The Mission of Temple Emanuel is to continually create sacred community, sharing wisdom from generation to generation and person to person. We seek to inspire a commitment (brit) among our members to one another, to the greater Jewish community, and to the State of Israel through the life-long study of Torah, meaningful and enthusiastic worship, the performance of mitzvoth, and other deeds of living kindness- always imbued with the spirit of personal and world repair (tikkun).
Vision
Temple Emanuel will be a vibrant, warm and welcoming, socially responsible Kehilla (community) of Jews who learn and grow. We will be inspired by the model of the ancient mishkan (portable sanctuary), developing meaningful Jewish connections both inside and outside the congregation’s physical home, fostering more intimate spiritual experiences, and becoming more central to people’s lives by addressing the challenges that face twenty-first century Jews.
Core Values
Community / Kehilla We value a caring, welcoming Jewish community to celebrate and share life cycle events with friends, family and neighbors, and to share our collective wisdom. We value our vision to function as a mishkan (portable sanctuary), by becoming more central to our members’ lives, allowing us to sense God’s presence wherever we may be, by providing a warm and intimate atmosphere that fosters and strengthens Jewish tradition, and where we can practice Judaism, our rituals, and heritage within the synagogue, at home, and in public.
Education / Talmud Torah We value Jewish education as a life-long endeavor to become more informed and responsible Jews, thereby ensuring the continuity of Judaism. We value the ability to provide a nurturing and non-intimidating atmosphere for our children and adult members to embrace and reinforce the Jewish religion, rituals, and heritage, and to prepare our children to be lifelong committed, responsible, and knowledgeable Jewish adults.
Ethical Standards / Musar We value a community whose members behave in a fair and ethical manner, as defined by our sages and Torah, and in keeping with our religious traditions. We value treating others with kindness and respect.
Love of Israel / Ahavat Yisrael We value our ties with the land of Israel and its people. We value the importance of the State of Israel and to the continued existence of the Jewish people, our spiritual connection with the people of Israel, and the opportunity to foster the growth and actively promote the endurance of Israel.
Social Action / Tikkun Olam We value our social responsibility to repair the world, starting with our local community, and expanding nationally and globally. We value giving tzedakah and performing mitzvot to support Jewish causes and to help all of those in need.
Worship / Avodat Ha-lev We value our religious leaders and our active involvement in communal and personal prayer, with our rituals made joyful through music, where everyone may comfortably participate, regardless of their depth of religious background, Jewish knowledge or mastery of the Hebrew language. We value our ability to provide a daily minyan for the community and a meaningful place to connect to God.
Temple Emanuel developed a strategic plan under the auspices of UJA NNJ and the Taub Foundation Synagogue Leadership Initiative (SLI). The Mission, Vision , Values (MMV) were developed as part of the process (2007-2010).