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Our name is IKAR, meaning the root, the essence, the core. The Rabbis teach that Torah was given down in fire, and in fire it is to be transmitted. Our challenge is to recapture the mystery, purity, and intensity of that fire, to strive to understand what message it has for us today.

We boldly reclaim the essence of our tradition, honoring and struggling with its foundational premises: What does it mean to be a human being in the world? What does it mean to recognize the inherent dignity and worth of every person we encounter? What does it mean to dream with God and to strive with human beings to realize a different kind of reality?

As modern, progressive Jews, we strive to rediscover the fire of the original Revelatory encounter. It is our hope that passionate, nuanced encounter with the text, the teachings, and one another, will catalyze real, sustainable change in ourselves and in the world.