Or Shalom is a synagogue affiliated with Aleph, the umbrella organization of Jewish Renewal communities. While every Jewish Renewal Community is unique, we have the common values of a willingness to explore and experiment with our traditions in an effort to draw closer to God and the Jewish soul. Or Shalom is egalitarian: all genders have equal access to the leadership of services and community positions. We believe in searching for the unwritten stories of the women in Jewish history and bringing them forward as a means of bringing balance to our world. We seek to bring repair to the world through our commitment to Tzedaka and social justice. We deepen our own Jewish lives, and the community around us, through study of the traditional sources and the creation of new rituals and liturgy. In September 2008 and 2010, after consultation with the membership, the Board released a Vision Statement for Or Shalom’s growth and development.