Over our 130 plus years, Ohev has built upon its vision to connect members to one another, connect members to community and connect members to Jews worldwide by establishing minhag, or traditions, to strengthen these ties.
Sharing Meals
From the collection of KosherFest recipes to the special menus shared weekly during Shabbat Kiddush, Ohev members gather in the kitchen preparing delicious meals, in Asner Hall to recite hamotzi in appreciation of sustenance and around tables to laugh, share and socialize. Meals are sponsored in memory of loved ones or in honor of birthdays, anniversaries and other life cycle celebrations, or by the Harry Lerner Fund simply to celebrate Shabbat. Ohev extends the joy of community prayer each week with a congregation lunch.
In honor of our men and women in the military
In addition to a prayer for Israel and one for the American government, Ohev honors the men and women serving in America’s military in Afghanistan and Iraq with a prayer for their safety and well being. In addition, each week we remember those who were killed in the line of duty by reciting their names.
Monthly mazel tov
We celebrate, as a community, members’ birthdays and anniversaries once a month during Shabbat services. Those observing special occasions during the month are invited to join together as the Rabbi offers a blessing and the congregation shares Mazel Tov. Following services, every one is invited to lunch together with a celebratory kiddush.
Searching for the Divine
During the holiest days of the Jewish calendar, Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, Ohev creates a special environment conducive for members to experience the Divine and sense a heightened awareness of the holiness in our lives. As the gates begin to close on the Days of Awe, it has become an Ohev custom to leave the ark opened and invite members – one at a time – to offer personal prayers in front of the Torah scrolls, engulfed by the words of G0d, as a spiritual moment to conclude Yom Kippur and begin a new year of teshuva, tefillah and tzedakah.
