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| Oseh Shalom Congregation: Who Are We?
Viewpoint and Commentary by Rabbi Emeritus Gary S. Fink Oseh Shalom is a synagogue community:
Oseh Shalom is a synagogue communityHistorically, the synagogue is called bet kenesset (a place of gathering), bet midrash (a place of study), and bet tefillah (a place of prayer). Today, Oseh Shalom serves and reflects a variety of human needs. As in ancient times,
Comprised of individuals and families from diverse backgroundsOseh Shalom recognizes its responsibility to provide a comfortable home for individuals with a variety of needs. On the one hand, our religious services and programs are child-friendly. We want children at Oseh Shalom to feel comfortable with our rabbi, cantor, and educational staff and we also want to build in them warm childhood memories of their shul (synagogue community). We were the first synagogue in the region to build a "quiet room" adjacent to our sanctuary so that parents with small children could have a place to sit with their little ones who need to cry or move around. In the quiet room, parents can see and hear the service and not worry about distracting anyone. On the other hand, we recognize that Judaism is not simply a childhood religion--it is not just for families with kids. Judaism is an enriching way of life for everyone seeking meaning in life and a sense of fulfillment and blessing.
Who Live in the Baltimore Washington AreaWe are a regional synagogue community, welcoming members from Ellicott City to College Park, from Rockville to Bowie. Our members come from Howard County, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, and Anne Arundel County. We are proud of our synagogue building, built in 1990 and located near I-95. It is important to have a place that is a physical center of congregational life. We also recognize, however, that the synagogue building is not the essence of Jewish life. The essence of Jewish life is the home, the individual, and the family. Ultimately, our responsibility is to facilitate and promote Jewish life in every home, everywhere our members live. Affiliated with the Jewish Reconstructionist FederationReconstructionism is a branch of Judaism, similar to Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Chassidic. Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan founded Reconstructionism in the 1920s as a liberal breakaway from the Conservative movement. He grounded his philosophy on three ideas that were considered radical for that time. First, Kaplan believed that women should have an equal role in all aspects of Jewish life. As a direct result, he invented the modern Bat Mitzvah. Second, Kaplan viewed Judaism broadly as an evolving civilization, rather than as a religion. Therefore, he advocated teaching Jewish culture (music, Hebrew language, Jewish arts, literature, and so forth) in addition to religious tenets. Third, he suggested that we need not view God as a supernatural Being who rewards and punishes, but rather as a Spiritual force found in the goodness and order of our world. Since the founding of Reconstructionism, both Reform and Conservative Judaism have embraced many aspects of Reconstructionist thought. Today, Reconstructionism is often viewed as a bridge between the Reform and Conservative movements. At the same time, the uniqueness of Reconstructionism can be seen in its openness, its inclusiveness, and its creative spirituality as well as in its blending of modern, creative thought with traditional Jewish practice. ---------------------------------------------------- Dedicated to fostering personal, communal, and ecological tikkunTikkun means repair, healing, or making whole. Personal tikkun refers to
Communal tikkun refers to
Through Jewish traditionJewish tradition is the key to bringing tikkun. Tradition provides powerful and time-tested ways to bring wholeness and healing to our lives and into our world. Four thousand years of Jewish experience have created and shaped this tradition. Our tradition can be organized into seven pathways-seven pathways to tikkun. Each pathway contains ancient as well as contemporary traditions, beliefs, and understandings. As we move along the pathways (any or all of them), we move closer to tikkun. We walk along each pathway in our own way and at our own pace-there is a place for those with little Jewish experience as well as for those with deeper backgrounds. Seven pathways make Jewish tradition accessible to all and point the way to tikkun: prayer, Sabbath and festivals, loving acts toward others, caring for the earth, study of Torah, Jewish community, and self-realization. (c) Rabbi Gary S. Fink |