From the very first chapter of Genesis and continuing through the Bible and post-biblical literature including the Talmud, the medieval philosophers and moralists, the mystic Kabbalists, the contemplative Hasidic masters and modern thinkers, there is a consensus that the human being consists of both body and soul, the physical and the spiritual. Indeed we not merely have a soul – we are a soul. Hence, Judaism with its teachings and practices is geared to the notion of growing our souls, of cultivating our spirits and opening our hearts. This process of spiritual growth and formation occurs in many contexts and areas within our congregation including worship, prayer and meditation, celebration and rituals, devotional practices, moral/ethical growth, counseling and education. Our goal is to pursue our spiritual journey within the context of a spiritual community.
Our programs are meant to nourish and nurture our spiritual lives and deepen us to become more alive to that spiritual dimension of living. Ultimately, we seek to follow the age old Jewish maxim, “I have set God before me always” and “In all your ways know and experience God.”
This means to open ourselves to the possibility of a life lived in the light of God and the Divine ethical attributes of compassion , patience, graciousness, forgiving, loving, faithfulness, truth etc.
In this way, we express our true humanity and helping in the process of allowing us to grow into the image of God in which we were created. This effort known as Tikkun Ha-Nefesh or Tikkun Ha-Middot, the fixing of the soul and fixing of our character is one to which our congregation is committed.