Established in 1977.
Reform Jewish Community.
All are welcome.
CHAVURAT PRAYER
Our grandparents came from different countries
We come together from many different paths
Some are older, some younger
Some were raised in Jewish traditions, some from other faiths.
What we have in common is the need to be Jewish.
To celebrate our holidays, to share our joys and sorrows together.
We join together to gain strength from each other’s voices
so that our songs of praise to God shall be fuller.
Ours is not an easy way.
It is far easier to be one of the many in an established religious community.
But by working hard and making a concerted effort to pray,
our prayers and services have deep personal meaning.
We cherish our special Torah
& acknowledge our responsibility to its original congregation.
Their voices were stilled, so ours shall be heard from them.
We continue a long tradition of joining together in prayer.
May our prayers for our families and friends by answered.
We sometimes pray to ask for more.
May we never forget to appreciate the many blessings we have.
We gather with parents, children, old & new friends in our Chavurat.
May God hear our prayers, accept our gratitude & grant peace & health
for all those we hold dear. And let us say, amen.
OUR MEMBERS
Peter was inspired by his college Hillel experience and was looking to find something intimate, warm and welcoming of my interfaith background. We attended a morning service accompanied by a pancake breakfast and we were hooked! The people were wonderful and the music was beautiful. Being part of a small, active group requires participation and commitment. For all that we’ve put into the group and developing our Jewish identity, the Chavurat has given back to us in spades.
-The Schlactus Family
Our family joined the Chavurat shortly after 9/11, as we were seeking a spiritual community at that very confusing time. What we have gotten from the Chavurah over the past 15 years is almost indescribable. It is clearly the single best decision that we have made for our family, as we have found a comfortable, supportive, inspiring and encouraging environment to explore our own religious beliefs. We have bar/bat mitzvahed our three children within the Chavurat in very unique and rewarding fashions. We have also both participated in the Chavurah Choir at High Holidays, which has been very fulfilling and also fun. We feel like our Chavurah are family members that we never knew we had!
- The Hartman Family
We joined the Chavurah because we were seeking a more personal experience where our family would thrive and our children would learn from the multigenerational group We didn't feel connected to a larger traditional synagogue Through the Chavurah one of the highlights has been, the relationships we have made with other members, in the intimacy of our homes.
-The Benoit Family
Our experiences with the local synagogue were not perfect. When, in 1978, our attention was grabbed by a piece in a local weekly inviting folks to the then infant Chavurat Tikvah's High Holy Days Services, and we found ourselves sitting on the floor and singing to guitar accompaniment in a member family's home, we were hooked! As Roger later said, "The first positive Jewish experience I ever had was with the Chavurat. My recognition of myself as a member of the Jewish community has grown."
- The Perry Family