Statement adopted by Board of Directors on October 18, 2012

Mission:

Congregation B’nai Tzedek is a welcoming, inclusive, and innovative Conservative synagogue that strives to meet the religious, spiritual, educational and social needs of its members and our broader community by offering opportunities for meaningful prayer, lifelong learning, tikun olam and being a place to celebrate holidays and life cycle events.

Vision:

The vision of Congregation B’nai Tzedek is to be a leading Conservative synagogue committed to perpetuating Jewish traditions and values.   We seek to be a place where people can grow in their knowledge of Judaism and deepen their level of observance and commitment to Judaism, to God, mitzvot, study of Torah, and the Jewish people.

Values:

Community: To be a caring, welcoming and inclusive Jewish community where we share life cycle events with family, friends and fellow congregants.  To support each other in a variety of ways during joyous and difficult times. To encourage use of the synagogue and congregation as more than just a worship and learning environment, but as a place for social and Jewish cultural events as well.

Judaism: To support each other in our mutual quest for spirituality, meaning and growth as Jews. To appreciate the relevance of Judaism and Jewish traditions to today’s times.  To recognize that individuals explore and deepen their Jewish identity in different ways and at different times in their lives.

Worship: To have services which are participatory, traditional and spiritual in nature. To be egalitarian in our Jewish practices and ritual observances. We are affiliated with the Conservative Movement, but are open to adopting the best of other Jewish movements as we seek to meet the religious needs of our congregation. Music enhances our worship and is critical to achieving meaning and spirituality.

Learning: To value learning as a life-long endeavor so we create and become more informed and responsible Jews. To teach our children and adults how to be Jewish and what it means to be Jewish as a means of ensuring Jewish continuity. We value innovation in how and where we teach and study as we wish to make learning more accessible, engaging and effective.

The State of Israel: To value our ties with Israel and the importance of Israel to Jewish continuity. To actively support Israel. We take pride in the roles our congregants and clergy play in advocating on behalf of Israel.

Social Action: To value our collective responsibility to do tikun olam. We value giving tzedekah and performing mitzvot on a regular basis as a means of supporting Jewish causes and helping all people in need.

Individuals: To value all people, regardless of faith, as being created B’tselem Elohim, created in the image of God.  To that end, we act with integrity, trust and respect in all of our dealings with our employees, congregants, vendors and others with whom we interact.

We value the inclusion of congregants with special needs and their families and offer enhancements to ensure they can fully participate in the educational, social, spiritual and recreational activities of the synagogue.

We strive to develop in our employees the pursuit of excellence.