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Our Mission & Values Statement

Our Mission

Bnai Keshet (Children of the Rainbow) is a vibrant congregation affiliated with Reconstructing Judaism that values the diverse backgrounds, identities, and beliefs of our members and our shared historical traditions. We celebrate our role as participants in the evolution of Judaism; we engage our tradition thoughtfully, so Judaism remains meaningful and relevant to each of us. In this spirit, we are committed to deepening our religious and spiritual life, to hesed (caring), to life-long learning, to tikkun olam (repairing the world), and to sharing important life events. We are an informal and respectful community moved by prayer, fired by lively discussion, enlivened by laughter and song.

Bnai Keshet Reconstructionist Synagogue Israel Values Statement

Adopted by the board of trustees on October 22, 2025

Bnai Keshet celebrates the deep historical, cultural, and spiritual connections between the Jewish people and Israel. We are strengthened by our many members who have personal ties to Israel, including those who were born and grew up there. We are enriched by the cultural exchange and synergy between the Jewish communities of the diaspora, including BK, and the Jewish communities of Israel. We are grateful for Israel's role as a refuge and home for Jews from around the world, and celebrate its myriad achievements and contributions.


At the same time, we recognize that the creation of the State of Israel, like the founding of many nations, involved conflict and displacement of communities, and that these and subsequent injustices, perpetrated by multiple parties, still require resolution.


We are committed to realizing a vision of Israel that upholds democratic and Jewish values, strives for peace, and promotes the right of self-determination of both Jews and Palestinians. We believe that our fate and the fate of all inhabitants of the land are deeply intertwined. Our tikvah, our hope, is for a negotiated peace and just resolution that ensure freedom, dignity, and security for all in the region.


We actively engage in efforts to promote tikkun olam/repair the world, democracy, peace, justice, equality, understanding, and reconciliation among all communities in the region, mindful of the principle of b’tselem elohim - that all humans are reflections of the divine.


We support the aspirations set forth in Israel’s Declaration of Independence: “The State of Israel will … foster the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions.” We stand in solidarity with those who are actively working toward the realization of these ideals.


We are committed to using this statement to guide us in open and respectful conversation within our community, and to engage in education, advocacy, and charitable efforts to advance these values. 

Values Statements

  1. We create and foster a caring community that supports and embraces diversity, democratic decision-making, the volunteer work of our members, the search for spiritual fulfillment and the development of Jewish identity for people of all ages;

  2. We understand Judaism to be an evolving religious civilization and actively engage in the struggle to define and redefine our practices and heritage, while honoring our shared traditions and history;
     
  3. We see holiness (kedushah) as the sacredness we recognize within each human being and in the natural world;
     
  4. We approach Judaism from our varied backgrounds, and know that our community (kehilah) is strengthened by embracing our differences. Our community is made up of people of all races, family structures, ages, genders, sexualities, abilities, and educational, class, and ethnic backgrounds. We celebrate the fact that holiness is found in people of all colors; single, married, divorced, widowed, younger and older adults with and without children, LGBTQ+, straight, and searching; Jews by birth, by choice, the curious, and the returning; single-faith and interfaith families;
     
  5. We strive for respect and civility (derech eretz) towards one another and our broader community;

  6. We work to repair the world (tikkun olam) through social activism, thoughtful debate, and a mindfulness of social justice that permeates our community;
     
  7. We care for one another (hesed) and share communal experiences of pain and joy that include ritual, prayer, song and personal connection;
     
  8. We welcome being part of Klal Yisrael, the Jewish people, and are mindful of our connectedness, despite our many differences;
     
  9. We view Israel as central to Judaism, promote the connection between our community and Israel, and encourage respectful and open discussion of all aspects of our relationship to Israel as American Jews; and

  10. We provide opportunities for lifelong Jewish learning and foster and fortify the next generation of Reconstructionist Jews through Jewish education, celebration, ritual and community for children and families.
     

Adopted Aug 8, 2007 / Revised Mar 24, 2014

Sat, March 7 2026 18 Adar 5786