Kehillat Israel (Lansing, Michigan)

Congregation Kehillat Israel
Basic information
Location	2014 Forest Road, Lansing, Michigan United States
Geographic coordinates	42°42′14″N 84°31′22″W / 42.70397°N 84.52271°W / 42.70397; -84.52271Coordinates: 42°42′14″N 84°31′22″W / 42.70397°N 84.52271°W / 42.70397; -84.52271
Affiliation	Reconstructionist Judaism
Status	Active
Leadership	Rabbi: Michael Zimmerman President: David Purvis
Website	kehillatisrael.net facebook.com/KIMichigan twitter.com/KehillatIsrael

Kehillat Israel or Congregation Kehillat Israel (Hebrew: קהילת ישראל‎) is a Reconstructionist synagogue located at 2014 Forest Road in Lansing, Michigan.^[1] KI was founded in 1970 by a small group of families who wished to create a fully participatory Jewish experience that would be rich in community and tradition, and to establish a superior religious school. In 1982, the congregation purchased and remodeled a Lansing public school building to house the growing membership. KI is located in southeast Lansing, Michigan, approximately two miles from Michigan State University. Its members, now numbering over one hundred twenty-five families, come from all around the greater Lansing area^[2]

The KI Community

Members of KI are a diverse group, coming originally from every denomination. In the participatory congregation, the breadth of members' backgrounds and experience is a source of strength, and KI encourages as much personal choice in its Jewish practices as possible. In this way it draws the best efforts from the women and men who lead our services, lead and participate in our committees, and teach the children and the community.

The KI community encourages all its members to get actively involved and to make a difference, and there are many opportunities for members to join in the life of the community. These include weekly Shabbat morning services, holiday observances, festival celebrations, a religious school, adult education programs, and a variety of social and cultural programs throughout the year.^[2]

KI Religious School

The KI Religious School is an integral part of the community. It is not only the place where children begin a lifetime of religious study; for many young families it is the centerpiece of the KI experience. And with many classes led by adult volunteers, it is also a center for adult learning through teaching.

The KI Religious School pioneered a new model of training a pool of supplementary school teachers. In 1991, KIRS received a grant from the Covenant Foundation to fund a pilot program in developing "avocational" teachers by recruiting adults, who were not necessarily professional or trained teachers, to learn to teach elementary grade students in religious studies. That the project was an outstanding success is demonstrated by its emulation at other supplementary religious schools around the country.

The school includes kindergartners through seventh graders. The broad subject matter of Judaica classes are Tanakh (Bible), history, holidays and Jewish ethics; there is a separate curriculum in prayer and synagogue skills, as well as a prayerbook-based Hebrew curriculum. The school also meets on a Friday evening or a Saturday morning several times during the school year to give students opportunities to practice their synagogue skills and to encourage their sense of being an essential part of the larger KI community.

The seventh grade is a b'nei mitzvah-preparation class which is designed to further our^[who?] students' Jewish knowledge and Jewish self-identity as they approach adulthood as well as teach the skills that they will need to prepare their individual Torah and haftarah portions.

Our preschool is for children aged two through four. Classes are held once or twice each month and children are accompanied by a parent.^[3]

Reconstructionist Affiliation

After 25 years as an independent congregation using the Conservative liturgy, KI affiliated with the Reconstructionist movement; and Rabbi Michael Zimmerman has served the congregation since 2003. As Reconstructionist Jews, KI has strong commitments both to tradition and to the search for contemporary meaning. KI strives for a Judaism that serves as a rich source of spiritual self-expression and moral challenge in the way lives are lived. All Jews are encouraged to enhance their own lives by reclaiming their shared heritage and becoming active participants in the building of the Jewish future.

