Approved unanimously by the Board of Directors on June 13, 2023.

VISION

Our Jewish congregation envisions a community and a world where all people experience Shalom (wholeness and peace), Tzedek (justice), Shayachut (belonging), and Simcha (joy).

MISSION

This statement was written in 2003 after 550 conversations and congregational meetings. At its core, it represents our mission:

A welcoming and vibrant Jewish spiritual home
Mount Zion Temple is a Reform Jewish congregation devoted to lifelong learning, worship, and acts of loving kindness. In our holy community, we celebrate, comfort, and create meaning in our lives while we seek justice in our world.

Holy Community of Mount Zion / Kehillah Kedoshah Har Tzion
We are a diverse and inclusive multigenerational community. While honoring our congregational history and the traditions of Judaism, we respond creatively to our modern world. Through effective leadership and responsible management, we support our three core values. Read the rest of the mission.

OUR 2040 DERECH (PATH)

As we live out our mission, this is the Derech (Path) we will follow toward our vision:

Jewish congregation – We will:

  • Inspire Jewish experiences, stories, and practices.
  • Learn from Jewish history as we continue to innovate in our kivvunim (directions) of Torah (thoughtful study), Shabbat (soulful rest and uplifting, musical worship), tzedek (action that has impact), and Israel (intentional engagement with the Jewish people worldwide).

Shalom (Wholeness and Peace) – We will:

  • Strive to be a caring, compassionate community grounded in chesed (loving-kindness).
  • Create an environment where each of us can bring our whole selves and listen to and learn from each other with curiosity and respect.

Tzedek (Justice) – We will:

  • Engage congregants with diverse experiences and perspectives to learn from Jewish texts and from each other and honor disagreements as is our tradition. This will prepare us to partner with others to take action in the work of tikkun olam (healing and repair of the world).
  • Be guardians of the Earth, pursue equity, and counter oppression in its many forms.

Shayachut (Belonging) – We will:

  • Connect in person panim el panim (face to face) and strengthen our online connections.
  • Nurture and grow our intergenerational and inclusive community and honor our community members who are not Jewish. Deepen relationships with each other and our clergy and staff.

Simcha (Joy) – We will:

  • Focus on gratitude and seek joy even in a time of great upheaval.
  • Celebrate life. L’chaim!

Through our Core Work and Strategic Directions we will move forward on our Derech (Path).

CORE WORK

This is what Mount Zion strives to do:

Connect: We nurture community among and between youth, young adults, families with children, singles, couples, empty nesters, and seniors.
Learn: We teach all ages from tots to seniors.
Pray: We worship regularly, explore our relationships with God, and celebrate and support one another through the cycles of life.
Act: We perform acts of loving kindness and justice. We support our historic and spiritual bond to Israel and promote the values of democracy, justice, and pluralism there and everywhere.
Sustain: We maintain and improve the building and grounds, security, financial strength, and organizational practices of Mount Zion, and support our clergy and staff to ensure our viability into the future.