Tradition And Change

Growth in membership, growth in physical facilities, and growth in activities all combine to capture the 20th century history of Congregation Shaarai Shomayim.  Individual Rabbis working with lay leaders responded to changes in Reform Jewish practice to continually update worship and religious education.  Increasing membership and activity necessitated numerous expansions and modifications of our city property.  And a reawakening to the concept of “tikkun olam,“ led to more social action both within our community and beyond.

Until the late 1970’s, Shaarai Shomayim remained a Classical Reform Jewish congregation: services were conducted in English with only a smattering of Hebrew and limited congregational participation.  Musical accompaniment consisted of a paid choir and organ.  This was not a unique picture for an American Reform Jewish congregation.  But by the 1980’s some traditional practices began to reclaim their place in the life of Reform congregations.

Renovations to the sanctuary in 1991 reflected this new more inclusive style of worship.  Today, in addition to regular Friday evening services, which had been the custom for decades, there are also Shabbat morning services year round.  The old practice of celebrating festivals on the nearest Friday evening has given way to festival morning services on Sukkot, Pesach, and Shavuot.  There is more Hebrew in services and the procession with the Torah.  Music today comes from a Cantorial Soloist, often supplemented by our volunteer congregational choir or junior choir.

While services continue in the 1896 sanctuary, our temple building has been added to and refashioned.  A building at 508 North Duke Street purchased in 1929 to provide classrooms for the religious school and office space was demolished in 1999 to enlarge the social hall space.  Property purchased on East James Street in 1959 for the new religious school was refashioned and incorporated in a new addition completed in 2000 to provide new office space and a larger more functional religious school space.

Social action includes not only outreach to members of the congregation in need, but also to the wider community.  Among other things, working with other city houses of worship, Congregation Shaarai Shomayim helped to spearhead the creation of an overflow homeless shelter during the winter months, and we are currently working to support a refugee family.

Change within tradition has been the pattern of Congregation Shaarai Shomayim’s recent history.  Looking to the future, the congregation remains firmly established in the values and aspirations of the Reform Jewish movement.

View the previous section, Classic Reform Judaism.