Park’s Havurah Groups

The word “havurah” (pronounced hav-oo-rah) comes from the Hebrew word meaning friend, and Park offers an extensive havurot (plural of havurah) program. Most of the groups are formed by age of participants (and their children), while others are mixed age groups. Each havurah is small, usually 15-20 people, who meet on a monthly basis and engage in Jewish learning, socializing, and developing a deeper feeling of friendship and community within the Park community.

Each havurah defines its own goals, and plans and carries out its own programs, with help from the Rabbis and Park staff as needed. Some of the groups emphasize social, family and holiday activities, while others are more study oriented. Most havurot like a combination of all of the above, and plan a wide variety of activities according to the needs and interests of the havurah members. Joining a havurah is a wonderful way to meet other Park members on a small group level and to become involved in the activities of the Synagogue at the same time.

Youth Programs

Park Synagogue’s Youth programs offer a wide variety of social, cultural, and recreational activities for Jewish children in grades 4-12. Our objective is to provide young people with an opportunity to meet for enjoyable activities while learning more about our Jewish heritage. Programs are designed to develop a social consciousness through participation in social action projects within the community. We believe that strong youth programming is an important supplement to a formal Jewish education and helps to establish lifelong Jewish involvement.

Park’s Youth Director, Sandy Wine, oversees our Youth program, which is divided into three autonomous groups: Jr. Kadima (grades 3-5), Kadima (grades 6-8), and United Synagogue Youth, commonly referred to as USY, serves grades 9 – 12. Each of our youth groups holds an activity each month. Our Kadima and USY chapters are nationally affiliated, making it possible for our young people to attend various regional and national functions.

Mitzvah Doctor Volunteers

The Mitzvah Doctor program enlists the help of a large number of dedicated volunteers of all ages. They brighten the lives of other Park members who are hospitalized, homebound, nursing home residents, or who have experienced the death of a family member. They also provide transportation services, pack and deliver Passover food to JSFA families in need, prepare and serve at a soup kitchen, and much more. In addition to our on-going volunteer projects, Park Synagogue sponsors an annual Mitzvah Day , offering members of all ages the opportunity to reach out to others in the community through a wide range of projects. There are also monthly mitzvah projects - Mitzvot in Motion - to allow volunteers to continue to be involved during the entire year.

Family Mitzvah Makers

The Family Mitzvah Makers group provides opportunities for families with preschool and elementary school age children to participate in community service projects together. Events include an annual flower garden planting project at Menorah Park, an ice cream social at Montefiore Home, Purim Shalach Manot packing and delivering to area nursing home residents, as well as a variety of other events to involve our families in helping others in the community.