You’ll have to stay tuned for the story coming out next week, but here’s a glimpse of what’s to come:
The Kavana Cooperative has been named by Newsweek Magazine as one of America’s 25 Most Vibrant Synagogues.
Congregations are listed geographically and are chosen based on the following criteria:
* Social and Community Engagement
* Growth of Membership
* Outreach to Young People
* Diversity of Programming
* Programmatic Innovation
* Dynamism of Religious Services
* Success of the Rabbi
That’s nice and all that, but even bigger is Kavana’s rabbi, Rachel Nussbaum, being named as one of five Avi Chai Foundation fellows. According to a press release sent by the foundation:
The AVI CHAI Foundation occupies a singular spot in North American Jewish life, defining its goals as fostering high levels of Jewish Literacy; deepening religious purposefulness and promoting Jewish Peoplehood and deeper connections to the State of Israel. Each of the AVI CHAI Fellows has demonstrated a track record of commitment towards these ends and although the award – $75K per fellow per year – will go towards their proposed activities, the purpose of The AVI CHAI Fellowship is to advance and promote the individual winners as important forces in building a vital American Jewish future built upon these values.
Read more about it next Friday…