How We Worship

To pray as part of a congregation is to engage in the ritual of binding closer together into a community. And within the traditional framework, the congregation participates actively in religious services. We believe that the congregation should not be a passive, listening audience, but a creative, participating community.

- Sam Blumenthal z"l, founding member

Our congregants use tradition and ritual as a passage to the creation of new rituals to enhance worship. The participation of members in services enables those services to be more believable for us, more meaningful and connected to our daily lives.

The democratic process is central to the functioning of a Reconstructionist synagogue, so the Rabbis and Cantor are the resource persons, the guides, the facilitators. With this guidance and the cooperation of the Ritual Committee, the congregation participates actively, offering readings, songs, performing rituals such as candle lighting and kiddish. Congregational singing plays a large role in our services, as the rabbis, cantor and congregation come together for meaningful, responsive worship experiences.

Back to Our Philosophy