Mar. 12:The five-minute vision statement

For the Mar. 12 meeting, we read texts about how Jews in the Reconstruction movement balance the details of ancient Jewish law (Halacha) and modern life. We also read Shabbat vision statements from several Reconstructionist communities, and noted how they vary in their specificity and tone. Since the next task is to create a very rough draft of our own vision statement, we all took five minutes at the end of class to offer one sentence (or three sentence) versions of a vision statement that tries to incorporate the values we want for Shabbat at Kol Tzedek. Here's what the six of us generated, but we are eager to hear from the rest of the community. Have five minutes to brainstorm a sentence about what you want from and for Shabbat at Kol Tzedek? Please click the comments field below, and then post your own five-minute Shabbat vision statement draft....


Five-Minute Shabbat Vision Statements:
1: At Kol Tzedek, we aim to create Kedusha, the holiness of Shabbat, with our communal practice.

2: Kol Tzedek is a welcoming community (Kehillah) which encourages diversity in all aspects of personal and communal life.

3: I would like to see people develop a personal (as well as communal) meaningful Shabbat practice and for Kol Tzedek to cultivate opportunities for people to explore traditional and innovative Shabbat rituals in a safe environment. I would like Kol Tzedek to offer as many 'ways in' to Shabbat life as possible that speak to individual needs: meditation, walks in nature, study, prayer, social opportunities, dancing. I want Shabbat to be an experience of joy/ delight (oneg), depth and meaning, transcendence and connection to God. I want to make sure we emphasize this at Kol Tzedek and in people's homes through communal meals and prayer.

4: Shabbat at Kol Tzedek should consist of both a brit with Hashem and with our community; a day of hitbodedut (personal reflection) and a day of Simchat Kehillah (celebration of community.)

5: Kol Tzedek encourages Shabbat practices that balance learning, celebration and tradition and make possible regular community interaction.

6: In our community, we encourage observing Shabbat in way that respects tradition and also contemporary values. Shabbat should be a 'sanctuary in time'--an occasion for creative rest, community, prayer, Torah study and delight.