Shedding New Light on Jewish Traditions

Or Hadash Welcomes You!

Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation, is a progressive, engaging and creative community that welcomes people of all backgrounds, including interfaith families, LGBTQ individuals, as well as people of all races, ethnicities and disabilities. We strive to make Judaism meaningful through study, prayer, cultural, musical and other artistic expression. Social action and acts of tikkun olam are also important ways to engage at Or Hadash. We want all people to know that they are completely welcome and that they can quickly become an integral part of our friendly community. In these covid-19 era times, so much of our community is now available online, for everyone, please join us.

Kabbalat Shabbat will be held at 7:30 pm with Rabbi Alanna on our YouTube channel.  Remember that we have our own custom YouTube URL, find us at https://www.youtube.com/c/orhadashsynagogue. 

Torah study & services will be led by Rabbi Alanna this Saturday morning at 9:00 am for TS and 10:00 am for services on Zoom which will also be LiveStreamed on our YouTube channel. Here is the link for the LiveStream: http://tiny.cc/RASInstallationService for those who want to watch only. The Zoom link is a registration link, which requires you to fill out some information and then wait (less than 2 minutes) for the participation link. Click here for that process: http://tiny.cc/RASInstallationZoom.

Installation of Rabbi Alanna

January 30, 2021 - 10:00am

Please save the date so we can gather in community (virtually) to install our very dear Rabbi Alanna on Saturday morning, January 30, 2021. Torah study starts at 9 am, followed by a very special Shabbat service at 10.  As this is the Shabbat immediately following Tu B’shvat, we will include elements of a Tu B’shvat seder. 

Refa'enu: A Service of Healing - Now Digital

February 2, 2021 - 7:00pm

Healing services are held 4-5 times each year on select Tuesday evenings at 7 pm in the Rabbi's Study. This service is intended for those who are seeking physical or emotional healing for themselves or someone they care about. We share inspirational and comforting readings and music and enjoy the warmth and support of our community. The service usually lasts about an hour and is open to all, no RSVP needed.

The service will last for approximately 1 hour. Zoom links are sent to members daily (except for Shabbat). Interested nonmembers should contact the office or Debbie Karl no later than noon that day.

The 12 Step Havurah meeting

February 3, 2021 - 7:30pm

The new Or Hadash 12 Step Havurah is meeting at 7:30 pm every first Wednesday of the month. Everyone is welcome. The power of the 12 Steps in helping anyone to cope with everyday life is the motivation for the 12 Step Havurah. Join us as we use Rami Shapiro’s book, Recovery--the sacred art: The Twelve Steps as Spiritual Practice (

The Greening of Israel: Past, Present & Future

February 7, 2021 - 11:00am

The Adult Ed (and Israel!) Committee invites you to attend a presentation on "The Greening of Israel: Past, Present and Future" on February 7 at 11:00 am. We will tour Israel from an environmental perspective and learn about past and current challenges. Our guide will be Jack Platt, a local resident who is on the Executive Board of the Arava Institute. This is a leading environmental studies and research institute in the Middle East and is housed at Kibbutz Ketura in the Arava Valley north of Eilat. The institute is committed to identif

Evening Torah Study

February 8, 2021 - 7:30pm

For congregants who are interested in learning more about Torah, lay-led Torah study will take place the second and fourth Mondays every month. The approach is entirely different than on Shabbat. It’s an enrichment program, where we’ve proceeded in depth verse by verse. A knowledge of Hebrew is helpful, but not necessary. For more information, please contact Marty Jacobs or Jeff Chebot. Open to all!

And now there is Torah Study via Zoom!

JDAIM (Inclusion) Shabbat Service & Speaker - Beyond Productivity: How Shabbat Values Underscore Disability Justice Principles

February 19, 2021 - 7:00pm

Join us in celebrating JDAIM (Jewish Disability Awareness & Inclusion Month) with a guest speaker, Rabbi Julia Watts Belser, Associate Professor of Jewish Studies, Georgetown University.  This session draws the voices of disability culture leaders into conversation with Jewish tradition to show how the practice of Shabbat can offer us an opportunity to counter the relentless pressures we face to measure our worth on the basis of our work.  Together, we’ll explore how tapping into Jewish wisdom can help us challenge ableism and embrace the spiritual and political insights of disability movements. 

Please note the earlier start time of 7:00 pm.

Evening Torah Study

February 22, 2021 - 7:30pm

For congregants who are interested in learning more about Torah, lay-led Torah study will take place the second and fourth Mondays every month.  The approach is entirely different than on Shabbat. It’s an enrichment program, where we’ve proceeded in depth verse by verse. A knowledge of Hebrew is helpful, but not necessary. For more information, please contact Marty Jacobs or Jeff Chebot. Open to all!