Congregation Har HaShem’s Conduct Covenant
Overview
Congregation Har HaShem’s Vision statement describes us as having seven attributes. Number 5 is:
AN OPEN TENT. A warm greeting. Open arms. No judgment. We welcome diversity of ability, background, race, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, religion and political belief. We celebrate the strength and support the need in everyone.
In 2019, the Board of Trustees adopted a Commitment to safe, respectful and equitable (SRE) Jewish workplaces and communal spaces. Specifically, they committed to:
Adhere to high ethical and legal standards for prevention and response to sexual harassment and gender discrimination and to adopt institution-wide policies and procedures; reporting and response; and education and training, as well as to provide the necessary leadership, resources and knowledge to assure these measures are implemented and effective.
The Board of Trustees now believes that it makes sense to wrap the SRE commitment into a broader Code of Conduct to cover a wider range of conduct. Our Code will apply to Board members, Congregation members, employees and guests.
Our goal is to create an open and free atmosphere in which all people are recognized to have dignity and are respected as having been created B’tselem Elohim, in the image of God, and in which conflicts can be resolved in the spirit of fairness and Torah. Integral to the concept of promoting ethical behavior as part of kehilla (Jewish community inside or outside the walls of a synagogue) is the need for all participants – staff, lay leaders, members and guests – to conduct themselves in a manner that is above reproach for us to function as a workplace, religious institution, and place of study, worship or assembly. The need to relate to one another in an appropriate manner is essential to creating a viable, thriving community of congregations that promotes, nurtures and fosters a vibrant congregation grounded in the teachings of Torah.
Conduct covenant
As a guide to fulfilling our principles and commitment, we ask everyone who visits our building and participates in our religious services and educational and social activities, together with those who are involved in the organization of HHS to follow the Code of Conduct set out below. We strive to:
1. Recognize the unique gifts from each individual within our community:
When a human being mints coins using a stamp, each coin made from the stamp is identical to the others. But the Holy One forms every human being using the seal of the first human being, and not a single one is identical to another.” (Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5)
We believe this because every human being is created with Godliness, being created in the Divine Image. (Genesis 1:27) We must strive to treat one another with dignity.
2. Uphold our Jewish values of fairness, respectful engagement, mutual respect, and sensitivity.
3. Respect the rights, dignity and worth of everyone involved with the Congregation, equally and without regard to sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, parental or marital status, disability, race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, class or social background, or religious or political belief.
4. Not condone, or allow to go unchallenged, any form of discrimination.
5. Not threaten, bully, or express oneself in a way that impinges on the freedom of others.
6. Limit disagreements only to principles and priorities, not personalities.
7. Behave appropriately and use appropriate forms of speech at all times, avoiding sexual innuendo, or inappropriate physical contact and gestures; and
8. Respect each other’s privacy, physical being and property, as well as the Synagogue’s property.
Discrimination and Harassment Prohibited
Congregation Har HaShem prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination, abuse, harassment or misconduct on the basis of sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, parental or marital status, disability, race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, class or social background, or religious or political belief.
This prohibition applies in the synagogue and during any congregational activity or program wherever held.
Applicability of Reporting and Remedy Procedures
Congregation Har HaShem’s Employee Handbook provides guidance for employee reporting and remedy procedures. For all others – members, volunteers, board members and guests – the Board is in the process of developing a policy and process to govern reporting and remedy procedures.