Kehilat Hadar is an independent, egalitarian community committed to spirited traditional prayer, study and social action. Hadar was founded in May 2001 and is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. We meet every other week for Shabbat morning services, and offer holiday services and educational programs throughout the year.
Principles of Kehilat Hadar
Hadar Leadership
Hadar in the News
About Our Name
Frequently Asked Questions
Principles of Kehilat Hadar
Kehilat Hadar is an independent, egalitarian community committed to spirited traditional prayer, study and social action.
Core Mission:
Hadar is committed to prayer services with spirited davening and leyning. Hadar services use the traditional liturgy in a halachic framework, and are marked by widespread communal participation, inspiring melodies and thoughtful divrei Torah. We believe that close attention to detail and planning, coupled with flexibility and responsiveness, produces the best possible experience for all.
Hadar Community:
Hadar appeals to a wide section of the general Jewish community: young and old, secular and observant, straight and gay. We are committed to furthering openness and hospitality to both newcomers and long-time members.
Torah, Avodah and Gemilut Hasadim:
Hadar is the primary Jewish community for hundreds of people. While Shabbat morning services remain the backbone of Hadar, our programming also includes holiday services, regular Jewish text study and social action/advocacy.
Prayer Education:
Hadar is committed to education, specifically on issues related to prayer (both for participants and for leaders). We do not believe in "watering-down" the traditional experience of prayer; rather we aim to inspire and educate so that people of all backgrounds can appreciate and participate in Hadar's services and programs.
Broad Participation:
Hadar is marked by a spirit of volunteerism, and community members are the primary leaders of the davening, leyning and teaching. Hadar believes that excitement, not guilt, is the most effective method of motivating a volunteer community. We have demonstrated that people who experience high-quality religious programming are excited to return and take on leadership roles.
Hadar Leadership
Gabbaim
The Gabbaim are responsible for coordinating the vision, policy, and day-to-day operations of Kehilat Hadar. We are committed to ensuring that Hadar always provides the spirited, egalitarian davening experience that is special to our community. We are available to respond to the needs and input of people both inside and outside the community. In doing our job, we are always mindful of the principles of Hadar.
Andrea Brustein
Farell Diamond
Lisa Exler
Aaron Kasman
Adam Levine
Charlie Schwartz
Rebecca Zeidel
Talya Bock
Leadership Team
The team meets as a group four times a year for two main purposes: 1) coordinating Hadar's ongoing program activities and 2) participating in various Hadar policy decisions. Members of this group also help coordinate major Hadar programs/initiatives during the year.
Evan Brustein
Uri Cohen
Alex Cooper
Ellen Dinerstein
Efrem Epstein
Michael Firestone
Ayelet Fischer
David Gershkoff
Zoe Goldfarb
Stacey Goldman
Rebecca Israel
Nadine Kochavi
Adina Konikoff
Ashira Konisburg
Marc Melzer
Julie Nemirovsky
Miri Pomerantz
Rachel Pomerantz
Libby Raffel
Sarah Rubin
Sarah Shapiro
Emily Scharfman
Meir Schecter
Michal Shinnar
Hannah Solomon
Vera Wexler
Educators
Rabbi Shai Held, Scholar-in-Residence. Shai anchors Hadar's educational programs by teaching regularly in the Beit Midrash, holding classes in Jewish thought in people's homes, and leading an array of Shabbat lunch-and-learns on a wide variety of topics throughout the year; he also serves as Hadar's teacher for the High Holidays. Shai also teaches at the Jewish Theological Seminary, and is a Jacob Javits Fellow in Religion at Harvard University. He formerly served as Director of Education and Conservative Rabbinic Advisor at Harvard Hillel.
