Last year with the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning we began an experiment to conceptualize, design and write a new model to take Kehilat Shalom from our current assumptions about Jewish education to innovative models based on our congregation’s particular culture. We are part of the first cohort of eight synagogues across the area to participate in CE21.

The CE21 initiative has three purposes:

Create and implement visionary new models of congregational Jewish learning for members of all ages.


• Make Jewish learning a central function of the congregation and a primary means by which congregants come to view Judaism as a source of meaning and community in their lives.



• Develop the capacity to continually revitalize congregational learning programs in consonance with the congregation’s vision.

It’s about forward thinking and innovation.

CE21 is truly a transformative process uniquely designed with each congregation in mind. It is about seeing Judaism as a rich context for making meaning in one’s life and the synagogue as a community of learning.

This project pushes us to understand and think deeply about our congregation’s vision and commitment to Jewish Learning.