Get to know our IMPJ Congregations
Friday, March 20
Kehilat Bavat Ayin
Rosh Ha'ayin, Israel
Visit Rosh Ha'ayin, home of Kehilat Bavat Ayin, the IMPJ's youngest congregation. Founded to absorb Yemenite Jews at the beginning of the creation of the state, Rosh Ha'ayin has blossomed into a city of 40,000 residents, secular and religious, Yemenite and non-Yemenite.
During your visit you will learn about the Yemenite aliyah and get a taste of the rich Yemenite culture while also learning about the challenges of establishing a Progressive congregation in such a traditional community. You will also learn about Kfar Qasm, the Arab town just across the road from Rosh Ha'ayin, site of a massacre of 48 Arabs by the Israeli Border Police in 1956. You will conclude your visit in the colorful and lively Rosh Ha'ayin shuk, where people from all over the area, Jews and Arabs, secular and religious, shop every Friday.
Congregation Darchei Noam
Ramat HaSharon, Israel
For 25 of its 28 years of existence, Congregation Darchei Noam in Ramat HaSharon has been fighting the local authorities – all the way to the Israeli Supreme Court – for the right to land to build its own synagogue. In a meeting with Rabbi Stacey Blank and community leaders, you will hear about the incredible work of this determined group of mainly native Israeli Progressive Jews, its current financial challenges, and the new programmatic ground being laid in preparation for transitioning from a high school auditorium available only on weekends to a fully-operating state-of-the-art Jewish community center.
Congregation Beit Daniel
Tel Aviv, Israel
Your visit to Congregation Beit-Daniel, Tel Aviv’s first and largest Progressive community, will feature an enlightening discussion about the challenges of converting to Judaism in Israel. You will hear about the sociological and legal aspects of the conversion process, and several individuals who have chosen to join the Jewish faith and People will share the story of their personal journey. Rabbi Galia Sadan, head of the conversion center at Beit-Daniel, will be the leader and guide for your visit.
Kehilat YOZMA
Modi'in, Israel
For a personal, close-up look at how the face of Israeli society is being changed, come to YOZMA – the center of Progressive Judaism in Modi'in and a leader in integrating the ideals and realizing the vision of Progressive Judaism in Israel. You will visit YOZMA's highly successful education system, where the youngest generation of Israelis is being raised with Progressive Jewish values, and learn about an important social action program – our Kabbalat Shabbat service at Beit Eden, a home for developmentally challenged youth, which was adopted seven years ago by YOZMA volunteers.
Congregation Birkat Shalom
Kibbutz Gezer, Israel
Kehilat Birkat Shalom, with membership of 80 full-time families and another 20-25 bar/bat mitzvah families, is located at Kibbutz Gezer, reestablished in 1974, after a 14-year gap, by a group of young people from North America who were part of Habonim, Labor Zionist Youth. In 1997, the synagogue affiliated with the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, and shortly thereafter, kibbutz member Miri Gold, was appointed the congregation’s rabbi. During a visit to our community, you will hear a roundtable discussion of the challenges facing Birkat Shalom, the only liberal synagogue in a very large geographical area, serving the communities of the Gezer Regional Council and the surrounding cities and towns. Also, we will present the status of the current Supreme Court case, in which the Progressive movement is suing the government of Israel to recognize Rabbi Miri Gold as the rabbi of Kibbutz Gezer, and grant her recognition and a salary equal to that of the Orthodox rabbis in the region.
Kehilat Mevasseret Zion
Mevasseret Zion, Israel
Join us at one of Jerusalem’s most dynamic congregations for a look at how we are making a difference in Israeli life through social action. The KMZ Time Bank is our flagship project in the area of social justice. Here the currency of exchange is time, not money, and members contribute – and receive – a variety of services. This helps individuals in need and strengthens the greater community as a whole. We will also give you a glimpse into the social action activities in the Mevasseret Zion preschools.