Jewish Life Cycle - Rituals and Prayers
Our Friday and Shabbat services are unique in their egalitarian, family
orientated emphasis. The prayers are sung in a modern version with a
blend of classical liturgy. The prayer experience combines contemporary
spiritual practices such as mediation allowing each congregant to turn
inward for his personal prayer together with traditional communal
prayer. Our services include a separate children's service with
appropriate activities.
Come Pray With Us!!
Shabbat Services
Friday Evening: 5:30pm
Saturday Morning: 8:30am
'Equal Opportunity' – Family celebration of
Bat/Bar Mitzvah
|
The Bat/Bar Mitzvah year is a milestone in the life of each
Jewish adolescent. In Israel, only boys read from the Torah and
lay phylacteries. As an egalitarian community, we encourage all
Bnei & Bnot Mitzvah, to learn these important rituals and assist
them with all the necessary preparation for their first Aliya to
theTorah. We also instruct the parents and family members and
conduct family study circles. |
Shabbat
Chatan Ve'Kala
(bride and groom)
The Kiryat Bialik community holds ceremonies for the bride and groom in
which they approach and read together from the Torah, then receive a
special blessing from the Rabbi. This unique ceremony takes place the
Shabbat before or after the wedding, Chupa and Kiddushin.
-
Tu B'Shvat Seder
Our congregation holds a traditional Tu B'Shvat Seder open to all
and discusses the connection between humanity and the environment.
- Passover Seder for Women This event focuses on an alternative Hagadah, written by and for women, highlighting their achievements and challenges throughout Jewish history.
Aliyah as a Jewish Experience
New Immigrant
Absorption in "HaKrayot" Masorti
Congregation
Over the last nine years, the congregation has
accompanied and taken care of more than 500 South American immigrant
families to Kiryat Bialik. The new immigrant absorption program,
instituted in 1997 at the initiative of Rabbi Mauricio Balter, is a
joint effort of our congregation, the Municipality of Kiryat Bialik and
the Jewish Agency. The goal of the immigrant absorption project is to
provide community support to new immigrants and to ease the process of
immigrating to Israel. Our program was the first of its kind to develop
and implement a new model whereby new Olim made aliya in their community
groups.
The congregation also serves immigrants from the
former Soviet Union and congregation members who have immigrated to
Israel from the USA, South Africa, UK, Syria, India and others
countries.
Community support is still the most important element in assisting new
immigrants as it provides an effective and efficient network during
acclimatization to Israeli society. In this manner we facilitate full
integration of immigrants into the HaKrayot Masorti Congregation.
Congregational Projects for Olim:
Shabbat Shalom
providing a basket of all necessary items to celebrate the Shabbat at
home
Shabbat and Jewish Holiday Celebrations
Cultural Support: Spanish Language Division of Municipal Library
Keeping Immigrant Families Together – Family Education
Camp Scholarships
for summer day and overnight camps in Israel
Single Parent Household Support
in a variety of fields such as guidance from a social worker, economic
assistance
and group support
March of the Living Scholarship
to support the participation of a new immigrant child in this trip
to Poland to visit Holocaust sites.
Courses
for new immigrants including a Hebrew Ulpan,
teaching of Judaism in Spanish, etc.
Education
Introducing Masorti-Pluralistic Jewish Study to HaKrayot region
HaKrayot Masorti Congregation, introduced into the area a new
educational approach to Judaism - implementing pluralistic modern
methods. This breakthrough allowed the "TALI" program to be integrated
into the educational program in HaKrayot region, providing a Jewish,
Zionist and democratic education for Israel's non-observant majority.
The TALI program endows Israeli pupils, in schools and kindergartens,
with a Jewish education taught in an open atmosphere, sensitive to the
spirit of the times, and based on the cooperation between parents and
educators. This education aspires to shape a personality which embraces
both Jewish tradition and general culture and to award pupils with the
desire and tools to confront and deal with contemporary existential
issues facing the Jewish people. As a result of the Congregation's
efforts, HaKrayot region today is a leading TALI schools model, ranking
second nationwide with 6 schools and 15 pre-schools taking part in this
program.
Hakrayot Masorti Congregation also conducts:
Weekly "Masoret, Arts and Crafts" class for children
ROSH HODESH meetings for women
Study groups of the Jewish Me'korot
HEVRUTA (learning companion) of school-principals
Guest lectures
Annual weekends (Sabbaticals): micro cosmos of the Shabbat experience
Tikun Olam
Social Change & Justice Projects
"Giving with AHAVA (Love)" – Adoption of AHAVA Children and Youth village"Ahava" is a boarding school which caters for 213 children (6-18 years old) who have been removed from their homes by welfare officers and social workers because of severe problems such as drugs, abuse or violence and worse.
Clothing Store - second hand store that provides good used items at minimum cost. The money collected is used for the Community Health Fund that supports the purchase of expensive drugs and treatments.
Soldiers Project - support and accompaniment of soldiers from the community during their compulsory service.
Healing workshops (in Spanish, Hebrew)
Tzadaka