Former Gabbaim
Tammy Arnow (2004-2007)
Mara Benjamin (co-founder, 2001)
Debbi Bohnen (2002-2004)
Rachel Forster (2003-2006)
Deena Fox (2004-2006)
Josh Greenfield (2002-2004)
Debbie Kaufman (2001-2004)
Elie Kaunfer (co-founder, 2001-2005)
Jill Levy (2004)
Jessica Lissy (2001-2002)
Emily (Michal) Michelson (2005-2006)
Danny Serviansky (2005-2006)
Ethan Tucker (co-founder, 2001)
Adam Wall (2001-2004)
Hadar in the News
Challenging Tradition, Young Jews Worship on Their Terms
The New York Times, November 28, 2007
Attracting Young People to Jewish Life: Lessons Learned from Kehilat Hadar
Jewish Education News, Spring 2005
Beyond Dogma
Jerusalem Post Magazine, February 11, 2005
Upper West Side Minyan Visits Area
New Jersey Jewish Standard, December 17, 2004
What Martin Luther King Jr. Had in Mind
The Blueprint, March, 2004
Will Judaism flourish or decline in the next 50 years?
Moment Magazine, February/March, 2004
A Prayer Group of Their Own
Forward, November 14, 2003
Passionate Prayer
New York Observer, October 13, 2003
Hadar Gains Foothold In Morningside Heights
Columbia Spectator, March 31, 2003
Jewish Group Adds Flair To Prayer
New York Post, March 3, 2003
The New Gen-X Judaism
The Jewish Week, August 2, 2002
Kehilat Hadar Holiday Retreat Brings Community Together
The Blueprint, July, 2002
Any Old Shul Won't Do for the Young and Cool
Forward, August 10, 2001
Our Name
Hadar is a noun meaning splendor or glory, and it is also a verb meaning to glorify, respect or honor. It appears numerous times in tefillot: including in the Kaddish (Yithadar) and Ashrei (Hadar k'vod hodecha...Uch'vod hadar malchuto).
Hadar also expresses some of the hopes and aspirations we have for the minyan and the community we are forming. Below we analyze it in three classic relationships: Bein adam l'atzmo (internal), Bein adam l'havero (interpersonal), and Bein adam l'Makom (relationship with God).
Bein adam l'atzmo:
In the Torah, the etrog is referred to as Pri Etz Hadar (fruit of the beautiful tree, or beautiful fruit of the tree). In the Talmud, there is a discussion about what exactly this means. Rabbi Abahu offers the following comment: Don't read Hadar as splendor, rather read it as something which dwells (dar) on its tree from year to year (Sukkah 35a). Rashi explains this to mean that the etrog is the only fruit which remains on the tree from one season to the next. Therefore, an etrog tree has well-ripened fruit from years past co-existing with newly budding fruit from the current year.
We look at this as a metaphor for an ideal internal relationship: We all bring to the community our ripened fruit, the experiences and ideas we have developed in the past, our patterns and rhythms which define us. The challenge is to be open to new ideas and experiences (budding fruit) without rejecting the ripened fruit of our past. We hope to make the minyan a space where people strive for that internal coexistence.
Bein adam l'havero:
Hadar is used in the Torah as a verb in the following verse from Leviticus 19:32: V'hadarta p'nei zaken (Pay respect to the elder). We hope to broaden that mitzvah to include all members of the community: our minyan aspires to be a place where everyone pays respect to each other, from simply introducing yourself to someone new to creating a culture of hachnasat orchim (welcoming guests into your home).
Bein adam laMakom:
There is a rich tradition in rabbinic and kabbalistic literature of God, not only people, needing salvation. This is one understanding of the somewhat cryptic phrase we say repeatedly during the hoshanot: Ani v'ho hoshia na: Save me and Him (referring to God). In this light, we analyzed one final use of the word Hadar in the liturgy:
Psalm 104:1 states: Hod v'hadar lavashta (You dressed in splendor and glory). We traditionally say this line when we put on the talit, and we can imagine God dressing in a metaphoric prayer shawl. The hope we have for this minyan is that through our prayers and actions, we will provide that comforting covering to God, doing our part in contributing to God's salvation. The challenge to strive towards that goal will remain a motivating force behind our activities as a kahal.
