Ceremonial Leader

Rob Agree has been the Ceremonial Leader of Kahal Chaverim since its inception in 1999.

As the Ceremonial Leader of Kahal Chaverim, I am responsible for the preparation and presentation of ceremonies for all our communal activities, including the annual and weekly rituals of the Jewish calendar, and the full range of personal and family celebrations of individual life-cycle events. Since Kahal Chaverim is a humanistic cooperative, I am also responsible for ensuring that all our members have opportunities to participate in the design of our services and in their presentation.

I strive to make our communal observances of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Hanukkah, Purim, Passover, Shabbat and Havdalah reflect our members’ interests and preferences for content and form within the framework of the adage “We say what we mean and we mean what we say.” This influences our choice of languages, songs, and the inclusion of traditional elements. In addition to preparing texts for the services, I also work to engage as many members and guests as possible as active participants.

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.

Celebrations for Non-Members

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.

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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.

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