Because We Believe In Transparency

OUR POLICIES

PEOPLE POLICIES

FINANCES, AND VOLUNTEERING

All Trad-Egal Shtiebel events are always free to attend. Of course, that does not mean they are free to host, and we always welcome donations to help us cover the significant costs associated with our events. A great deal of volunteer effort is needed to make this community happen, and we also enthusiastically welcome donations of time and skill. If you can step up, let us know!

Space, rabbinic support, and sometimes food are currently being provided without charge through our partnership with Base LNCLN, and we are grateful to the Jewish United Fund, the Silverstein Family, the Friedman Family, the Crown Family, and others for their support of Base which makes this possible.

MEMBERSHIP

Our community does not currently have a formal membership structure because we believe that you are part of this community if you show up and participate in it. We hope that all community members are so excited about what we are building together that they will to want to pitch in with their time, money, feedback, and enthusiasm to make it happen.

CHILDREN

Most of our community consists of adults between the ages of 20 and 40. We welcome community members at all life stages and are particularly blessed to have some regular attendees between the ages of 0 and 10. While we do not currently offer programming focused on children or families with young children, there are toys in the room where we daven, a separate room, and a yard where kids can play. We welcome children and their joyful noise as a part of our prayer community, and we ask that parents supervise their children and step outside if a child has become disruptive.

LIFE CYCLE EVENTS

We are committed to marking life cycle moments for individuals and families, both queer and straight, at Shtiebel. We're been together to celebrate engagements, aufrufs, gender transitions, and conversions and we've held eachother through sickness and loss. Whatever moment you're in, we want to show up for you. Be in touch with Rav Sarah to make it happen.

ACCESSIBILITY

Unfortunately, the space where we meet is currently only accessible via a flight of stairs. We are actively looking to modify this space to make it more physically accessible, and we welcome input and donations to make that happen. If you have other accessibility needs, please contact Rav Sarah to discuss accommodations. Please note that we do not use amplification as per our Shabbat and Yom Tov policy.

All bathrooms at Base LNCLN are gender-neutral.

All food is Kosher as per our Kashrut policy. Community members with allergies and other dietary needs should inform us via the relevant event registration form. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets are always accommodated. Please note that Base LNCLN is NOT a nut-free space.

COVID-19

Our community takes seriously health concerns, including those posed by COVID-19. All attendees at all Shtiebel events must be fully vaccinated as recommended by the CDC. At this time, masking at Shtibel is optional and welcome. Typically, davening is held indoors, and there are options for eating indoors or out, weather permitting. The leadership team monitors the current public health situation and may modify these practices as necessary. Shtiebel currently meets at Base LNCLN. You can see their full COVID-19 policy here. Note that per their policy, all participants are asked to register in advance, including submitting their vaccination cards and contact information so that we can verify vaccination status and contact attendees in case of exposure.

JEWISH POLICIES

SHABBAT AND
YOM TOV

All Shtiebel events are observant of the laws of Shabbat and Yom Tov, including but not limited to no use of electronic technology or musical instruments. Shtiebel enthusiastically welcomes people, regardless of personal observance, into our community. If an attendee is using technology or otherwise not observing the religious norms of the community, they will be kindly asked to stop or to step outside by our posek/et or a leadership team member.

KASHRUT

All food served at Shtiebel events is kosher and certified by either the CRC, an agency listed as acceptable by the CRC, or under the approval of our posek/et. Homemade contributions of food to Shtiebel events are very welcome; please speak directly with our posek/et, who will guide you in bringing kosher food under this policy.

LITURGY

At Shtiebel, we take davening seriously and seek to create moving and beautiful traditional Jewish prayer experiences. We care deeply about making traditional services accessible to those from various backgrounds. Our community typically uses an Ashkenazi liturgy but welcomes traditional liturgies of other Jewish communities. Please speak with a leadership team member in advance if you wish to use a different nusach. We currently offer Siddur Sim Shalom for use at Shiebel, and many attendees bring their own Siddurim. Leaders typically use Siddur Sim Shalom or a personal Koren Siddur. Page numbers are announced for Siddur Sim Shalom. Shtiebel is committed to a traditional liturgical service, including a full Torah reading, repetitions of the amidah, and duchening (Priestly blessing) on holidays.

LEADING DAVENING
AND LEINING

All our services are lay-led, and we enthusiastically welcome volunteers to lead davening or read Torah. If this is something you can contribute to our community, let us know! If you are leading davening or reading Torah for the first time at Shtiebel, you may be asked to go through it first with a leadership team member. We ask that you adhere to our communal liturgy as outlined above. Please arrive early when you are leading out of respect for our community’s time and the flow of the service; if you are late, we will continue with a substitute leader if needed.

GENDER

Jews of all genders are invited to participate equally in all ritual roles at Shtiebel, including but not limited to leading davening, having aliyot, reading Torah, and duchening. The leadership team works to assure people of all genders are represented in all ritual and communal leadership roles. When calling up people for ritual honors, we offer three grammatical options: traditional male, traditional female, and gender-neutral.

JEWISH STATUS

For the purposes of counting in a minyan or taking ritual roles such as leading davening, reading Torah, or having an aliyah at Shtiebel, an individual must either:

Have a gestational parent who is Jewish or
Have converted in a process that involves:
- A personal commitment to the observance of Torah and Mitzvot, and
- Immersion in a mikvah witnessed by a person who is Jewish according to this policy, and
- Supervision by a beit din consisting of three people who are Jewish according to this policy and who are committed to the observance of Torah and Mitzvot, and
- Brit milah or hatafat-dam brit as relevant

It is the policy of the leadership team, gabbiim, and posek/et of Shtiebel to assume that all people who present themselves as Jewish are Jewish according to this policy unless they choose to explicitly share otherwise.

Everyone, regaurdless of Jewish status, is enthusiastically welcome to daven with us, take part in our community, step into communal leadership roles, and speak and teach Torah at Shtiebel.

If you'd like to learn more about this or any other Shtiebel policy, please reach out to Rav Sarah.

STRUCTURE

DECISION MAKING

All decisions about Shtiebel are made by the members of the leadership team. They will make these decisions based on the core values and purposes of the community. They will also make every effort to respond to the desires and needs of the community of people who come to Shtiebel, as expressed through informal conversation, surveys, and community meetings. Topics deemed halachic in nature will be referred to our posek/et for review, who will then present a range of halachically acceptable options to the leadership team from which they will make their decision. Our current posek/et is Rabbi Sarah Mulhern.