We are excited to embrace the name Hadar, with all of its implications and challenges.
Adapted from a d'var Torah introducing the name "Kehilat Hadar" during Sukkot 5762 (October 2001)
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Hadar have membership?
We believe that meaningful davening (prayer) experiences and learning opportunities should be available to all, and therefore, Hadar does not have official membership or membership dues. However, due to our many operating costs throughout the year, we ask members of our community to make a voluntary donation to Hadar each year. We suggest a contribution of $180 per person, or $120 for students, but we welcome donations of any size and encourage those who can give more to do so.
Who comes to Hadar?
Hundreds of people have participated in Hadar services over the past three years (we have over 2,000 people on our email list), and it is impossible to know who everyone is. Nonetheless, here is a snapshot based on a survey conducted at the Hadar Shavuot Retreat (2003).
- Most people at Hadar do not identify with a particular Jewish denomination. About 60% grew up Conservative, 20% grew up Orthodox, 12% Reform, and 8% unaffiliated.
- The majority (60%) have lived in New York for 3 years or more, and about 15% are new to Manhattan.
- Most people at Hadar work during the day, although about a quarter are students.
- Three quarters of people at Hadar daven at a different synagogue or minyan on the weeks when we don't meet.
- Most people at Hadar are in their 20s and 30s, but we have a growing number of people in the over-40 and under-3 age-groups.
- Families with babies are welcomed at Hadar, and we even have an ad-hoc playroom in the back of our prayer space.
Kehilat Hadar is not affiliated with any of the movements (e.g. Conservative, Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Reform), and members of our community come from a wide range of Jewish backgrounds (see above). We are fully egalitarian. Our services follow a traditional format and all of our services and programming are planned in accordance with halachah (Jewish law).
How does Hadar support itself financially?
The vast majority of our funding comes from the people who come to Hadar (like you!). We are also a graduate (2002-2005) of JESNA/UJC's Bikkurim: An Incubator for New Jewish Ideas (www.bikkurim.org), and we receive a grant from the Bronfman Youth Fellowship in Israel.
When I donate money to Hadar, what is my donation used for?
Hadar's current annual operating budget is approximately $130,000. Most of this money goes toward renting space for services (over $550 per service) and programming. Our other costs include paying teachers and High Holiday leaders, renting chairs, and making photocopies. Every contribution helps us continue to provide enjoyable and meaningful services, as well as learning and social action programs. Contributions to Hadar also enable us to expand on our existing programming.
The all-volunteer leadership of Hadar goes to great lengths to secure donations of space, prayerbooks, humashim, etc. Be assured that your entire donation goes directly to facilitating Hadar programming.
Can you provide more details on Hadar's budget?
Hadar's 2007/2008 budget is approximately $140,000. Here is a breakdown of the major income categories, followed by a breakdown of major expense categories:
What can I do to help out at Hadar?
There are many ways to help out. In addition to monetary donations, you can participate in services or sponsor kiddush (email egalminyan@hotmail.com). You can help set up chairs before services and help clean up after services. You can volunteer to help out at programs throughout the year (be a greeter at High Holidays, join our social action initiative, volunteer at our Purim party, etc).
Of course, you can help also us build our community by helping a neighbor find the right page during services, introducing yourself to someone you don't know at kiddush, or inviting someone to your home for a Shabbat meal.
What is the relationship between Kehilat Hadar, Yeshivat Hadar and Mechon Hadar?
Kehilat Hadar was founded in 2001 out of a desire to create a vibrant, intensive, egalitarian prayer community that could draw people from across the denominational spectrum. As Kehilat Hadar succeeded and grew over the years, the time came to take the animating vision of the minyan and begin to expand it further, both to strengthen and encourage the creation of other communities like Kehilat Hadar and to develop this model of community in the realm of Jewish learning.
