Who we are

Mission

We are guided by our commitment to being an inclusive, largely lay-led, egalitarian Jewish community, as well as to building a more compassionate world for everyone.

Chavurah Ruach Shalom is a vibrant, diverse, participatory Jewish group of friends for spirituality, study, community, and tikkun olam.

We explore our Jewish roots and traditions, and are a platform for intellectual and spiritual growth, an extended family to celebrate holidays and life cycle events with. 

We express this through rituals and activities that provide an entrance into the Jewish experience that enriches and inspires us in our lives.

Ruach Shalom is characterized by our respect for core values (such as tikkun olam and inclusivity).

What is a Chavurah

A chavurah (חבורה Hebrew: “fellowship”, plural chavurot) is a small group of like-minded Jews who assemble for the purpose of facilitating Shabbat and holiday prayer services, sharing communal experiences such as lifecycle events, or Jewish learning. Chavurot usually provide autonomous alternatives to established Jewish institutions and Jewish denominations.

Most chavurot place an emphasis on egalitarianism in the broad sense (of which gender egalitarianism is one piece), depending on participation by the entire community rather than top-down leadership.

The concept of a chavurah has ancient roots as far back as the Talmud.

The first modern day chavurah was established in North-America in 1960. Most chavurot had their origins in the North American Jewish counter-cultural trends of the late 1960s and early 1970s. During this period, groups of young rabbis, academics, and political activists founded experimental chavurot for prayer and study, in reaction to what they perceived as an over-institutionalized and unspiritual North American Jewish establishment.