Ghostwritten for ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal
At ALEPH, we hold a vision of Jewish Renewal that is spiritually vibrant, radically inclusive, and grounded in sacred connection. Yet even the most inspired visions must be tested against reality. To grow, we must be willing to look with unflinching honesty at our strengths, our shortcomings, and our impact on those we serve.
In the spring of 2024, our community of students, alumni, faculty, staff, volunteers, and partners shared their experiences through our stakeholder survey on safety, respect, and equity. The survey was developed and administered by Sacred Spaces, a trusted organization that supports Jewish institutions in building healthy, accountable cultures. Nearly 400 people responded, offering a powerful portrait of where we are and where we are being called to go.
After much thoughtful analysis of the data, we are proud to share that the results affirm many of the things we cherish about ALEPH. Respondents often described ALEPH as spiritual, progressive, and innovative. A strong majority reported feeling respected and appreciated. Many said they felt physically and emotionally safe in our programs and gatherings, and expressed deep gratitude for the spiritual depth and creativity that characterizes Jewish Renewal.
ALEPH’s prayer spaces, educational offerings, and pastoral presence were noted as sources of connection, growth, and joy. Participants also praised new efforts to strengthen community values and uplift diversity, equity, and inclusion in meaningful ways.
The survey also surfaced serious and difficult truths. More than half of respondents reported witnessing or experiencing problematic behavior within ALEPH — bullying, discrimination, and harassment. Faculty and leadership were among the most frequently cited sources of harm, noting that many respondents are ALEPH Ordination Program alumni and that faculty and leadership have changed over time. Some described situations where they did not feel safe or respected. Others shared that they were unsure how to report misconduct or feared retaliation if they did.
Survey participants also expressed concern about transparency and accountability. Fewer than half agreed that leadership communicates openly or takes responsibility when mistakes are made. And while many feel a connection to ALEPH’s mission, fewer believe we have always lived our values in practice.
This is our collective moment of reckoning. It would be easy to focus only on policies and procedures — to treat this as a compliance issue to be solved with a checklist. But Jewish Renewal has always called us to go deeper. We are asked not just to fix systems, but to transform ourselves and our relationships so our communities can be vessels for the Divine presence.
This is the work of teshuvah: returning to our deepest commitments and repairing what has been harmed.
Moving forward, ALEPH commits to aligning this journey of renewal with the Ikkarim — the core values conceived by our founder, Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, z’”l — the foundational pillars that shape the ALEPH Ordination Program and define our unique path:
- We commit to uplifting God-Centered Awareness, the belief that every interaction is an opportunity to expand the presence of God in the world. We will strive to bring intention, compassion, and sacred presence into our accountability processes, our leadership practices, and our learning environments.
- We commit to fostering a Global Consciousness, expanding our understanding of inclusion. We will deepen our embrace of ecological justice, queer liberation, and interfaith engagement, recognizing that the Divine is revealed most fully when all voices are welcomed.
- We commit to becoming Sacred Vessels (Klei Kodesh), challenging ourselves to form leaders and a culture rooted in humility, emotional maturity, and ethical clarity. This means doing the inner work required to tend to our wounds before they surface as harm. We will cultivate deep listening and choose accountability over avoidance.
In addition to these pillars, we are guided by Reb Zalman’s Seven Crucial Traits, qualities he believed every spiritual leader must cultivate. These traits are not just for students; they are for all of us to internalize and practice in our daily lives.
We commit to cultivating:
- Kinship with All Beings, recognizing that our community exists within an interdependent web of life and that harm to one diminishes us all.
- Inner Awakening, so that we can access the nondual awareness that transcends fear, shame, and reactivity.
- Emotional Maturity and Shadow Work, to surface our unconscious biases, wounds, and blind spots.
- Embodied Grounding, allowing us to respond to conflict with presence rather than defensiveness.
- Philosophical Breadth, to hold multiple perspectives with curiosity rather than judgment.
- Intuitive Wisdom, trusting our inner guidance alongside policy and procedure.
- Communal Accountability, engaging with each other as honest and loving critics, committed to growth.
These principles will guide our next steps. In practical terms, we are actively working on and/or planning:
- Revising and clarifying our Code of Ethics, developed collaboratively with students, alumni, and community partners. We have engaged Sacred Spaces to do just this and are at the beginning stages of the process.
- Investing in training that integrates trauma-informed care, ethics, spiritual leadership, and inclusive practices. We have submitted two grant proposals that would allow us to train clergy on trauma-informed care.
- Launching a Culture Team composed of staff and leadership, most of whom completed a 4-week training with Ta’amod. Current Culture Team Members include: SooJi Min-Maranda, ALEPH ED, Dr. Chuck Silverstein, Interim AOP Dean, Rabbi SaraLeya Schley, Rabbi Eva Sax-Bolder, Rabbi Natan Margalit, Rabbi Sherril Gilbert, Incoming AOP Dean Rabbi Dr. Laura Duhan-Kaplan, Hazzan Diana Brewer, and Satya Levine. The training provided a baseline understanding of psychological safety in organizational culture, explored universal themes around respect and equity through a lens of Jewish wisdom, and provided tangible tools to bring back to ALEPH. The training delved into topics of power and identity, bystander intervention, and creating a feedback-rich environment to help us improve our organizational culture and approach harassment prevention in a more holistic and meaningful way.
- Redesigning our complaint handling process, ensuring clarity, timeliness, and safeguards against retaliation.
- Strengthening accessibility, including transparent accommodation processes, expanded financial assistance, and thoughtful program design that honors diverse needs.
- Hosting listening circles and restorative teshuva processes to ensure those who have experienced harm are heard and supported.
The work ahead will be challenging. It will require us to slow down, to be accountable, and to stay grounded in our purpose. But it is also sacred work, rooted in the Jewish Renewal vision of building communities that are not only innovative but also just, compassionate, and safe.
To those who shared your stories: thank you. Your courage is a gift, and your honesty will help us grow. To everyone walking this path with us: may we have the strength to meet this moment with humility, resolve, and faith in what is possible when we truly live our values.
Together, we will not simply repair what is broken. We will renew ALEPH as a sacred vessel for transformation, healing, and hope.
If you have any questions, please contact ALEPH Board Chair Hazzan Stephanie Weishaar at chair@aleph.org