Purpose and Values

Why: Lifelong learning at CEEBJ builds Jewish connections and community that enables us to make a positive difference in the world today and guides us as we strive to become our best selves.

How: Through our connections to Torah, God, and Israel, we draw closer to our individual selves, our family, our friends, our congregation, our community, the Jewish people, and the world.

What: Creative and engaging educational experiences for individuals and families of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.

Values:

• Ahavat Am Yisrael – Love of the People Israel
  • Fostering a deep understanding of the Jewish people, the Land of Israel and the State of Israel
  • Supporting the local, national, and global Jewish community
  • Building a sense of pride in one’s Jewish identity
  • Promoting a sense of belonging where each person is welcomed as their authentic self – within CEEBJ and the Jewish people
  • Celebrating diversity, inclusion, and equality within the Jewish people
• B’tzelem Elohim – Being Created in the Image of God
  • Acknowledging that each of us is created in the image of God and, therefore, it is our responsibility to help each person find the Divine in themselves
  • Discovering that we each have something unique to offer the world and helping each other fulfill that purpose
  • Using middot (Jewish ethical values) to become more holy, and more whole, while recognizing that God made each of us perfectly imperfect
  • Developing the capacity to grapple with and express the experiences that occur along the spiritual journey
  • Exploring the God of our own understanding through the lens of Jewish texts and beliefs
• Derech Eretz – literally “Way of the Land,” Consideration of Others
  • Opening our hearts and minds to welcome all (lev tahor)
  • Honoring, respecting, celebrating and supporting those around us (kevod/kavod)
  • Seeing the other as a holy human being even when we disagree with their viewpoint, giving them the opportunity to share their opinions, and being open to thinking differently (Machloket l’shem shamayim)
• Hoda’yah - Gratitude
  • Finding the wonder, joy, and awe in the world
  • Expressing the joy that is found in building and nurturing relationships 
  • Showing appreciation for blessings in our lives
  • Seeking out the good in each other and ourselves, and highlighting it
• L’dor V’dor – From Generation to Generation
  • Fostering a love of Judaism from generation to generation
  • Connecting generations: recognizing that we are each a link in the chain of Jewish continuity
  • Supporting healthy family relationships
• Lilmud Torah – The Study of Our Sacred Texts
  • Embracing the Jewish traditions of continuous learning, questioning, and discovery
  • Challenging a deeper understanding
  • Seeking meaning in text and applying it to one’s life
• Tikkun Olam – Repairing the World
  • Preparing each individual to act as a part of the world
  • Inspiring others to make a positive difference in their various personal, local, and global communities
  • Contributing to the world and helping to repair it