Our vision: Congregation Shirat Hayam offers multiple pathways to Jewish life, learning and prayer. We will deliver the most fulfilling spiritual experience and the best childhood and teen education on the North Shore. Every encounter with our congregation leaves you feeling welcomed, connected and enriched. We embrace our responsibility to invest in strengthening our Jewish community for generations to come.

Conservative but willing to explore

We realize our community will always have a broad range of preferences and needs. We define ourselves in how we choose to serve these needs while respecting the ritual, educational and social boundaries we set as a Conservative congregation. Our boundaries will be set by halacha, and our congregational values and preferences.

Active choice of membership and participation

We strive for our members to actively choose to be part of our synagogue community and to participate in congregational life. Our goal is for all members to identify with our congregational beliefs, our preferences and our values.

Diversity

We support diversity as we welcome and respect all Jews, as well as the non-Jewish partners of our members.

Education

We encourage lifelong learning and distinguish our congregation by providing an exciting and meaningful educational experience for all ages:

  • Our congregation will thrive by understanding the Jewish needs of our membership and our community, and by selectively evolving to meet these needs
  • Our congregants understand our congregational focus and intent
  • We can respect our individual differences, serve a broad range of congregational needs and establish and maintain a clear identity
  • We embrace a variety of ritual, educational and social practices consistent with the interpretations of Conservative Judaism
  • We are committed to providing complete and engaging Jewish education to our children so they may grow up having been exposed to the full richness of their Jewish religion and culture
  • Our adult programming educates, challenges and inspires us as congregants, as members of our community and as Jews
  • Our families choose to attend our schools and programming because of their excellence, richness and variety

Darkeinu

Darkeinu is our post bar/bat mitzvah program for students in grades 8-12. Darkeinu means “our way.” This program is a highly flexible and individualized way for Jewish teens to continue learning and growing as they become Jewish adults. Students are asked to choose activities from three out of five broad areas of Jewish life and learning. They will receive credit hours for the ways they choose to engage with, learn and serve the Jewish community.

Leadership

  • Our leadership will come from our members, our professionals and our clergy, supported with sufficient resources, active committees and an engaged congregation
  • Our leadership will be learned, committed to our values and responsive to our needs
  • Our leadership will work collaboratively to meet our congregational goals and to develop our future generations of leadership
  • Our congregational goals will guide our selection of our spiritual, professional and lay leaders