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Prague · 28 Cheshvan 5787

Shabbat this week · 16:02–17:11

Community life

Community Life

קְהִלָּהkehillah
Awaiting expert review

Many religious acts require a community: a minyan, the public Torah reading, a funeral. The community (kehillah) therefore traditionally provided prayer, a school, charity, a burial society and the management of its own affairs. Today's communities differ in organization and religious orientation.

01

Minyan and mutual responsibility

Halakhah

"Matters of holiness" (kaddish, kedushah, the public Torah reading) require ten adults: a minyan (מִנְיָן). In Orthodox practice men are counted; in Conservative and Reform practice women are counted too.1

Interpretation⁂ To verify

The Talmud expresses mutual responsibility in the saying "all Israel are guarantors for one another"; Hillel warns: "do not separate yourself from the community".2,3

02

Tzedakah and good deeds

Halakhah

Tzedakah (צְדָקָה) is not merely voluntary charity but a duty of justice toward the poor.4

Halakhah

Maimonides describes eight levels of tzedakah; the highest is help that enables the poor person to become self-sufficient.5

Interpretation

Other acts of loving-kindness (gemilut chasadim) include visiting the sick, hospitality and caring for the dead.6

03

Communities today

Modern practiceCzech lands⁂ To verify

In the Czech Republic there are Jewish communities united in the Federation of Jewish Communities; alongside them there are liberal and other associations.7

Modern practiceIsraelDiaspora

In the Diaspora the community is often both a religious and a cultural center; in Israel many of its functions are performed by the state and local synagogues.

FAQ

Must one be a member of a community to be a Jew?

No. Belonging is determined by descent or conversion; membership in a community is an organizational matter with its own rules.

How much should one give to tzedakah?

The traditional measure is a tenth of one's income; halakhah also sets an upper limit, so that the donor does not fall into need.⁂ To verify

Sources

See also