Kehillat Mevakshei Derech
| Executive Director Cantor Iris Beth Weiner Shai Agnon 22 Jerusalem 93589 Phone: 011-972-2-679-2501 Fax: 011-972-2-678-6207 E-mail: kehillah@bezeqint.net http://mevakshei.org |
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About
Kehillat (Congregation) Mevakshei Derech, located in the tree-lined San Simon neighborhood of Jerusalem, has been affiliated with the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism (Reform) since 1999. The Kehilla was founded in 1962 by a group of people dedicated to establishing an ethical and cultural movement in Israel based on Jewish values, inspired by the vision of the prophets, and committed to the principles of democracy, pluralism, and tolerance.
Activities and News
- Educational Courses
Mevakshei Derech offers an intensive Bar/Bat Mitzvah program, courses on Jewish thought and texts for adults and educational activities for new immigrants. Most of the Kehilla’s educational activities are taught by Kehilla members themselves, on a volunteer basis.
- Shabbat morning Youth Services
- Social Action Programs
The Kehilla has an extensive program of social involvement. One aspect of our activity is community outreach to the handicapped. Physically challenged people from the nearby San Simon Home for the handicapped, along with others who live in the surrounding neighborhood, regularly take part in our services and social activities.
Another program involves the nearby “Denmark” School, located in the underprivileged Katamon neighborhood. Each year the Kehilla provides a scholarship for a needy student to participate in a study mission to Poland, where they learn about the holocaust. Kehilla members meet with the class prior to the trip, and discuss their experiences with them upon their return to Israel.
Most recently, the Kehilla instituted an outreach program to teenage immigrants from the Former Soviet Union living at the Goldstein Youth Village, adjacent to the Kehilla. Most of these young people are in Israel alone or come from broken families. Few have any familiarity with Jewish tradition. The Kehilla offers them a warm welcome and, for most, their first introduction to Judaism.
A unique project is our Center for Jewish Music, established in memory of the late Ezri Uval. The Center uses the medium of Jewish music to reach out to women, new immigrants, and others who have not traditionally been involved in synagogue life. The Music Center organizes an annual concert series on aspects of Jewish music, ranging from North Africa Piyyutim to Klezmer, from the Music of the Hallel to the Music of the Yemenite Jewish woman. The Center also runs training courses in synagogue skills such as torah reading and leading services.
The Sidney Davidson Educational and Cultural Center at Mevakshei Derech
Now under construction, the Center will house a wide variety of educational initatives for Israelis of all ages. The Sidney Davidson Educational and Cultural Center will include a kindergarten as well as classroom space for ulpan study and informal Jewish education.
