About OHALAH
OHALAH is an acronym for the Hebrew Agudat Harabbanim v'HaChazanim l’Hitchadshut Hayahadut, or in English, Association of Rabbis and Cantors for Jewish Renewal. We are a non-profit tax-exempt corporation. Links to our governing documents and a board directory can be found at the bottom of this page.
The Rabbinic Pastors Association–RPA for short–is a branch of OHALAH. We invite you to visit the Rabbinic Pastors Association page by clicking here. You find a list of RPA board members and contact information here.
OUR STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES
The ALEPH Statement of Principles describes in kabbalistic terms the spiritual and religious underpinnings of ALEPH, OHALAH and the RPA. A description of our spiritual and religious understandings and aspirations are contained in the statement on the home page of this website.
Click here to access the ALEPH Statement of Principle.
OUR SISTER ORGANIZATION
ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal takes a trans-denominational approach to revitalizing Judaism. To learn more about ALEPH, visit the ALEPH website.
DESCRIPTION OF OUR ORGANIZATION AND OUR CHEVREH
Members of OHALAH and the RPA form a congregation of clergy who meet in virtual time throughout the year via our email listserv and periodic emails to all members from our respective Presidents. We celebrate one another’s joys and accomplishments and pray for one another in times of suffering and despair. We share with one another from the teachings of Torah shebichtav and Torah sheb’alpeh. We bear witness to one another’s realizations of faith and understanding. We reach out to one another’s congregants, students and other constituents when they visit our area and we are available when they have a need for someone to officiate at a wedding; to bring an infant into the covenant through brit milah, brit bat or naming; or to lay a loved one to rest.
We share prayers and poetry that we have written or that inspire us; we share ideas for divrei torah, hespedim, sermons and talks. We provide support, inspiration and consolation to one another in times of illness, suffering and loss; and we pray together in virtual time for one another, and for the communities of the Jewish people and all of God’s creation when they are suffering the devastation of natural and human disasters.
We challenge one another’s ideas and views, we make room for ideas and views different from our own, and we push one another to our limits of thought, heart and confidence, as did the sages of old.
Any congregation or other institution wishing to hire a Jewish clergy person or student is welcome to submit an announcement to any member of OHALAH or the RPA for posting on our confidential email discussion list. If you do not know a member of OHALAH personally and have a job posting, please use the information on our contact page.
Please check out the educational articles, innovative rituals and other spiritual and religious resources available on our website.
Once a year, we hold a conference open to all rabbis, cantors and rabbinic pastors regardless of whether they qualify for membership in OHALAH or the RPA, and provided that they are not subject to an ethics proceeding that would prevent their attendance. Our conference is also open to qualified chaplains and qualified rabbinic, cantorial, rabbinic pastor and chaplaincy students, provided that they are not subject to an ethics proceeding that prevents their attendance.
Our annual conference is preceded by an annual pre-conference Shabbaton that includes worship led by ALEPH Ordination Program students. Each year, one Shabbat service during our Shabbaton is free and open to the public. If you wish to attend the service, please use the contact page to contact the OHALAH office. Please check our conference page for details.
Thank you for visiting our website. May you be richly blessed!
The Rabbinic Pastors Association–RPA for short–is a branch of OHALAH. We invite you to visit the Rabbinic Pastors Association page by clicking here. You find a list of RPA board members and contact information here.
OUR STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES
The ALEPH Statement of Principles describes in kabbalistic terms the spiritual and religious underpinnings of ALEPH, OHALAH and the RPA. A description of our spiritual and religious understandings and aspirations are contained in the statement on the home page of this website.
Click here to access the ALEPH Statement of Principle.
OUR SISTER ORGANIZATION
ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal takes a trans-denominational approach to revitalizing Judaism. To learn more about ALEPH, visit the ALEPH website.
DESCRIPTION OF OUR ORGANIZATION AND OUR CHEVREH
Members of OHALAH and the RPA form a congregation of clergy who meet in virtual time throughout the year via our email listserv and periodic emails to all members from our respective Presidents. We celebrate one another’s joys and accomplishments and pray for one another in times of suffering and despair. We share with one another from the teachings of Torah shebichtav and Torah sheb’alpeh. We bear witness to one another’s realizations of faith and understanding. We reach out to one another’s congregants, students and other constituents when they visit our area and we are available when they have a need for someone to officiate at a wedding; to bring an infant into the covenant through brit milah, brit bat or naming; or to lay a loved one to rest.
We share prayers and poetry that we have written or that inspire us; we share ideas for divrei torah, hespedim, sermons and talks. We provide support, inspiration and consolation to one another in times of illness, suffering and loss; and we pray together in virtual time for one another, and for the communities of the Jewish people and all of God’s creation when they are suffering the devastation of natural and human disasters.
We challenge one another’s ideas and views, we make room for ideas and views different from our own, and we push one another to our limits of thought, heart and confidence, as did the sages of old.
Any congregation or other institution wishing to hire a Jewish clergy person or student is welcome to submit an announcement to any member of OHALAH or the RPA for posting on our confidential email discussion list. If you do not know a member of OHALAH personally and have a job posting, please use the information on our contact page.
Please check out the educational articles, innovative rituals and other spiritual and religious resources available on our website.
Once a year, we hold a conference open to all rabbis, cantors and rabbinic pastors regardless of whether they qualify for membership in OHALAH or the RPA, and provided that they are not subject to an ethics proceeding that would prevent their attendance. Our conference is also open to qualified chaplains and qualified rabbinic, cantorial, rabbinic pastor and chaplaincy students, provided that they are not subject to an ethics proceeding that prevents their attendance.
Our annual conference is preceded by an annual pre-conference Shabbaton that includes worship led by ALEPH Ordination Program students. Each year, one Shabbat service during our Shabbaton is free and open to the public. If you wish to attend the service, please use the contact page to contact the OHALAH office. Please check our conference page for details.
Thank you for visiting our website. May you be richly blessed!
Governing Documents & Leadership Links: