A Message from the Acting Rabbi A Vision Of Adat Re'im Thank you, each and every one of you, for your interest in Adat Re'im. What started with four families sitting around a table, daydreaming, is now a reality. Adat Re'im is real! Your support and dedication have made it so. Whether you have been along for the whole journey or are just coming aboard, it is important to realize that we can only become what our dreams will allow. With this in mind, I want to share my dream, my vision, of Adat Re'im. I believe that, if we focus on the vision, the rest of our decisions will fall into place. For me, Adat Re'im is a dream come true. It is the chance to build a synagogue from the ground up. It is a chance to do things in a new way. It is the time to take a chance on a good idea. What I am about to share with you may seem idealistic. I believe that in my role as the spiritual leader of Adat Re'im, it is my job to be the idealistic daydreamer, creating a vision that I hope will become the shared vision of our community. Here is that vision: Adat Re'im is an inclusive, independent synagogue. We are dedicated to the traditions of Judaism's past, and open to the innovations of Judaism's future. Guided by a shared vision, we strive to build holy relationships with each other, with our community, with the world, and with God. Adat Re'im ("Community of Friends and Neighbors") is built on three pillars, each pillar equally supporting and giving focus to our community. Each pillar is a conduit through which we can connect with the Divine. The three pillars are:   T'filah (Prayer) Chinuch (Education) Kehillah Kedoshah (Sacred Community)   I. T'filah (Prayer) Prayer matters. Prayer matters, because it leads to personal transformation. Sometimes joyful, sometimes meditative, prayer is a chance to encounter God: to praise, to thank, to question, and even to wrestle with God. It is through the depth of this encounter that personal transformation takes place. In order for this encounter to occur, prayer must be engaging and meaningful. Sitting in the congregation, watching the rabbi recite liturgy, is not prayer. Prayer is a "participatory sport." It must have elements of both keva (fixed structure/traditional liturgy) and kavanah (intention/dedication). Keva is an experience of the mind, and kavanah is an experience of the soul. Through the beauty of the poetry of Hebrew prayer, the angelic sounds of music, the deep probing of meditation, and the power of individual human voices coming together to form a holy symphony, we can experience the transformation of both mind and soul.   II. Chinuch (Education) The ancient rabbis used the word heart in place of the word mind. They understood the deep connection between what we learn and what we feel. Judaism has developed a broad spectrum of customs and traditions over the last five thousand years. We should draw upon all of them for our learning, studying the full spectrum of Jewish knowledge, from the most traditional to the most liberal. We must also take what we learn and make it useful in our daily existence, using the tools that we gain through our Jewish knowledge to elevate that which is mundane in our lives to a level of holiness. Jewish education is a life-long endeavor, not just a supplementary activity for children. We must teach not only our children, but ourselves, as well. The value of the education received in religious school cannot reach its full potential without parents, and the entire community, reinforcing its lessons. The lessons we learn as children must be built upon when we are adults. In becoming more educated Jews, we move closer to God, enhancing the quality of our lives. III. Kehillah Kedoshah (Sacred Community) A sacred community is one that strives to be in constant dialogue with God. It is a community that functions as a family, serving as a support system for its members. In our sacred community, we share the responsibility of building and maintaining a synagogue that is the most warm, welcoming, meaningful and spiritual place that it can be. Together, as a community, we pray, we celebrate and we mourn; we educate our children, ourselves, and our neighbors; and we share each other's friendship, each other's gifts, and each other's joy. We engage in tikkun olam, the repair of the world, being socially conscious and joining in partnership with God in the ongoing creation of the world. We try to make the mundane holy by looking at the world through Jewish eyes. This is no easy task, but it is a task that we joyfully accept. So, in simple terms, what does this all mean? It means that Adat Re'im is a community based on the joy of being Jewish. It means that Adat Re'im is a place where: every person's voice loudly joins in as we pray with joyful song; the entire community comes together to celebrate a Bar Mitzvah or a baby naming; all services (including High Holy Days) are open to anyone who wants to pray; new members are welcomed to the rabbi's home for Shabbat dinner; those who are sick or in mourning are lovingly supported by the community with meals and whatever other help is needed; every Jew feels that they have a meaningful and spiritual place; we give to the community around us on a daily basis; the sense of community extends beyond the synagogue walls; and everyone feels welcome from the moment they walk through the door. Shalom chaverim, Jay