Hevreh Congregational Covenant

Hevreh Congregational Covenant

“Love your fellow as yourself” is the heart of Jewish tradition as stated in Leviticus 19:18. This mitzvah is the Jewish commitment to care for one another. Moreover, tradition also states that everyone is created B’tzelem Elohim, in God’s image, and therefore each of us is deserving of respect, honesty, fairness, and community.

As a synagogue community, Hevreh lives out our commitment to one another according to our mission:

We boldly live Jewish values, to uplift, enrich, and transform the lives of all we touch.
We do this through reflection, connection, and action.
Through reflection, exploration, and dialogue, we learn, grow, and evolve together.
Connection is the invitation for everyone to join us on this journey.
We act when we heed the call to create a more just society and a healthier planet.

A covenant is a statement of agreement about how all members of the Hevreh community choose to be in relationship with one another and the community. It has the strength of a pledge or moral obligation to mutually create a culture that is caring, safe, and inclusive.

This covenant formalizes the ethical partnership between Hevreh’s congregational leadership (Board of Trustees, Clergy, and Staff) and its members. It asks all to be mutually and entirely committed to its purpose, and to honor and uphold our sacred community by actively living, working, and worshiping in accordance with these values.

This covenant of understanding delineates the ethics of Jewish values, the commitments and promises we make to each other on this shared journey, how we interact with each other, and our expectations of one another.

This covenant is a living document, and is reviewed regularly and affirmed annually.

Bounds of this Covenant

This is a covenant by and for Hevreh members, defining how we behave in our congregational community. We aspire that this covenant speaks beyond the walls of the synagogue and understand that it cannot be applied to ethical concerns that involve other individuals or communities who have not counted themselves among Hevreh members.

Hevreh is a small synagogue in a small community, and the boundaries of our congregation are permeable. We make these ethical commitments to one another, and understand that our interactions elsewhere may impact life at Hevreh too.

This covenant reflects certain relationships; namely, the manner in which a congregant treats another congregant, the commitments the congregational leadership makes to congregants, and the way that congregants act toward the congregational leadership.

Our Ethical Values

כבוד / Be Respectful / Kavod

There is no greater value in Jewish tradition than Kavod HaBriyut, the respect for all human life. Respect denotes the attitude with which members of Hevreh treat each other. Respect includes regard for the feelings and views of others and that everyone’s voice is heard.

Members respect the rights and dignity of everyone at Hevreh, equally and without regard to sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, parental or marital status, disability, race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, socioeconomic background, religious background, or political belief. All are welcome to engage in life at Hevreh.
Treating one another with kindness.
Making space for all to be heard.
Expressing ourselves without hurtful or offensive speech, or judgmental (“othering”) remarks.
Interacting with one another without bullying or aggression.
Refraining from gossip, and respecting one another’s privacy.
Engaging in constructive problem-solving when we have differing opinions, and agreeing to disagree when consensus is not reached.

אמת / Be Honest / Emet

Honesty is the value that fosters trust among our congregation. To be a part of the Jewish community is to engage in makhloket l’shem Shamayim, debate for the sake of Heaven. We celebrate dialogue that allows for questions, disagreement, and exploration. We value free speech, diversity of opinion, and listening to one another with curiosity, and open-mindedness. We are truthful with each other, even when it’s hard.

In practice, we commit to:

Transparency in congregational decision-making processes and communications.
Listening to and understanding perspectives not shared, and allowing for
disagreement in discourse.
Taking responsibility for our actions.

כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה / Be Caring / Kol Yisrael Arevim Zeh Ba-zeh

All of Israel is responsible for one another. Caring is reciprocal. We care for one another; the congregation cares for you, and you care for the congregation. We address one another’s spiritual needs across the phases of life.

In practice, we commit to:

Showing up to support and celebrate one another.
Volunteering one’s time and talent to projects at Hevreh.
Honoring the financial commitments that enable the congregation to thrive as an expression of
our belief that giving is a sacred obligation.
Engaging in the broader community by giving tzedakah, time, and energy as an expression of tikkun olam.

All members uphold this covenant.

T’shuvah - Restorative Phase

Restorative practices recognize that all involved in wrongdoing can suffer harm, and start with an agreement that individuals and a community can return to wholeness after a transgression.

We understand that mistakes happen, and we hold one another accountable to the standards of the covenant. The intent of this process is to address harm, or problematic behaviors. We encourage dialogue to achieve deeper understanding, enable emotional and spiritual growth in one another, and foster shleimut (wholeness) in our sacred community.