Welcome to Kahal Chaverim
Kahal Chaverim offers like-minded members a multitude of opportunities to learn, reflect, socialize and link their values with their actions. Our services for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shabbat enable us to examine how we are living those values.
Recent Post
Finding Humanistic Judaism
Finding Humanistic Judaism by Rick Pascal What does being Jewish mean to me? I was born into a Jewish family. My grandparents were Jewish and so...
Sunday School Update
Dear Kahal Chaverim Community, Mona and Lynn received the following email from Gottesman Academy regarding the current COVID 19 outbreak. The short...
Recent Galleries
Kahal Chaverim – NJ Congregation for Humanistic Judaism
Coming up on our 20th anniversary, we are a vibrant community that celebrates secular humanistic Jewish culture and values in Northern New Jersey. Humanistic Judaism focuses on non-theistic aspects of Jewish culture and is based on the belief that it is the responsibility of each of us to be ethical, kind, and compassionate and to use reason and rational thought to solve problems. It is the actions of people that have influenced the course of human history, and we concentrate on what we can do in the “here and now” to relieve suffering and make the world a better place for all people. Kahal Chaverim is a growing community that brings together families from all around Morris and neighboring counties to celebrate Jewish culture and values. We are one of 30 congregations affiliated with the Society for Humanistic Judaism, founded in 1963 by Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine.
Ceremonial Leadership
For life cycle events and our family-focused Shabbat and Havdalah gatherings, I work closely with the celebrating or host family to create a service that reflects the uniqueness of the event. For Kahal Chaverim there are no established forms that must be adhered to. Whether a baby-naming or memorial, a wedding or a b’nai mitzvah, or a weekend gathering of friends and family, my goal is to empower the host to present a celebration designed for specific people on a specific occasion.
– Rob Agree
Rob Agree Youtube Interview
Dustin Hausner, the Jewish Outreach and Program Director at the Wayne YMCA interviews Rob Agree, Ceremonial Leader, Kahal Chaverim: Over the last number of years new sects and forms of Judaism have emerged for the many diverse Jewish identities in the United States and around the world. Humanistic Judaism began in the 1960’s and today a number of congregations exist including one in New Jersey. Learn about the history of this philosophy and about the New Jersey congregation.
While sheltering in place for the last five months, Rick Pascal has put his time to use completing his new book, “DETOUR,” a compilation of short stories that began almost two years ago. Rick’s stories enter the bizarre world of strange mysteries, love and betrayal, supernatural turns and unexpected twists, even with a bit of humor thrown into the mix, before returning you to reality. “DETOUR,” Incredible tales that take you off the main road, is now available in both Paperback and e-book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Tolino, Vivlio, Kobo, Scribd, Apple.
Want to Join Us
Kahal Chaverim is a growing community that brings together families from all around Morris and neighboring counties to celebrate Jewish culture and values. We are one of 30 congregations affiliated with the Society for Humanistic Judaism, founded in 1963 by Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine.