Tikvah: Respectful Dialogue

As a community, CBJ does a great job of affirming diverse religious practices and encouraging people to stay true to their own Jewish traditions. But does our tolerance for religious diversity apply to tolerance for diverse views on social imperatives or politics?   Do our members feel safe expressing opinions about the issues of the day?  Do we all need to believe in the same things in order to be a strong congregation?  Do we even agree on what topics should be discussed at Shul?

The Tikvah Team grew out of the Respectful Dialogue Initiative of 2019, to help grow our culture so that we can grow more resilient and tolerant of diverse social and political views. A survey at the time showed that many members of all political viewpoints did not feel safe expressing their true opinions.

We named our project Tikvah, which means hope in Hebrew. Because together with people who hold significant and important differences is a project of hope. We can and will do better.

Tikvah Project - Unity through Respectful Diversity

To learn more about current Tikvah Project programs, click here.

Our Mission

"With Jewish wisdom, culture and social imperatives as the foundation, we will strengthen the Congregation through a shared commitment to honoring divergent points of view in a respectful, healthy and mutually enriching environment”.  

To read our full set of Goals and objectives, click here.

The focus of our programming will be to deepen our commitment to each other, to Jewish values, and to ensuring that everyone, congregation members, leaders, and clergy thrive in an environment where we celebrate what holds us together while respecting our differences.

Our efforts will continue across multiple years as continually work to create a culture of pervasive respect for divergent opinions as the foundation for our unity as a congregation.

Team Members

George Dale Co-chair
Sheila Zelinger, Co-chair
Neil Blecherman
Diana Blum
Barry Cheskin
George Farber
Nicole Lance
Rebecca Levin
Philip A. Pizzo
Anna  Taub