As a result, two of Kehilat Hadar's original founders--Rabbi Ethan Tucker and Rabbi Elie Kaunfer—along with Kehilat Hadar's Scholar-in-Residence—Rabbi Shai Held—founded Mechon Hadar as a separate institution in June 2006. Mechon Hadar aims to revitalize prayer, study, and community life among young Jews in America, through two main divisions:
- Yeshivat Hadar: A full-time summer text study and social action program on the Upper West Side of Manhattan open to men and women. (Click here for more information and to apply for Yeshivat Hadar 2008.)
- The
Minyan Project: Education, consulting and networking for prayer communities.
What is that ringing sound I sometimes hear during Shabbat morning services?
When the red door at the entrance to the Second Presbyterian Church is opened all the way, it pushes a doorbell that sounds throughout the building. Therefore, when you enter the building, please try not to open the door all the way.
Why does Hadar meet at the Second Presbyterian Church?
The Second Presbyterian Church has been a fantastic host, and we very much appreciate their flexibility. We realize it can be crowded in the room, but the acoustics work well for our davening experience (and there are always seats at 9am). This is our 14th location for Shabbat morning services in three years, so we are happy to have a semi-permanent space. Of course, we are always looking for new meeting spaces - please let us know if you have any suggestions. We currently pay over $550 to use the church for a regular Shabbat morning, and over $750 when we have a Lunch and Learn.
For information about the halachah on meeting in a church basement, please go to http://www.kehilathadar.org/sources/church.html).
Why does Hadar start at 9:00 am in the winter, but 9:30 am in the summer?
The times for prayer are fixed in relation to the hours of daylight - the shaharit amidah, for example, should be completed by the end of the fourth variable hour in the day, where a "variable hour" is calculated as 1/12th of the time between sunrise and sunset. In the winter, the days are shorter, so the shaharit amidah must be finished earlier in the day, hence services have to start earlier.
Is Hadar trying to make its location accessible to people with disabilities?
We are aware that people who are unable to use stairs cannot get to the basement of the Second Presbyterian Church for Hadar services, since there is no elevator in the building. We investigated the possibility of installing an electronic stair-lift, but learned that it would not fit in the church’s stairway. We are frustrated by this situation because we do not want to prevent anyone from attending our services. However, we also find ourselves without another feasible option for a meeting place. For the time being, we will continue to meet in the basement of the church, but we will continue to explore opportunities to make our meeting space accessible. In addition, the church itself is looking into long-term solutions to this problem. We encourage you to contact us if you think of a way to make a particular Hadar event more accessible and welcoming to people with disabilities.
How can I get involved with the leadership?
Hadar is run by 6 Gabbaim and a larger Leadership Team. Every spring, we invite people to join the Leadership Team (many new gabbaim are selected from this Leadership Team). Typically the people on the Leadership Team are folks who have helped run some of our programming (such as the Shavuot Retreat, Purim, Tisha B'Av, High Holidays, etc.) To help out in running any of these programs, you do not have to be on the Leadership team, and we encourage you to email egalminyan@hotmail.com to help out.
What does it mean to be both halachic and egalitarian?
Traditionally, halachah (Jewish law) has been understood to exclude women from participating in certain aspects of public prayer. However, an examination of the classic Jewish sources for prayer reveals that there is ample support for equal participation by women and men in davening and leyning (Torah reading), and for counting women equally with men in a minyan. At the first Shavuot retreat, our community studied these issues in depth, focusing on the following topics: women's obligation in prayer, women as shelichot tzibbur (prayer leaders) and as Torah readers, and women counting in a minyan (quorum for public prayer). The source sheets we used, as well as links to a variety of teshuvot (rabbinic responsa) and other resources on this issue, can be found at http://www.kehilathadar.org/sources/
How can I get an aliyah at Hadar?