Since KI is a diverse community in observance and belief, two different siddurim (prayer books) are utilized for Shabbat: the Conservative siddur Sim Shalom and the Reconstructionist siddur Kol Haneshamah. They are used for services on alternate Saturday mornings. Services using either siddur tend to be somewhat traditional, albeit informal in nature. The services are conducted largely in Hebrew and are participatory in nature, with both men and women equally involved. Kol Haneshamah contains gender-neutral language, extensive transliteration, and a number of informative footnotes and commentaries. Sim Shalom, unlike Kol Haneshamah, concludes with a full musaf (supplemental service). In addition, there is a monthly Friday evening service that is more family oriented and the Kehillat Israel Religious School conducts periodic Shabbat morning services. Therefore, within the overarching framework of Reconstructionism, a variety of liturgical approaches or practices in Judaism are accommodated. At the same time, many social and cultural activities are multigenerational, enabling the congregation to interact as a more cohesive community.^[2]

Philosophy

KI prides itself in focusing on Judaism for the Heart, Head, and Spirit^[1]

Judaism for the Heart...

Welcoming to Jews of diverse backgrounds and orientations, as well as interfaith families A nurturing and supportive community, committed to caring for each other and the larger world as well Support in times of sorrow and times of joy

Judaism for the Head...

Lifelong Jewish education, preschool through adult Active engagement with Torah, tradition, and theology Innovative programs in intergenerational education

Judaism for the Spirit...

Lively and engaging Shabbat and holiday services and celebrations, led by the rabbi and by members Programs in Jewish meditation, spirituality, and healing Pastoral support and spiritual direction

Guiding Principles

The values of the KI community arise out of Jewish tradition and out of our engagement with contemporary life within the Jewish and secular worlds. Our core principles include:^[4]

Welcoming to All (B’rukhim Ha-Ba’im)

In accordance with the tradition of hospitality going back to Abraham and Sarah, Kehillat Israel strives to be a kehillah mekabelet, a welcoming and inclusive congregation. KI welcomes Jews from every walk of life, including those with disabilities, from different races, from non-traditional and interfaith families, as well as people from all sexual orientations and gender identities.

Potential members are never turned away on the basis of economic status. KI welcomes anyone who wants to participate in the synagogue community. All services, including High Holidays, are open to everyone who wishes to attend.^[4]

All are welcome!

Participating

Since its founding, Kehillat Israel has relied on members for leadership in ritual life, in education and in the various programs and activities that enrich the community. Active “followership” is encouraged as well: congregants are not passive observers but lively participants in our^[who?] services, and all members are expected to find a place where they can lend a hand in making the community work. Full participation also means full rights: women and men have always had the same access to ritual and leadership roles, and teenaged members are urged to take on adult responsibility in the religious community.

In KI's participatory congregation, the breadth of members’ backgrounds and experience is a source of strength. In this way KI draws the best efforts from the women and men who lead our^[who?] services, lead and participate in our committees, and teach our children and each other. We^[who?] strive to provide a supportive community throughout the cycle of the Jewish year and the cycles of members' lives.^[4]

Learning

The Jewish tradition places great value on education. It is in part through study and learning that Jews come to know God and how they ought to live their lives. In learning together, members also comes to know fellow study partners, and with them, build community. Kehillat Israel has maintained a commitment to excellent religious education throughout its existence, raising young people who are knowledgeable and engaged in their Judaism. That commitment extends to adult learners as well. Various opportunities are provided for members to expand their knowledge and skills, no matter what level they begin, through programs led by the rabbi, by other members, and by outside guests.^[4]

Tikkun Olam

To practice tikkun olam means to devote efforts to the healing and repairing of the world, and Kehillat Israel takes this Jewish obligation seriously. Mindful of the tradition of the Hebrew prophets, KI involves itself in activities that build strong communities and uplift those in need, that promote social justice and tzedakah, and that attend to its responsibility for stewardship of the earth.^[4]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Kehillat Israel website
2. ^ ^{a b c} Kehillat Israel website - About Us.
3. ^ Kehillat Israel website - KI Religious School
4. ^ ^{a b c d e} Kehillat Israel website - Guiding Principles

References

• Synagogue website. Accessed June 3, 2011.
• Synagogue website - About Us. Accessed June 3, 2011.
• Synagogue website - Guiding Principles. Accessed June 3, 2011.
• Synagogue website - KI Religious School. Accessed June 3, 2011.

External links

• Kehillat Israel (official website)
• Kehillat Israel Facebook Page
• Kehillat Israel Twitter Feed