes four planks. Three of them are easy to understand. The fourth one causes some people angst. We embrace diversity. It really is very simple.
To celebrate that diversity, as the third part of a mini-series called the Passover Primer, this Thursday night, come see how Jews around the world celebrate Passover. Learn some new tricks for your seder or teach us some that work well at yours. That is part of diversity. I have collected ideas from Morocco, Afghanistan, Turkey, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Mexico and others. Leave with recipes for charoset and so much more!
Never led a seder? This class is for you. Old hat? This class is also for you as we learn ways to “spice up” the seder and make it more meaningful for everyone.
Diverse Seders in a Diverse World: Thursday night, March 26th from 7-8:30.
But what about diversity? When I first arrived at CKI it seemed that diversity was about welcoming interfaith families into our congregation. I think that when CKI adopted this plank in the Vision Statement they were mostly referring to interfaith families. We are warm and welcoming.
We are still working on doing a better job of this one—and need to.
- For me diversity includes providing access to all—by wheeling the Torah up the aisle so that someone with mobility issues can have an aliyah. By printing copies of my sermons and putting them on the website so hearing impaired people can participate. By welcoming those with developmental delays. By training our teachers in accommodations for those with special learning needs. By providing handicapped accessible bathrooms. By providing handicapped accesible parking places. By making sure that events/membership are afforable while still staying within our budget.
- Diversity includes being welcoming to all regardless of stream of Judaism from the most observant Orthodox member to the most classical Reform. That is a juggling act but one well worth the effort. We may not want to use the word pluralism, but I am proud of our independent synagogue.
- By being welcoming to anyone in the LGBT community. Maybe some day we won’t even have to say that is diversity. It just is.
- By being welcoming to any family configuration: two parents, one parent, divorced, widowed, single, kids, no kids, empty nesters, old, young, interested in services, interested in study, interested in social events. By providing programming for all types of families.
- By continuing working with our bi-racial, multi-racial families. Did you know that we have 17 members who were not born in the US? Can you name all the countries? We also have any number of members who first language was not English. As we continue to be warm and welcoming, our congregation will continue to look diverse. For instance, we need to think about how to teach Intro to Judaism in Spanish.
- And yes, by continuing the fine work the Keruv (draw close) committee and the vision committee have started. By making everyone feel welcome. We have made strides with our dedicating part of the cemetery for interfaith couples, by allowing non-Jews on the bimah and welcoming them to have certain honors, by teaching Intro to Judaism, by participating actively in CERL and other clergy councils.
- By deepening the partnership, as we do, with organizations like Big Tent Judaism, InterfaithFamily.org and Keshet.
Ultimately we need to continue to create a warm and welcoming community dedicated to meaningful observance, lifelong learning and diversity. We need to create a non-judgmental space where people are free to express their ideas without fear of retribution, where gossip is at a minimum, where people are encouraged to explore and grow in their Judaism. And while we are doing that, we will continue to grow and strengthen CKI.