| Nahariya’s Reform Congregation Rabbi: Silvana Kandel Chairperson: Eyal Shchory P.O. Box 168 Nahariya 22100 Israel Tel/Fax: +972-4-992-7293 emet.veshalom.nahariya@gmail.com |
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About
Kehillath Emet veShalom is affiliated with the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism (IMPJ). We are the only IMPJ affiliated congregation in our region. Located on Israel’s beautiful Mediterranean coast, six miles south of the Lebanese border, Nahariya is a lively and rapidly growing city. Our congregation is a diverse mix of native Israelis 
and immigrants from around the world who live in Nahariya and the surrounding cities, kibbutzim and moshavim which comprise Western Galilee region. At Emet veShalom, all join together in a vibrant community, sharing an egalitarian and inclusive approach to Judaism.
We are a warm and welcoming congregation that offers northern Israelis a place to express Jewish religious and spiritual identity in an open environment. Both women and men, daughters and sons, have the chance to celebrate life cycle events and share in a complete religious life on an equal basis.
Activities and News
- Religious Services and Community Programs
Emet veShalom holds Friday evening Kabbalat Shabbat services, as well as religious services for bar/bat mitzvahs and all Jewish holidays. Our services are spirited and filled with song and provide an opportunity for the whole family to be involved and feel welcome together. Emet veShalom is a community center offering Bar/Bat Mitzvah training, conversion, and a variety of Jewish educational and cultural activities in Hebrew, Spanish, and English.
- Reaching out to the Surrounding Community
Many in Nahariya and the Western Galilee turn to Emet veShalom to mark lifecycle events, and to attend Shabbat and holiday celebrations and our Jewish cultural and educational programs. We are proud of our long association with Partnership 2Gether (formerly Partnership 2000 (P2K)). Because of our being an integral part of both Nahariya and the Western Galilee, we are associated with the Partnership areas of Northern New Jersey and also the Central Consortium of cities in the midwestern Unites States. We have hosted many groups and individuals from our Partnership regions both in our synagogue and in our homes.
- Tikkun Olam (“Repairing the World”) and Social Justice Activities
Tikkun Olam is important to us at Emet veShalom. We hold food drives before holidays as well as a Winter Emergency drive to provide needy residents of our city with items necessary for warmth. Our activities and programs provide an outlet for new immigrants, single parent families and others in difficult financial situations. We offer an opportunity for youth to have a Bar/Bat mitzvah who otherwise would not have had a place or the means to celebrate this milestone event.
- Staff
Eyal Shchory is our Sabra (Israeli-born Israeli) congregation president. He works with our many member-volunteers to assure the smooth functioning of all our activities and, together with active volunteer Pedro, has worked to create an alliance between Emet veShalom and Latinos – the local Oleh association for immigrants from South America.
Since May 2023 we have a new Rabbi, Rabbi Silvana Kandel. Ordained in 2007 Rabbi Silvana was the youngest Reform Rabbi to be ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) in Israel. Being fluent in Hebrew, English and Spanish, the three main languages of our community, she is able to communicate with many of our members in their mother-tongue. She leads Friday Kabbalat Shabbat services over Zoom every week, and when we are able to meet in person she attends at least twice a month as well as leading all holiday services and celebrations. In addition, and especially during these difficult times, she visits Nahariya several times a month during the week to meet with community members, individually or in small groups, to provide support and counselling.
- Facilities
Emet veShalom’s Kabbalat Shabbat (Friday evening) and holiday evening prayer services are held in a municipal community center. All other services, Jewish educational and cultural programs and activities are held in a municipal bomb shelter.
Update: March 2024
Following the outbreak of war in October 2023 with the threat of missiles from Lebanon and in consideration of the accessibility of bomb shelter facilities, it was decided that most services and holiday celebrations should be held over Zoom.
At the beginning of 2024 due to a relaxation of safety protocols we contemplated a return to in-person meetings however we were informed that the municipal community center would be undergoing renovations and refurbishment and as a result it was temporarily unavailable for our use. We were asked to remove all our Torah Scrolls, prayer books and other equipment.
Then last week when volunteers visited the municipal bomb shelter to collect items for the Purim scroll reading they discovered the shelter had been subject to vandalism resulting in a serious fire.
Fortunately, the Torah scrolls and prayer books were not damaged but chairs, a small library and community artworks were not salvageable.
- Connections
Our congregation has had a Facebook presence for years, please join us to share in our activities. Just search for Kehilath Emet ve Shalom, Nahariya
And NEW and IMPORTANT: WE HAVE OUR OWN WEBSITE! www.emetveshalom.com . Please visit and learn more about us!
Please support Emet VeShalom so that we may continue to bring both new and veteran Israelis together in Northern Israel for the variety of Jewish religious, social and cultural activities from which they gain enjoyment and knowledge in a progressive and egalitarian manner.
We hope you will visit us when you are in Israel and when you are at home, join us on FACEBOOK to stay up to date on our events and keep connected!
Photo Gallery
