About KBY

The key idea of Kehillot B’Yahad / Congregations Together (KBY) is to encourage individual congregants of Reform and Conservative congregations in the United States and Canada to directly, personally and individually support Reform and Conservative congregations (Kehillot) in Israel.  KBY seeks to mobilize and create, at a grass roots level, individual and institutional connections to Israeli congregations and to provide the support systems to make these connections real, effective and long-lasting.

This project, as designed, is practically and purposefully directed toward supporting both the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism and the Masorti (Conservative) Movement, directly through their congregational networks.

We want KBY supporters to take a personal interest in the welfare of a specific Israeli Congregation and to be educated about its affiliated movement.  In return we expect Israeli congregations to treat their overseas supporters in a warm, friendly and familial manner.

Kehillot B’Yahad / Congregations Together has been created to act as a clearinghouse and workstation for participating individual Israeli congregations in both the Conservative and Reform movements. The proposed organization will handle the administrative interaction with overseas supporters and the individual congregations. It will handle organizational development, web site operation, overseas supporter development, information distribution, contribution processing, fund transfers and reporting and annual renewals.

KBY will emphasize the connection between the individual contributor and the individual Israeli congregation.  We will develop and present our message and ideas to the Reform / Conservative Jewish community through the communication and contact facilities of the Internet, the web and email. We will be contacting and presenting KBY ideas and introducing its program through institutional contacts, Israel committees, press releases, synagogue leaders, temple newsletters and journals and KBY field representatives. We will highlight the people, programs and congregations supported and provide a mechanism for individuals to take action.