If you or your friends have not had an aliyah at Hadar and would like one, please let one of the gabbaim know. We'd love to honor you with an aliyah. In addition, if you would like an aliyah for a special occasion, feel free to email us in advance of the service.
Please understand that we usually have about 200 people at Shabbat morning services and there are a limited number of honors to give out each time. It is impossible for everyone to have an aliyah, even just once a year (7 aliyot x 25 services = only 175 aliyot per year!). However, it is certainly not our intention to overlook anyone in particular. Since we can't always remember who has been given aliyot in the past (especially since the gabbaim rotate each time we meet), we need your help in letting us know who hasn't been given an honor. Also, the aliyot are given out before the Torah service, so those who show up early usually have a better chance.
Of course, everyone gets an aliyah at Simhat Torah services!
How can I lead services, give a d'var Torah, or read Torah at Hadar?
We are excited that more than 125 people have led Shabbat davening at Hadar since we started meeting in April 2001, and look forward to continuing this tradition of spirited lay-led services. The leadership works hard to schedule davening and layning well in advance of services to allow leaders ample time to prepare (that's why it sometimes takes a while to sign everyone up!). We are always looking for experienced daveners and leyners, as well as those who would like to become more experienced. We offer occasional classes, as well as a tape, to help people learn how to lead. We also welcome volunteers to give a d'var Torah (5-minutes) at the end of services. Please contact egalminyan@hotmail.com to volunteer.
How does everyone at Hadar seem to know each other?
It may seem during kiddush that everyone is talking to someone they know, but in fact many people at Hadar do not know each other. Most people who come to Hadar would love to get to know more people in the room. We encourage you to introduce yourself to people you don't know. This will help in building a cohesive community.
In addition, our Beit Midrash classes once a week at the JCC in Manhattan (www.jccnyc.org) offer a more intimate and substantive setting to get to know others at Hadar.
How can I let people in the Hadar community know about other Jewish programming?
We are happy to provide a community postings section on our website which publicizes Jewish programs of interest. To submit a posting, click here.
Does Hadar have a rabbi?
Hadar currently has no full-time staff. Although many rabbis have taught at Hadar programs, and Rabbi Shai
Held has served as the resident scholar for the past few years, there is no rabbi who leads Hadar. The gabbaim consult with various rabbinic authorities when determining ritual policy.
Does Hadar have a rabbi I can contact?
As Kehilat Hadar becomes the primary Jewish community for an increasing number of people, we recognize the importance of being able to speak with a rabbi within the Hadar community. Although there is no one rabbi who leads Kehilat Hadar, several volunteers, including rabbis and senior rabbinical students, have offered to speak with members of the community regarding religious, spiritual, pastoral, or other issues. If you are interested in speaking with someone, please email Sophie Oberfield, who is on Hadar's lifecycle team, at lifecycle@kehilathadar.org, or at sophieoberfield@gmail.com, and she will put one of the volunteers in touch with you.
What siddur (prayerbook) does Hadar use?
Hadar does not endorse any particular siddur. We encourage participants to bring their own copy of a siddur, and we provide page numbers for four of the most commonly used siddurim. Through a generous anonymous donation, Hadar has a number of Birnbaum siddurim available at services.
We also have a number of Sim Shalom siddurim, which were generously donated by
Rabbi Leonard Cahan in honor of the marriage of Josh Cahan and Tamar Gordon. However, there is no "official" siddur at Hadar.
Where did Hadar get its ritual objects?
When Hadar began, our community relied on the generousity of other organizations including Drisha and Solomon Schechter to lend us ritual objects. In just five years we have been privileged to receive an aron (ark), an amud (stand), an amud cover, a Torah, and a yad (pointer). Hadar's aron and amud were built for our community by Joseph Greenfield z"l, the grandfather of Josh Greenfield, a former Hadar gabbai. He considered our unique community and conveniently built handles onto the aron so that we could easily carry it with us on our travels around the Upper West Side! Our amud cover was designed and created by Lisa Glass and dedicated to Hadar by Rabbi Shai Held in memory of his father, Moshe Held z"l, and dear friend Willy Iancu, z"l.
