I grew up in a Conservative Jewish household. I went to Hebrew school and had a Bar Mitzvah. I even continued Hebrew school after my bar mitzvah and was encouraged by the Rabbi to daven Musaf on Shabbat mornings. Through the years, my wife and I have always been regular attendees at Friday night services but did not continue attending Saturday morning services.

My mother and father did attend Saturday morning services every week as they got older. They enjoyed the service and they enjoyed socializing with the other people in attendance. When my father died in September of 2012, I decided that I would step up and take my mother to Shabbat services every week because I knew how much she enjoyed it.

I began attending regularly, but passively. When Kehillat Chaverim was formed, we followed because the members were the same people my mom knew well. Slowly, as I sat there each week, my attitude began to change. What was at first my perceived obligation became something that I looked forward to doing. I sat every week, watching fellow congregants participate in all aspects of the service. I pondered whether I could become a more active participant. Then it happened. One day, Joel Roffman asked me if I would be interested in preparing a D’var Torah. What? I had not done anything like that since my speech at my Bar Mitzvah. I reluctantly said yes. Joel gave me a list of websites and references I could use to prepare. Although I’m used to writing and delivering lectures on medical topics, this task was far more frightening. I knew so little. I struggled, but I persisted. I learned new things as I prepared the speech. Then I gave my first D’var Torah. I think it went well. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. No one was judgmental of my superficial knowledge. I felt a sense of accomplishment. Once I had the first one under my belt, I knew I would be able to do more. Although it takes a lot of preparation each time, it has always been very worthwhile.

The fostering an environment of Kehillah Chaverim gave me the confidence to explore doing other parts of the service. Next, I volunteered to recite my Bar Mitzvah haftorah, after 53 years. I had to learn it from the beginning as I had no recollection of the trope. It was like learning a new language but I did it. Unlike the experience at age 13 when I was forced to learn it, this time it was because I wanted to learn it.

This is my learning journey. Encouraged and supported by my family and my friends at Kehillat Chaverim, I have been motivated to accomplish things I never thought I would ever do. Who knows, maybe there is a Torah portion in my future.

What I enjoy about our Kehillah are the many things that differentiate us from the typical conservative Jewish congregations. There is no hierarchy! All are welcome and encouraged to participate at their own comfort levels.

In our version of a down sized, egalitarian Conservative Jewish Congregation, everyone is encouraged to take risks, to make mistakes in a warm and friendly atmosphere dedicated to individual growth as a key component of our communal growth.

In years past, I often arrived at Shul on Saturdays, during Shema or the Amidah, just prior to the Torah reading. I was very familiar with those portions of the service and often led Musaf prior to the formation of our Kehillah.

I was committed to our success, and recognized the need to be a part of the minyan at the very start of services so that those who had a Yahrzheit or need to say Kaddish would be able to do so. As a result, I committed to learning P’sukei D’zimrot and Shacharit. Now I have the sense of accomplishment that I can lead any part of the Shabbat service- whenever and however we need my help.

But what I love the most about our Kehillah is that in the absence of the political Clergy/ Board of Directors related congregational hierarchy, we have developed an uncommon opportunity for devotional prayer, development of community and a spiritual experience that is unparalleled by what is found elsewhere in my nearly 60 years of Jewish living spanning several Jewish communities. I feel that we have stumbled upon a formula that fills the gaps missing in the typical conservative Jewish congregation.

As Hillel said: “If not now then when? If not me then who?”

Please join us for a pleasantly different Shabbat experience!

There are many circumstances that one could say would never happen. One of those is having a shul in your house. It turns out that there are many benefits of having services in your house. First, I have the shortest walk to shul that one could ever imagine. I walk through my garage and into the “shul room,” as my kids call it. Before this, we were lucky to get to shul during the Haftarah. Usually, it was during musaf. I would have never been able to state what prayers are recited before the Torah service. Now, I’m usually the 2nd or 3rd person there! Second, I love that my kids are literally surrounded by Torah. They hear me practicing my readings, they listen to the prayer melodies , and lead Adon Olam, sometimes. Of course, I hope that one day we will grow large enough to need to move somewhere more conventional, but until then, I will enjoy the convenience of having my kehillah come to me.