God’s “self-realization”: Rosh Hashanah Sermon, 5772, by Rabbi Katalin Kelemen

‍‍October 30, 2011 - 2 Heshwan 5772

What are the possible areas for God’s “self-realization”? The first is our personal relationship with Him, and the other is our existence as a community.

Judaism is generally defined as a communal religion. God’s holiness (kadosh) is reflected in the ancient term still used today for Jewish religious communities: kehila k’dosha means holy congregation.

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D’var Torah on Parshat Ki Tavo from Hungarian Reform Rabbi Ferenc Raj

‍‍September 18, 2011 - 19 Elul 5771

This article was taken from WUPJ newsletter/website. Rabbi Raj is founding rabbi of our sister community in Budapest, called Bet Orim.
For more about the history of Reform/Progressive movement in Hungary and specifically Sim Shalom’s role, please read our History page!

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D’var Torah by Rabbi Fred Morgan on Parashat Shoftim

‍‍August 18, 2011 - 18 Av 5771

Rabbi Morgan was an early supporter of Sim Shalom spending time in Budapest in the early ’90s, at the time when he was based in NWSS Weybridge, UK. He was also personal mentor of our rabbi Katalin Kelemen in Leo Baeck College Rabbinical Seminary. We were happy to host him and his wife Sue again in our Raday synagogue this summer when they were spending Sabbatical in Europe and Israel.

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Full Recognition of Progressive Judaism in Hungary is Distrupted by New “Church Law”

‍‍July 15, 2011 - 13 Tamuz 5771

Based on the final version of the legislation passed by the Parliament of Hungary on Monday night 11 July, 2011, the Progressive movement’s Hungarian congregations, Sim Shalom and Bet Orim, are presently not included in the category of Jewish religious institutions. This means that the Parliament only recognized Orthodoxy, the local Conservative-like Neolog and a third (Chabad affiliated) organization.

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Pesach Seder 5771: Highest Headcount Ever

‍‍May 4, 2011 - 30 Nisan 5771

Congregational Seders are nothing unusual in most Reform/Progressive congregations. Sim Shalom has one every year. But the one this year set some records. First-off, the attendance of 144 people was the largest ever. As usual, we held it in a public place that has the necessary space and the ability to serve a nice meal, since our synagogue can only seat around 70 and that is for services. For the third year in a row we held it in a very nice dining room belonging to a military officer’s club.

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US Ambassador to Hungary Receives Leaders of Sim Shalom in Her Office

‍‍April 14, 2011 - 10 Nisan 5771

On the 7th of April, 2011 US Ambassador to Hungary Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis met with Sim Shalom’s rabbi Katalin Kelemen and vice president Gabor Radvanszki in her office in the US Embassy in Budapest. Topics discussed included the history and present state of Sim Shalom and Hungarian Reform Jewry, the opportunities to fight anti-Semitism through education and community life, and the pending reforms of Jewish representation in Hungary.

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