Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom

Statement of Mission

Our congregation has a Statement of Purpose in its Bylaws:

The purpose of the Congregation shall be to promote Reform Judaism in all aspects of life, by means of public and private worship, by proper instruction in the religious school and from the pulpit, and by such other means and methods as may be appropriate, and to advance the cause of liberal Judaism, as generally interpreted by the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.

This Statement of Purpose, however, is not adequate to truly reflect our congregational identity. A number of important additional goals - fully in keeping with this Statement of Purpose - need to be expressed to give a truer picture of the underlying principles, concerns, and efforts our congregation. Together, they all lead toward a comprehensive statement of what we are all about and where we are heading:

1) We will strive to provide a religious environment where Reform Jews of all backgrounds and range of beliefs can feel a common ground and bond as a member of our Reform Congregation. Moreover, in creating this environment, we intend to emphasize and embrace two important aspects of our Reform Movement: 1) As Reform Jews, we are proud to be authentic followers of the fundamental rabbinic tradition of searching for the basic underlying principles of Judaism and placing those principles above all else; and 2) As Reform Jews, each of us is free to explore, chose, and create those traditions within Judaism that will help us to live our live in keeping with the underlying ethical and moral principles that form the very heart of Judaism itself.

2) We will emphasize that the family is the basic unit of our membership; that men and women have true equality in our congregation; that non-Jewish members of our congregational families are welcomed and accepted as members of the congregation (although there are some restrictions placed upon their participation in terms of ritual observance and leadership roles as reflected in our Bylaws); and that, to be Reform Jews, we must each "confirm" ourselves as Jews - whether we are of matrilineal descent, patrilineal descent, or have formally converted, we are really only truly Reform Jews if we actively choose to live our lives in keeping with the underlying principles of our Reform Movement.

3) We will strive to provide spiritually fulfilling experiences - whether on an individual or communal basis - for each of our adult members. By spiritually fulfilling we mean, for example, a sense of feeling Jewish, a sense of feeling the presence of God around us and in our lives, or a sense of purpose for being in this universe.

4) We will make a sincere effort to provide a profound sense of community within our Congregation - a sense of friendliness, warmth, caring and sharing - in the context of the underlying principles of our Reform Judaism. Just as we want others to reach out to us, we need to reach out to each other. And we will especially reach out to those who are new members (and also to those who are interested in becoming members) and make them feel welcome in our midst.

5) We will endeavor to design programs for the congregational members in such a manner that each of our members should be able to find fulfillment of important Jewish needs throughout the year; but it is unnecessary, if not virtually impossible, for us to try and design each program so that it would fill the needs of all of our members all of the time and always at the Temple. Indeed, there is a definite need for programs for small groups, which by their very nature tend to enhance the sense of closeness that people want to feel. And many of these small programs might best be held in individual homes, where there is often a greater sense of friendliness, informality, intimacy and warmth - some of the very qualities we are trying to achieve in our congregation.

6) We will provide the type of physical "facility" for our congregation that will truly "facilitate" the rest of the needs of our congregation. We will make every necessary effort to provide adequate space for worship, education, and assembly. Moreover, we will make appropriate efforts to provide adequate access for the handicapped. And in particular, we will take into consideration providing adequate access to our facility in terms of transportation, including parking.

7) We will focus the efforts of our Temple leadership, including the Board and the Rabbi, both now and in the future, to implement these goals. We recognize that although the individuals may change, the goals should still be pursued; that we should strive to provide continuity in our leadership to help facilitate the implementation of these goals; and that we should use willingness and ability to pursue these goals as a guidepost to evaluate prospective Board members and future applicants for the position of Rabbi in our congregation.

8) We will endeavor to provide financial stability to ensure our ability to pursue our underlying goals well into the future. In attempting to provide this stability, we will make every effort to be fair and equitable in our dealings with our members and the outside community. We also stand committed to ensuring that no one will feel turned away because of lack of financial resources.