Welcome to Or Adam Congregation

 2023-2024/5783-5784
Shalom and Welcome!

 Members of the Phoenix Jewish community have many choices when it comes to joining a synagogue or temple, but there is only one choice for humanists: Or Adam, a unique “safe space” for those who seek a congregation free from false choices between Judaism and their own integrity.

 Or Adam is unequivocally Jewish, celebrating the fullness of Judaism (holidays, life-cycle events, history, traditions, culture, ethics, food, music, literature, drama, humor, controversies, causes, victories, failures, and laments), but in strictly neutral territory that welcomes all, regardless of where they fall along the belief/non-belief spectrum.

 Member benefits include Shabbat, Havdalah, Passover, Hanukkah, and High Holiday services with inclusive, welcoming, and non-theistic language; Youth Education and B’nai Mitzvah classes; book, film, and current-controversy discussions; guest-speaker events; and social-justice programs grounded in Tikkun Olam [Repair the World].

 Whether you live in the Phoenix area, or connect online from the other side of the planet, I invite anyone searching for a more authentic Jewish experience to give Or Adam a “test drive” and discover how it supports a worldview consistent with both Judaism and Rationalism.

 In Or Adam’s fourth decade of Jewish celebration independent of supernatural authority, language, and dogma, I want to thank those who built the congregation from scratch, those who have supported it through the years, and those whose time, energy, and dedication continue to sustain it as an indispensable option in the larger community.

 I believe that Humanistic Judaism represents the future of the Jewish People in their historic and never-ending evolution, and I am humbled to be entrusted with the opportunity to help grow, strengthen, and enrich the Or Adam legacy for generations to come.

 Bill Parsons, President