Culturally, Jewish values emphasize family, community, charity, education, ethics, compassion for the vulnerable, a common history and ritual, and the connection to the ancient Jewish homeland, Israel. The differences between Jewish movements today are a matter of theology as well as philosophical approaches to Jewish tradition and their degree of adherence to and interpretation of traditional Jewish law.

Join us for an interesting and informative series about the core values Conservative, Reform, and Orthodox Judaism.

April 27 (Tuesday)
Core Values of Conservative Judaism – Rabbi Ranon Teller
Let’s explore the mission of the Conservative Movement, its strengths and weaknesses, and its power to enhance contemporary life. For too long, Conservative Judaism has been identified as more strict than Reform and more lenient than Orthodox. Together, we’ll study Conservative Judaism and recommit to its core values.

May 4 (Tuesday)
Core Values of Reform Judaism: Response to Modernity – Rabbi Oren Hayon
Emerging from the European enlightenment, the 19th-century founders of Reform Judaism believed that Judaism would need to re-imagine itself in the context of the modern world's new understanding of reason, science and social ethics. From that small group of thinkers grew the movement of Reform Judaism, which is today the largest Jewish denomination in North America. Reform Judaism is built on several key values - God, Israel, Torah, and the obligations of Jewish ritual and Jewish ethics - which have guided the lives of Reform Jews since its founding.

May 13 (Thursday)
Core Values of Orthodox Judaism – Rabbi Barry Gelman
Modern Orthodox Judaism can be boiled down to a commitment to Halacha and the application of Judaism to the full gamut of life. Included in this is the application of Jewish values in understanding how to absorb aspects of general culture into our lives.