Temple Ner Simcha is committed to being a synagogue community that celebrates every aspect of Jewish life in a joyous way enhanced by the teachings of our tradition. We are inclusive to all Jews, no matter what their background, knowledge, and level of observance. We are dedicated to making every experience integrate joy and depth; and we strive to constantly make our ancient traditions meaningful through practices that are between classic Reform and Conservative Judaism in observance, with spatterings of Kabbala and Hasidic thought interwoven throughout. We are truly a “kahal”, a sacred community, and are committed to being there for each other in all ways. This includes creating spiritual moments of prayer by providing services on the High Holy Days, Festivals, and Shabbats, sharing in the celebration and observance of the spectrum of life cycle observances, and constantly striving to learn and live a deeper and fuller Jewish life. Our constant involvement in studying our sacred texts, both ancient and modern, leads us to express Jewish values in our daily, 21st century lives. We understand that the teachings of our ancestors has value today, and it is our job to integrate those teachings into practical applications. As members of the Jewish people, we express our support for the State of Israel, and kinship and responsibilities for our people at home and throughout the world. We are proud to live in the United States and are active members of our local business, spiritual, and social communities.

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Principles and Commitments of Temple Ner Simcha

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• We are a “kahal”, a holy community guided by the principles of the Torah and Traditions of our Sages as interpreted by our Mara d’Atra. These principles and understandings as determined by the Mara d’Atra is the spiritual foundation of our community,

• We agree with King David in Psalm 100 that “Ivdu et HaShem B’simcha” the work of God is found in joy; and commit ourselves as a community to gaining wisdom through the joy of Torah and Life.

• We recognize that ethical behavior is one of the foundations of any successful organization, and is additionally one of the highest spiritual priorities of our faith. We commit ourselves as individuals and a community to the ethical practices of our tradition, and to striving for “lifneh m’shoret ha’din” going beyond legal requirements in our lives as we strive to act even more ethically than required by law. It is our intention to be ethical role models for our neighbors, community, and the world at large.

• We recognize that “lashon hara”, the “evil tongue” of gossip is not only attributed as one of the things that brought about the Destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, but has led to the destruction of more modern synagogues in North America than any other single cause. We commit ourselves to a zero tolerance policy with regard to this, and rely upon the teachings of our religion with regard to ethics and mussar as the practical foundation of our community.

• We recognize that Judaism is not monolithic, and that there are many interpretations and understandings of any practice or ritual. We make a conscious choice to follow community spiritual practices based on the understandings and interpretations of our Mara d’Atra, and will always be based in the unchanging principles of ethical behavior, study, charity, and prayer.

• We are committed to being a safe community; where the negativity, gossip, unethical behavior, and other challenges found in the outside secular world are not tolerated. We commit to supporting the best part of each individual, so that the kahal itself will grow in healthy ways.

• We believe in perfect faith that if we do our parts in building a safe and holy community for each individual; then we will have success on every level. We commit ourselves as a community to this goal, and to helping each individual manifest their own Tikkun Ha’Olam, their own piece of repairing the world.