Our Mission Statement
Shaarei Tikvah’s mission is to provide a center for personal growth and meaningful living, guided by the principles of Conservative Judaism, through Jewish spiritual practice, a space for lifelong pursuit of Jewish learning, and an environment for improving lives through chesed (acts of kindness) and advocacy on both local and global levels.
Our Principles:
At Shaarei Tikvah we strive to make the following facets a core part of our community’s identity:
Spiritual and Moral Growth (Avodat Halev)
- We believe that each member’s Jewish journey is an integral part of our community’s identity.
- We celebrate our differences in regards to identity, experience, knowledge, and belief. We offer opportunities for a variety of Jewish experiences to touch the heart, mind, and soul. Our members join our clergy in developing and leading our spiritual programming.
- We consider moral improvement to be at the heart of Jewish spirituality. We support one another in our commitment to growing as individuals through tefilah (engaging with the Divine) and self-reflection.
Jewish Learning (Talmud Torah)
- We strive to connect our hearts and minds to the rich heritage of our ancestors and approach study as a way to bring age old wisdom and traditions into the modern era.
- We believe that learning Torah offers us tools to understand ourselves and our community more fully, and motivates us to improve lives and build a better society.
- We offer powerful educational experiences to our youth in the Anna and Louis Shereff Religious School and to our adults through Lifelong Learning programs.
Commitment to Community and Social Action (Kehillah Kedoshah)
- We make lasting friendships that impact our lives both personally and communally. We gather on Shabbat and holidays for tefilah and Kiddush, where we study, sing, contemplate, and share a meal with one another. We celebrate joyous occasions together and provide a warm presence in each other’s lives during times of sadness and hardship.
- We express our love and support for the State of Israel and its citizens as well as the Jewish people around the world through our study of Israeli history and culture, participating in visits to Israel, and remaining informed on current events affecting world Jewry in both Israel and the Diaspora.
- We engage in acts of chesed (kindness) and tzedek (justice) as we take part in tikkun olam (repairing the world) through advocacy and a commitment to improving the lives of people around the globe. Additionally, we engage in interfaith dialogue to build relationships with our neighbors and learn from one another our varied beliefs and customs.