Congregation Beth Shalom belongs to the Reform Judaism movement, but they accept those from other Jewish denominations as well.

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After all, every practicing Jew shares the same beliefs:

• There is only one God that is beyond our ability to comprehend but is present in our lives.
• The Torah, the Jewish religious text which includes 613 commandments, or mitzvot.
• Support for the nation of Israel.

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Certain practices differ from congregant to congregant, such as the Orthodox belief that women should not lead services. Yet Mary Hartigan, who assists the rabbi with lectures on Judaism in neighboring universities, leads Shabbat (the Jewish day of rest) prayers when the religious leader is on a sabbatical.

 

“I respect where someone is coming from, and as long as someone is of good intent, we can get along fine,” Hartigan said.

Congregation Beth Shalom tries to accommodate different beliefs, but those in the Reform tradition believe in adapting to modern times as well as preserving their traditions. Reform Jews believe in having women rabbis  and accept the gay and lesbian community into their synagogue.

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One such woman who has stepped up as president for the Congregation Beth Shalom is Stella Read. She said that while Judaism is a minority religion in the United States, the increasing number of religiously unaffiliated is not a cause for concern for Congregation Beth Shalom.

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Congregation Beth Shalom has 145 families, up from more than 81 families in the early 80s. It grew in the mid-80s and mid-90s with membership exceeding 150 families in 2000.

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In 2010, a Pew survey reported that there were 5.69 million practicing Jews in the United States.



In the 2012 Pew report, the “Other Faiths” group, which includes Judaism, grew from four to six percent between 2007 and 2012.

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Yet not all members of the congregation practice their faith the same way. At least 10 to 25 of the families or individuals attend Friday Shabbat services at the synagogue, although other Jews choose to observe their faith by practicing one of the 613 mitzvot. Some members may not believe in God but still attend services.

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“We are a cultural religion,” said Stella Read, president of Congregation Beth Shalom. “Some Jews describe themselves as secular Jews, meaning they may be involved with some congregational events and identify with the Jewish culture and may follow some traditions, may or may not believe in God, and may or may not be members.”

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Even when some local Jews do not attend services at Congregation Beth Shalom, they still continue to pay and even exceed their minimum dues to the synagogue.

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“I speculate (that) they feel this synagogue is the only Jewish game in town, and if there is a lack of funds for activities, there would be no official Jewish presence in town,” Rabbi Yossi Feintuch said. 

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Read said the way for the synagogue to move forward is to build fond memories for the families in their community.

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“Whatever it may be, I hope we are making new memories for our families,” Read said. “Hopefully, they are passing them down to their children.”