We recognize that the world contains a variety of
meaningful religious and secular approaches to spirituality, but it is our
goal to create an energetic atmosphere in which Jews can explore and express
their unique connection to the values, history, culture and ritual of our
people. “Chavurah Masarti” literally translates as “Traditional Chavurah”.
A chavurah is a small group of friends who gather in a less formal manner
than a standard congregation. Many chavurot exist within larger
congregations and involve subsets of individuals with similar interests. In
our case, we are a free standing chavurah; and independent minyan. The word
“traditional” (מָסָרְתִּי) is not meant to indicate any particular theological commitment
of the members, but to set a tone of serious connection to the historical
and cultural experience of being Jewish while providing a specifically
Jewish atmosphere for the personal exploration of intellectual and
theological issues. There is no theological ‘litmus test’ for membership in
this Chavurah. We seek to create a Jewish communal environment where Jews
can be Jewish with one another.