Shir Tikvah Case Analysis

According to Shir Tikvah’s website “Shir Tikvah is a Kehillah kedosha (holy community) joyfully revealing the intersections of Talmud Torah (lifelong Torah study), t 'filah (prayer), tzedakah (justice), and hachnasat orchim (radical hospitality)” Shir Tikvah meaning “Song of Hope” is a Reform Jewish Temple located on Minnehaha Parkway in Minneapolis. The congregation was established in 1988 when Stacy Offner, first woman Rabbi in MN, resigned from Mount Zion Temple after a disagreement over her homosexuality (Weber, 2014). Offner and six of her supporters joined together as they shared a mutual vision of starting a synagogue with more of a liberal approach to Judaism. They desired to have a synagogue that was welcoming and personal: encouraging

Paul Jewish Community Center. Shir Tikvah’s members agreed that all decisions would be made democratically. Early in 1990 they decided to join the Reform movement. The congregation also came up with a policy that there will be no discrimination basis of race, gender, age, or sexual orientation. Shir Tikvah was the first synagogue in the MN to perform same-sex wedding consecrations. A few years later, they bought a larger building near Lake Harriet which is where they are currently located. In 2008, Rabbi Offner left to move to New York and Shir Tikvah hired their present Rabbi, Michael Adam Latz. Today more than 450 households attend Shir Tikvah to worship, learn, and participate in activities that support their religion and the wellbeing of one another (Weber,

Shabbat is the Jewish Sabbath day; their day of rest. It begins on Friday and concludes Saturday evening. Shabbat allows time for members to focus on what it is important and that is: worshiping, reflecting on the week, and growing together. Depending on the day (Friday or Saturday) and week (1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th), the service may vary, including the content of worship, it’s timing and style (Molloy, 2013). The Shabbat service we attend took place on the second Friday of the month; it involved music, prayer and a sermon. As we entered Shir Takvih, we felt very welcomed; everyone was polite and answered any questions we had. After we received a copy of their translated prayer book (machzorim) we were directed to the designated place, where we were told that we could sit anywhere we like. The white painted room which was surrounded by big round windows had several roles of wooden fold up chairs. Not wanting to be a disturbance we sat in the back row. At the front of the room there was a bimah with an assortment of musical instruments on one side and a podium directly in the center. Behind the podium, stood a wood frame window that stored unidentifiable items in its