Click here to read a statement from Lisa about the cover's design and her experience creating it. Dr. Shuly Rubin Schwartz and her family donated Hadar's Sefer Torah in the Spring of 2005. Rabbi Michael Katz had commissioned the Sefer Torah in memory of Rabbi Gershon Schwartz, z"l, the husband of Dr. Schwartz and father of Moshe, Aviva, Tali, Hadar, and Elie Schwartz, z"l. The Torah is now clothed in a beautiful cover bearing his name. The Torah cover was designed by Sarah Jacobs to include Biblical verses, also found in the siddur, which members of the community selected. The yad we use was a gift of gratitude by a guest who visited Kehilat Hadar.
Hadar purchased a second Sefer Torah in the Summer of 2007 from
the community at the Avenue Z Jewish Center in Brooklyn. The yad
we use when reading from the second Sefer Torah was given to the
community by Cantor Steven Friedrich of the Suburban Jewish Community Center-Bnai
Aron in Haverton, Pennsylvania after his visit in February, 2005.
How can I start a minyan like Hadar where I live?
Hadar has assisted numerous minyanim in formation and strategy, including DC Minyan (www.dcminyan.org), Kol HaKfar (kolhakfar@yahoo.com) in Greenwich Village, and others. We are happy to provide advice or materials if at all possible. Email egalminyan@hotmail.com.
Why don't you announce page numbers or when to sit/stand?
We encourage people to daven at their own pace, and recognize that not everyone shares the same custom of when to sit or stand. We also believe that interjections such as page numbers and stage directions harm the natural flow and rhythm of the service. In addition, there are large portions of the service where it is halachically forbidden to interrupt. Therefore, we do not announce pages or tell people when to sit/stand.
However, we realize that not everyone knows where the congregation is at any particular point in the service. We have therefore provided a sheet with page numbers for the most commonly used siddurim. We also encourage people to ask their neighbor for help if they want to find out where the congregation is.
Why is the prayer leader in the middle of the congregation?
Historically, this is the traditional location of the prayer leader, or sheliach tzibbur. This location reflects our belief that the prayer leader is part of the congregation, and not performing to the congregation. Everyone, including the prayer leader and Torah readers, face east in order to join the congregation in directing our hearts toward Jerusalem.
Abraham Joshua Heschel expresses the philosophy of this layout:
"A [prayer leader] who faces the holiness in the Ark rather than the curiosity of [people] will realize that his audience is God. He will learn to realize that his task is not to entertain but to represent the people Israel....The congregation will then learn that...to pray does not mean to listen to a singer but to identify oneself with what is being proclaimed in their name."
-The Insecurity of Freedom, p. 247.
Does Hadar have a kashrut policy?
Yes, Hadar has a kashrut policy because members of our community have different standards of kashrut in their homes. In an effort to accommodate all members of our community, we ask that all food for community events, such as Lunch and Learns and meals hosted in your home as part of a Hadar program, be prepared in a kosher kitchen, and ingredients for the meal (including cheese) be marked with a recognized kosher symbol (more than just "K"). If, in general, you cook with non-hechshered domestic cheese in your kitchen, it is still possible to prepare food for the dinner, as long as the ingredients for the meal are in accordance with the kashrut policy described above and you haven't used your pots for 24 hours (ben yomo). (Or, you could simply make a meat meal!) Whether you attend a meal or host a meal, all food bought or made should follow this policy. If you have any questions, including how to meet these kashrut standards, please email egalminyan@hotmail.com.
How is Hadar planning for the future?
Hadar holds community meetings to discuss our shared vision and to plan for the future. Please click here for the minutes from our January, 2005 community meeting, and click here for the minutes from our February, 2007 community meeting.