{"id":76,"date":"2019-07-24T08:40:40","date_gmt":"2019-07-24T08:40:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kahalchaverim.org\/?page_id=76"},"modified":"2019-09-19T02:20:50","modified_gmt":"2019-09-19T02:20:50","slug":"celebrations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/kahalchaverim.org\/celebrations\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrations"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.26.3″ background_image=”https:\/\/kahalchaverim.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/soccer-11.jpg” parallax=”on” custom_padding=”||73px|||”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.26.3″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.26.3″][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.26.3″][et_pb_row column_structure=”3_4,1_4″ _builder_version=”3.26.3″][et_pb_column type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”3.26.3″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.26.3″ header_font=”Anton||||||||”]<\/p>\n

Celebrations<\/h1>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_accordion _builder_version=”3.26.3″][et_pb_accordion_item title=”High Holidays” _builder_version=”3.26.3″ body_font=”Roboto|300|||||||” body_font_size=”16px” body_line_height=”1.8em” toggle_font=”Anton||||||||” toggle_font_size=”22px” toggle_letter_spacing=”0px” open=”on”]Kahal Chaverim celebrates the High Holidays, Shabbat, Passover and other special Jewish occasions in ways consistent with our Humanistic philosophy and our Jewish cultural heritage. We offer creative, meaningful, non-theistic services that are relevant to our contemporary lives and thought. We find special meaning in the holidays and events and enjoy sharing these important times with family, friends, and other members of the community.<\/p>\n

Humanistic Jewish rituals enable us to speak about our beliefs, to connect to our community, to reflect on and respond to the challenges of personal commitment, and to embrace our individual and historic family and cultural traditions. In our community, rituals mark the life cycle, the turning of the years, and the routines of the week. Our rituals are conducted in English, the language we all share, and include easy to understand, read, and recite expressions in two of our people\u2019s historical languages \u2013 Hebrew and Yiddish. We include songs that are familiar to many and easy to learn by all. Most of all, our celebrations are participatory. All are welcome to read in turn, respond in chorus, and sing out![\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”Shabbat and Havdalah” open=”off” _builder_version=”3.26.3″ body_font=”Roboto|300|||||||” body_font_size=”16px” body_line_height=”1.8em” toggle_font=”Anton||||||||” toggle_font_size=”22px” toggle_letter_spacing=”0px”]<\/p>\n

Kahal Chaverim hosts Shabbat services in Morris County, Essex County, Bergen County, Somerset County, and Union County, New Jersey. Kahal Chaverim members volunteer to host Shabbat at their homes, and the services consist of a 30-minute Shabbat service followed by a pot-luck dessert and time to catch up with fellow Kahal Chaverim members. Adults, children, and guests are welcome at our northern New Jersey Shabbat services.<\/p>\n

Click here to view our calendar<\/a> and see when our next Shabbat service is.<\/p>\n

The essence of Shabbat is deeply compatible with our humanistic Judaism philosophy: to create a special moment in time when we set aside the work of our daily lives and rejuvenate our spirit for the week ahead. Each Shabbat celebration is different, although the structure for each Shabbat service is similar. Included as regular components of our services are:<\/p>\n

Songs from traditional Jewish sources (sometimes updated to more appropriately express our humanistic values).<\/p>\n

Modern, contemporary music in English, Hebrew and Yiddish.<\/p>\n

Meditational literature drawing on the works of great thinkers throughout history that helps us focus, define our philosophy, and strengthen the bonds with our congregation.<\/p>\n

A memorial and candle lighting that allow us to remember our loved ones and honor those who have influenced our lives.<\/p>\n

Other content as determined by our host family and ceremonial leader.”<\/p>\n

Learn More<\/a><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_accordion_item][et_pb_accordion_item title=”Bar\/Bat Mitzvah” _builder_version=”3.26.3″ body_font=”Roboto|300|||||||” body_font_size=”16px” body_line_height=”1.8em” toggle_font=”Anton||||||||” toggle_font_size=”22px” toggle_letter_spacing=”0px” open=”off”]<\/p>\n

Kahal Chaverim has a thriving B\u2019Nai Mitzvah program that builds upon our students\u2019 Sunday School education and culminates in a Bar or Bat Mitzvah that is meaningful to them and their family. Our pre-Mitzvah class, which is led by our ceremonial leader, prepares our students for their B\u2019Nai Mitzvah after they have demonstrated that they have achieved certain competencies consistent with our Humanistic Jewish values and that reflect the high standards we use to define \u201cresponsible young adult\u201d in our community. The requirements include guided exercises in ethical problem-solving, a significant social action project, a research project related to Humanistic Judaism, and a gratitude essay. The B\u2019nai Mitzvah students articulate their values and present to the younger children in the Sunday School. They also write and lead a class Shabbat or Havdalah service.<\/p>\n

Research projects completed by Kahal Chaverim youth have included such topics as:<\/p>\n