Message from our president

It is truly amazing to me. Congregation Shir Hadash is in its Chai year, a span of time that has seen us grow from a core of 10 families to the 100-plus family units today who have chosen Shir Hadash as their religious and spiritual home and community. Each of us has our own story of how we found Shir Hadash and have become an active part of this vibrant congregational family.

For myself, I’ve been lucky enough to be part of this amazing community from its inception. My family, including my wife Wendy and son Aaron, attended Shir Hadash for the congregation’s first service, Rosh Hashanah in September 1989, and we were hooked. After being unaffiliated for our prior 10 years in Milwaukee, we had found a congregation through which we could actively rejuvenate, engage and enrich our Jewish identity. It was an easy decision to join and help establish and grow the first and only Reconstructionist congregation in Milwaukee.

Over the years, I have often been asked: So what is Reconstructionism? My response includes touching upon the following aspects of the movement, as described in the book “Exploring Judaism: A Reconstructionist Approach”: gender equality, participatory decision-making, institutional values, shared leadership, welcoming atmosphere, ongoing education, liturgical and ritual creativity, serious embrace of tradition, social action and mutual support.

In my 18 years as an active member of Congregation Shir Hadash, I can say unequivocally that I have seen each of these aspects of Reconstructionist Judaism practiced and advanced in our congregation. Please join us for a service or one of our other programs and begin to see for yourself.

Marc Hurwitz
President

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