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...

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Joining Kahal Chaverim

I was raised as a Conservative Jew, had a Bat Mitzvah at 13, participated in United Synagogue Youth (USY) in high school, and attended Chabad during...

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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

I am licensed to perform weddings in all jurisdictions and am available to perform life-cycle events for non-members of Kahal Chaverim. Please contact me at ceremonialleader@kahalchaverim.org.

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.