ABOUT US

VISION

We envision a future in which Judaism is experienced as accessible, inspiring and vital to the vast majority of Jews. The contribution of Jewish Milestones to the realization of this vision is in harnessing the transformative power of lifecycle rituals, forging a new professional path for facilitators of ritual and encouraging candid discussion of the de facto reality of contemporary North American Jewish life that is lived primarily outside of a synagogue framework.  

MISSION

Jewish Milestones is dedicated to deepening the engagement of Jews with their heritage  by supporting active participation in authentically Jewish and personally meaningful rites of passage: typically related to birth, maturation, partnering, and loss.  

We accomplish our mission by serving as an educational resource to:  

• Celebrants who are seeking personalized, educative consultations and ritual-related referrals.
• Ritual facilitators, professionals and lay people, in order to cultivate reflective practitioners, promote best practices and help augment their own capacity to serve in the context of their own communities.
• Jewish communal organizations, researchers and all those interested in exploring the various fields that intersect with our work (such as Jewish practice among non-synagogue members, the needs of interfaith families, innovation in Jewish ritual, etc.)

FOUNDATION

The Centrality of Education: First and foremost, we see ourselves as educators. Education is our primary task and it defines our approach.

The Transformative Power of Ritual: We know that ritual in general, and Jewish lifecycle ritual in particular, holds the potential for powerful personal and communal transformation. The process that leads up to the ritual, plus the relationship that is established between the participant(s) and the facilitator, activates this power.

The Acceptance of Diversity: We believe it is important to accept, if not embrace, diversity in Jewish practice, identification, and association. This is in addition to a fundamental belief in the equality of all people.

The Development of Lay Facilitators: According to traditional Jewish law (halakhah), lifecycle rituals do not require the presence of an ordained rabbi. We promote the (re)empowerment of educated lay leaders in the provision of religious services, such as the facilitation of lifecycle rituals, and foster the development of best practices for this emerging field.

VALUES

• Tzelem Elohim—respect for the uniqueness and fundamental equality of every human being.
  
• Brit—commitment to forging professional relationships based on well-articulated expectations, clear boundaries, and mutual respect.
  
• Mikadesh Hol—belief in the nearly limitless possibilities of experiencing the sacred.

STAFF

BOARD