On Sunday, April 27, Or Emet will host a presentation by Philipp Muessig and Victor Urbanowicz on the history of Unitarianism.

The program will run from 10 a.m.-noon at Twin Cities German Immersion School, 1031 Como Ave. in St. Paul. A social time will follow.

Muessig, from First Universalist Church in Minneapolis, and Urbanowicz, from White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church in Mahtomedi, will talk about the long history and theological roots of Unitarianism. They will begin with some jokes about Unitarians and end with discussion of commonalities between Unitarian and Humanistic Judaism congregations.

Those who cannot attend in person may join via Zoom. Please register in advance here.

The Sunday adult programs are free and open to the public and meet concurrently with the Jewish Cultural Sunday School.

Or Emet is a secular congregation celebrating and honoring Jewish culture, history and values from a humanistic, inclusive perspective. 

For information about Or Emet’s Jewish Cultural Sunday School, contact JCSS director Molly Phipps at school@oremet.org. For information about Or Emet, email info@oremet.org or visit oremet.org.

On Friday, April 4, from 7:30-9 p.m., Or Emet will host a Shabbat service led by Rabbi Eva Cohen, followed by a program and social time. The evening’s events will take place at the Minnesota JCC Sabes Center Minneapolis, 4330 S. Cedar Lake Road, Minneapolis. 

Following the service, Or Emet member Allan Malkis will speak about the Dead Sea Scrolls, a famous set of writings from Qumran, an area in the valley of the Dead Sea south of Jerusalem. It is the largest known collection from the era of the Second Temple of Jerusalem. The works include the books of the Hebrew Bible, commentaries on those books, and explanations of the rituals and practices of a religious sect active during that time.

What do the Dead Sea Scrolls tell us about Jewish thought and practices just before the first Jewish revolt against Rome and the destruction of the Second Temple? What relationship, if any, do they have to the sect that grew up around Jesus of Nazareth? 

Malkis, a former president of Or Emet, is a retired social researcher who holds a master’s degree in sociology from the University of Minnesota. He enjoys exploring the early history of the Israelite people. 

Those who cannot attend in person may join over Zoom. Please register in advance here. 

Or Emet is a secular congregation celebrating and honoring Jewish culture, history and values from a humanistic, inclusive perspective. For more information about Or Emet, email info@oremet.org or visit oremet.org.

On Sunday, March 23, Or Emet will host a presentation titled “What Is a Jewish Book?” by Rabbi Adam Chalom, dean for North America of the International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism (IISHJ) and rabbi at Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation in Deerfield, Illinois. This learning session is in honor of the March 22 installation of Rabbi Eva Cohen as the new rabbi of Or Emet.

Rabbi Adam Chalom

The event with Rabbi Chalom will run from 10 a.m.-noon at Twin Cities German Immersion School, 1031 Como Ave. in St. Paul. A social time will follow.

If Humanistic Jews root their Jewishness in Jewish heritage and culture rather than theology and commandments, then a clear understanding of what counts as Jewish culture is essential. Is everything written by Jewish authors “Jewish literature?” If not, then where should the boundaries of Jewish culture be drawn — or does Jewish culture need boundaries at all?

Chalom is co-editor of the book “Contemporary Humanistic Judaism: Beliefs, Values and Practices,” which was published by the Jewish Publication Society/University of Nebraska Press in January 2025. Signed copies will be available for purchase after the program.

Chalom, who has served as the rabbi at Kol Hadash since 2004, earned rabbinic ordination from the IISHJ.

Those who cannot attend in person may join via Zoom. Please register in advance here.

The Sunday adult programs are free and open to the public and meet concurrently with the Jewish Cultural Sunday School.

 Or Emet is a secular congregation celebrating and honoring Jewish culture, history and values from a humanistic, inclusive perspective. 

For information about Or Emet’s Jewish Cultural Sunday School, contact Phipps at school@oremet.org. For information about Or Emet, email info@oremet.org or visit oremet.org.

On Saturday, Feb. 15, from 10-11:30 a.m., Or Emet will host a Shabbat service led by Rabbi Eva Cohen, followed by a program in solidarity with the HIAS Refugee Shabbat initiative. The events will take place at the Minnesota JCC Sabes Center Minneapolis, 4330 S. Cedar Lake Road, Minneapolis. 

Steven Thal

After the service, immigration attorney Steven Thal will present “Trump 2.0: Are We Still a Nation of Immigrants?” Thal will address recent changes in immigration policy under the Trump administration and their effect on immigrants and the community.

Thal practices immigration law in Minnetonka. He is a past chair of the Immigration Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association and the Minnesota/Dakotas Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. He also is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Minnesota State Bar Association, American Association for Justice, Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights and several other professional and civic groups. 

Thal earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts and a law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School. Prior to law school, he spent two years in the Peace Corps in Ecuador, South America. 

Those who cannot attend the program in person may join over Zoom. Please register in advance here. 

Or Emet is a secular congregation celebrating and honoring Jewish culture, history and values from a humanistic, inclusive perspective. For more information, email info@oremet.org or visit oremet.org.