Kehillat Ve’ahavta was founded in Zichron Yaakov in 2003 by eight families seeking a welcoming, egalitarian synagogue.
The Kehilla was fortunate to have Rabbi Elisha Wolfin (ordained in 2001) as one of its founding members. Beginning with a Purim celebration and Friday night services, the Kehillah grew in the number of families involved and range of activities. Today the Kehilla is comprised of a number of circles and groups, among them 220 households that pay annual dues, and 120 families celebrating their Bar/Bat Mitzvah every year.
The underlying approach to participants in Kehillat Ve’ahavta is… “Ve’ahavta!” – i.e., a deep mutual respect and acceptance. At Kehillat Ve’ahavta we celebrate Judaism in a traditional manner, with a commitment to Halacha in the spirit of the Masorti Movement, while maintaining egalitarianism, and a non-judgmental approach.
We look forward to seeing you here soon!
Rabbi Elisha Wolfin is the charismatic, young leader of Ve’ahavta. Born and raised on Kibbutz Kfar Hanassi in the Upper Galilee, Rabbi Wolfin completed his undergraduate studies in Islamic, Arabic and Middle Eastern studies at Haifa University. He entered rabbinical school at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles and then earned his masters in Judaic Studies at the Schechter Institute in Jerusalem, where he was ordained in 2001.
Rabbi Wolfin is a published author. His book, Ayeka, is a collection of 54 drashot –insights into the Torah portion– and the Kindle edition is available in English here.