Religious Committee

Chair: Lee Lichtenstein, email
Members: David Borsykowsky, Mary Beth Bowman,  Rabbi Joshua Chasan, Michael
Engel, Eric Friedman, Marv Greenberg, Roz Grossman, and Harvey Klein, Joy
Livingston, and Miriam Mayer.


The Religious Committee is composed of the OZ clergy and lay members of the congregation. It formulates religious policies within the synagogue, approves all changes in the prayers or order of prayer and administers Kashrut in the synagogue.

This committee meets after Minyan, generally the second Wednesday of each month, October through June, and as needed. We collaborate with Rabbi Joshua in helping to decide whether and how to make changes in the religious practices and activities here at OZ. Through study of the process of change in Judaism and discussion of the issues that arise within our community we seek a path toward the essence of Judaism as we best understand it. Meetings last from 11/2 to 2 hours, with an additional 1 to 4 hours per month needed for reading and other preparation.

Besides spending much time on the discussion of the Shabbat Torah service, Shabbat observance in general and the relationship between OZ and United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, during the past year we continued discussing a question brought to us by a congregant, "What do we as a congregation do with words of Torah we find to be morally reprehensible?" Growing out of these discussions is the Torah Mining Project which is a series of  Shabbat D'Vrae Torah given by committee members and observers. Finally,  the committee has been involved in arranging for a sofer to visit OZ, preparing to mark scrolls for the Universal Torah Registry and as well, instrumental in organizing the continuity of daily minyaniim.  Check out the Minyan line at extension 29 or sign up electronically at http://www.ohavizedek.com/about/minyan_signin.shtml

As always, congregants are encouraged to attend our meetings and participatein our discussions. This participation is vital.  The work we will be doing in the future needs to emerge from the thoughts and concerns of the congregation as a whole.  If this is a committee you would like to serve on, please contact Lee Lichtenstein as we may need new members in the coming year.