This five-session Jewish Journey Group is the first stage of an encounter
with Jewish values and teachings that can lead to acts of social justice.
Participants will explore the roots of social action in Jewish texts and then
discuss the practical application of these historic Jewish teachings. Members
of the group will include those who have participated in such activities but
are unfamiliar with the Jewish roots and texts that support them, as well as
those without such prior involvement. The learning and the activities are

This calendar has a simple purpose: to provide you with a spiritual context in which to count the Omer. In doing so, it will guide you on your own travels through the desert. It provides each of us, regardless of where we are in our evolving connection to Judaism, with a way to get in sync with the spiritual rhythm of the Jewish calendar and of Jewish life - while  reinvesting a ritual with its profound spiritual meaning.

October 28, 2005/Tishri 25 5766, Volume 58, No. 5
Jewish News of Greater Phoenix

A window has opened to the Orthodox community. We are being invited to help reshape the social dynamics of the American Jewish community.

The enclosed study texts have been selected with the themes of the Sacred Community curriculum in mind.

Each four-page study handout is self-contained. They include an introduction to the text and/or author, vocalized Hebrew text, translation and two sets of questions: one set about the text itself and a second set of questions about the connection between the text and our selves and our congregations.

Prayer Curriculum I

This curriculum is an abbreviated version of both our Sacred Community and our Prayer curricula. While you may find some of it helpful, we recommend that you begin with our full Sacred Community curriculum, and then move on to Prayer Curriculum II or II.

Intro to Limud

This curriculum considers the role of learning in sacred community. It gives one the concepts and vocabulary necessary to think about what Jewish learning is, why it is important, what its goals ought to be, and how to make the synagogue a place where learning happens everywhere. The curriculum is designed to enable lay leaders to assist professionals in taking moral responsibility for the Jewish education in one's congregation.

This guide is especially meant for those who plan and facilitate the work of the Synagogue 2000 (S2K) team. Synagogue 2000 recommends that every member of the S2K team read this guide to understand how the team’s work will be carried out. This guide first defines the work of a Synagogue 2000 team. Then, the nature of the S2K curriculum and the tasks of organizing the work of the S2K team are described. Next, the roles of various individuals who take responsibilities for assisting the team in accomplishing all that it sets out to do are outlined.

Before Synagogue 3000, there was Synagogue 2000! S2K was a 10-year, longitudinal study that worked with over 100 synagogues spanning all the movements. It's primary mission was the transformation of American synagogues.

S2K implemented its mission through the creation of cohorts, or groups, of synagogues which embarked on 3-year journeys of transformation during which teams of synagogue professionals and lay leaders participated in:

Three widely-held assumptions about Jewish education may be more misleading than enlightening