Welcome to Kol Hadash

Welcome to the Kol Hadash website. I hope you will find exactly what you looking for right here. If you are seeking a path for entering or re-entering Jewish life and culture, this is it!

Kol Hadash is affiliated with the Society of Humanistic Judaism, and we offer a unique philosophy. This is what makes us really different. There are many brands of Jewish humanists. Some are agnostics, some are naturalists, some are pantheists, some are atheists. What we have in common is that we all affirm the right and duty of each one of us to arrive at her/his own conclusions about life's great questions. We have no institutional dogma nor doctrine. Our only dogma is this: we have none. This alone makes us unique. In a world where religion and religious adherents always walk away with the door prize for authoritarian, particularistic, alienating views, you won't find a trace of narrow tribalism at Kol Hadash. We take pride in our universal, open approach to Jewish identity and in following the Abrahamic tradition of iconoclasm. We are unusually eager to question assumptions, the status quo, and the ways we see ourselves, especially in light of our hopes for personal and social transformation. If you find conventional Judaism boring, look no farther. The worst fate we can imagine is being out of touch, ossified, irrelevant.

Kol Hadash encourages personal dignity and expression, but it is also a community. Kol Hadash supports us when we are in pain, encourages us to grow in both mind and body when we are healthy, and--at all times--is an accepting, affirming, accessible place to be.

If you want to be around others who value the wide range of expression in Judaism, who are willing to have their hearts and minds pried open, and who seek ways to link with a culture rich in debate, interpretation, and chutzpah, attend one of our programs or visit us for a Shabbat celebration.

B'shalom,

Rabbi Jay Heyman