Temple Shabbat Shalom is a free schule. We are free in our outlook and finances, and a schule since we are a school first and a house of prayer
second. Temple Shabbat Shalom is a house of Midrash, a place of imagination and dialogue. In our free schule we learn to listen, and learn, to teach and be taught, to freely offer opinions and then to enter into the conversation of the Talmud. We do all of this via our computer, in our homes.
The Role of the Rabbi{CLICK}
I explore, in great depth in the link above my view on the role of the Rabbi. If you have the time you might want to study that essay now.
One of the first principles a rabbi learns is to raise up many disciples.
Even more than a student needs a teacher, the teacher needs a student.
This is humoursly taught by one of our Rabbinic Founding Fathers in the Talmud (Pesachim 112 a):
More than the calf wants to suck the cow wants to suckle.
I, however, see my role as rabbi a bit differently, in that I disavow, completely, all followers, and want to wean you from all doctrine.
Moreover I prefer you see me as a type of Physician of The Soul. As a medical doctor works to defeat death and disease and become unnecessary, I see my job as giving you the tools to defeat ignorance
and making myself irrelevant.
Free?
Being a free Temple means no fee will ever be charged for study or worship. The modern convention of dues ends the discussion on paying your fair share. We have never asked for dues after our initial service and will be moving to a donations only format soon.
This does not mean we do not need your help. Our congregation has been built from the ground up based on your need for a wedding officiate. Now we are doing a lot of baby naming, and soon confirmation and bar and bat mitzvah. At Temple Shabbat Shalom non Jews are members with full rights and privileges. Until you find a local Temple that freely honors the non jewish partner, allowing you to rest in Peace together, I suggest you support our Temple exclusively.
