ABOUT US
Vision
We are a warm and welcoming Synagogue that inspires congregants through our spiritually uplifting services and commitment to Jewish living. Kehilat Nitzan’s members generously donate their time, talents and resources to support each other in study, prayer and tikkun olam (social action).
We are committed to being a traditional and inclusive religious, spiritual, educational and cultural home for all Jewish individuals, couples and families. We are building a bright Jewish future for the next generation through our commitment to youth education and engagement.
We are committed to Halachah (Jewish law) and tradition according to a Masorti perspective that befits our time and circumstances. Our approach to Judaism reflects our ongoing relationship with God and ever-unfolding understanding of God’s Will; we see our religious obligations as a blessing in every moment.
Mission
Kehilat Nitzan’s mission is to be an inclusive, vibrant home where traditional Judaism is lived and breathed, where community is family, where learning inspires action, where prayer touches the hearts and good deeds repair the world.
We are an egalitarian Masorti (Conservative) congregation, dedicated to worshipping God through Torah (Study), Avodah (Prayer) and Gemilut Chasadim (Acts of loving-kindness).
Our purpose is to be a spiritual, cultural and religious home that fosters strong Jewish values, connection and commitment to Jewish living through pride in our Jewish heritage, lifelong education, tzedaka, and tikkun olam (social action).
Core Values
We are a People : We believe in the centrality of Israel in the life and consciousness of the Jewish people and the unity of the Jewish people wherever they may live.
We Welcome : We are a welcoming, caring, and compassionate community.
We Acknowledge : the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of country and the land on which our Synagogue is situated and stand in solidarity with them as sovereign peoples who have never ceded sovereignty. We pay our respects to their Elders – past, present and emerging.
We Connect : Fostering the connection between people, God, and the world is at the core of our aspirations and activities.
We are Traditional and Inclusive : We are committed to Jewish law and tradition and our spirituality within the context of an egalitarian, diverse and inclusive environment that embraces all individuals, couples and families, where Jewish people of all genders, ages, sexual orientation and ability may participate in traditional Jewish practice and come close to Torah.
We Live Torah : We live the philosophy and teaching of the Masorti (Conservative) movement.
We Learn/We Educate : We offer lifelong transformative learning for all members, children and adults.
Integrity : We act with clear intention and demonstrate accountability
We are Leaders : We demonstrate leadership while listening with humility
We Act : We value and enact volunteerism and social action through tzedaka and Tikkun Olam.
Conservative/Masorti Movement
Where Tradition and Modernity Meet
Kehilat Nitzan is associated with Masorti Australasia and Masorti Olami, the World Council of Conservative Congregations.
Masorti offers Jews a unique approach to Judaism through a robust and traditional Judaism firmly rooted in Torah and Mitzvot and fully integrated into modern-day lives. Masorti Judaism distinguishes itself by examining the values of egalitarianism, pluralism, tolerance and democracy alongside traditional historic sources. Men and women are encouraged to be active in all areas of the synagogue.
The worldwide Masorti movement had its beginnings in the liberalising Germany and Europe of the 19th century and became popular in the United States, where it is called Conservative Judaism.
Masorti in Hebrew means ‘traditional’ and Masorti Judaism is indeed traditional Judaism practiced in a spirit of open-minded enquiry and tolerance. Masorti Judaism accepts the binding force of Jewish law (halakha) but understands that Jewish law has always developed in response to the circumstances and context of the time.
More information about Masorti Australasia can be found here.
Resources:
- American Jewish University providing digital Jewish learning to our communities
- Worldwide Conservative/Masorti Leadership Statement On President Herzog's Framework
- Statement From the Zionist Federation Of Australia
Kehilat Nitzan Constitution
The Jerusalem Program
We accept the unity of the Jewish people, its bond to its historic homeland Eretz Yisrael and the centrality of the State of Israel and Jerusalem, its capital, in the life of the nation.
Aliyah to Israel from all countries and the effective integration of all immigrants into Israeli Society.
Strengthening Israel as a Jewish, Zionist and democratic state and shaping it as an exemplary society with a unique moral and spiritual character, marked by mutual respect for the multi-faceted Jewish people rooted in the vision of the prophets, striving for peace and contributing to the betterment of the world.
Ensuring the future and the distinctiveness of the Jewish People by furthering Jewish, Hebrew and Zionist education, fostering spiritual and cultural values and teaching Hebrew as the national language.
Nurturing mutual Jewish responsibility, defending the rights of Jews as individuals and as a nation, representing the national Zionist interests of the Jewish people, and struggling against all manifestations of anti-Semitism.
Settling the country as an expression of practical Zionism.
