Or Emet – the Minnesota Congregation for Humanistic Judaism

Executive Committee Meeting
2026-04-14 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Chicago) | MN
If interested in attending, please email info@oremet.org or call 612-787-7812.
For more information about Or Emet​ and/or membership, please email info@oremet.org, call 612-787-7812 or visit oremet.org.

Jewish Cultural Sunday School #8
2026-04-12 10:00 - 12:30 | Twin Cities German Immersion School,, 1031 Como Ave, St Paul, MN, 55103, United States
Or Emet’s Jewish Cultural Sunday School (JCSS) for 3 to 13-year-olds meets monthly on Sunday mornings, with a concurrent program for their parents and other adults. The focus of each varies monthly.
Or Emet adult programs are free and open to the public.
For more information about Or Emet’s JCSS, visit the school blog on the Or Emet website, oremet.org.
To arrange a JCSS visit, learn more about JCSS, the youth program and/or for JCSS-related questions and issues, contact school director Molly Phipps at school@oremet.org.
Please direct inquiries about Or Emet and/or membership to info@oremet.org.

Adult Program: "My 30 Years at the American Jewish World — Reflections of a Journalist in Minneapolis"
2026-04-12 10:00 - 12:00 | Twin Cities German Immersion School,, 1031 Como Ave, St Paul, MN, 55103, United States
On Sunday, April 12, Or Emet will host a presentation by Mordecai Specktor, editor and publisher of the American Jewish World, the newspaper of the Jewish community in Minnesota since 1915.
Specktor will present “My 30 Years at the American Jewish World — Reflections of a Journalist in Minneapolis,” followed by a Q&A period.
Specktor has worked at the American Jewish World for the past 30 years. He also is a longtime columnist for The Circle (Minneapolis), Native news and arts. His journalism over the past 60 years has focused on social justice movements and varied cultural expressions.
Those who cannot attend in person may join via Zoom. Please register in advance for the Zoom option.
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.

Or Emet Humanistic Passover Seder
2026-04-03 18:00 - 21:00 | First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, 900 Mount Curve Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55403, United States
On Friday, April 3, from 6-9 p.m., Or Emet will host a Humanistic Passover Seder led by Rabbi Eva Cohen. The Seder emphasizes themes of human freedom and dignity, the capacity to change our destiny and the power of hope. The Seder also includes traditional Passover elements and songs. Or Emet members and visitors are welcome to attend.
Those who cannot attend in person may join over Zoom. Please register in advance for the Zoom option.
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.

Shabbat Service | Refugee Shabbat Program: "Karen Organization of Minnesota"
2026-03-20 19:30 - 21:00 | Minnesota JCC Sabes Center Minneapolis, 4330 Cedar Lake Rd, Minneapolis, MN, 55416, United States
On Friday, March 20, from 7:30-9 p.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.
After the service, Alice Buckner and June Nin Way of the Karen Organization of Minnesota (KOM) will discuss current issues and trends relating to immigrant and refugee communities in Minnesota. KOM, the first social services agency in the country founded by Karen refugees from Burma, builds on the strengths of refugee and immigrant communities and removes barriers to achieving economic, social and cultural well-being.
KOM updated its mission in 2022 to formally acknowledge service to people from all national origins and cultures. It is now the lead family education support agency for the Minnesota Office of Refugee Resettlement serving children in public schools during their first five years living in the state. The organization prioritizes being majority governed, led and staffed by people from within the communities served.
Buckner, executive director of KOM, has served in nonprofit, business healthcare, government and higher education for more than 30 years. Way, a KOM board member, is a former refugee from Thailand. She serves the Karen community through her roles as interpreter, school liaison, case manager and as one of the few Karen-speaking therapists in the Twin Cities.
Those who cannot attend the program in person may join over Zoom. Please register in advance for the Zoom option.
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.

Jewish Cultural Sunday School #7
2026-03-14 10:00 - 12:30 | Twin Cities German Immersion School,, 1031 Como Ave, St Paul, MN, 55103, United States

Executive Committee Meeting
2026-03-10 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom

Jewish Cultural Sunday School #7
2026-03-08 10:00 - 12:30 | Twin Cities German Immersion School,, 1031 Como Ave, St Paul, MN, 55103, United States
Or Emet’s Jewish Cultural Sunday School (JCSS) for 3 to 13-year-olds meets monthly on Sunday mornings, with a concurrent program for their parents and other adults. The focus of each varies monthly.
Or Emet adult programs are free and open to the public.
For more information about Or Emet’s JCSS, visit the school blog on the Or Emet website, oremet.org.
To arrange a JCSS visit, learn more about JCSS, the youth program and/or for JCSS -related questions and issues, contact school director Molly Phipps at school@oremet.org.
Please direct inquiries about Or Emet and/or membership to info@oremet.org.

Adult Program: "Jews and Comics"
2026-03-08 10:00 - 12:00 | Twin Cities German Immersion School,, 1031 Como Ave, St Paul, MN, 55103, United States
On Sunday, March 8, Or Emet member Dr. Richard Logan, a retired professor of human development, will lead a discussion inspired by the summer 2025 issue of Humanistic Judaism Magazine, which focused on the meaningful connections between Jews and the world of comics.
The event will run from 10 a.m.-noon at Twin Cities German Immersion School, 1031 Como Ave. in St. Paul. A social time will follow.
The magazine issue explored the many ways Jews have shaped the comics and graphic‑novel landscape — from founding the American comics industry to pioneering the American graphic novel and continuing to influence the art and writing of the genre.
The story of Jews and comics is a compelling one that involves many original and creative literary, artistic and pop-culture achievements. Logan is especially interested in how this history offers a window into several intriguing features of Jewish culture. He looks forward to participants sharing their own experiences with comics and graphic novels.
Logan is a past-president of Or Emet and past-president of the Society for Humanistic Judaism.
Those who cannot attend in person may join via Zoom. Please register in advance for the Zoom option.
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.

Or Emet Purim Carnival
2026-03-01 14:00 - 16:30 | First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, 900 Mount Curve Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55403, United States
Or Emet and the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis will host a Purim carnival celebrating Jewish traditions with humanistic values.
The carnival will take place from 2-4:30 p.m. Sunday, March 1, at the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, 900 Mount Curve Ave., Minneapolis.
It will include a costume parade, Purim treats, carnival games, prizes and a bouncy house. Please bring cash to exchange for tickets. At ~3 p.m., we will sing a few Purim songs and listen to an adapted, kid-friendly Megillah reading, accompanied by an aerial arts performance by Jolie Melana Meshbesher! After the Megillah reading and performance, games and other carnival activities will resume. To honor the holiday tradition of matanot l’evyonim, we will also be assembling food packages for those in need.
For more information about Or Emet programs, email info@oremet.org.

Shabbat Service | Program: "AI-Driven Data Center Boom in Minnesota"
2026-02-21 10:00 - 11:30 | Minnesota JCC Sabes Center Minneapolis, 4330 Cedar Lake Rd, Minneapolis, MN, 55416, United States
On Saturday, Feb. 21, from 10-11:30 a.m., Or Emet will host a Humanistic Shabbat service led by Rabbi Eva Cohen followed by a presentation by Evan Mulholland, a staff attorney with the nonprofit Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. A social time will follow.
The events will take place at the Minnesota JCC Sabes Center Minneapolis, 4330 S. Cedar Lake Road, Minneapolis.
Mulholland will discuss the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence-driven data centers in Minnesota and the environmental risks associated with hyperscale development. As director of MCEA’s Healthy Communities program, he works to protect Minnesotans and the state’s natural resources from the threats tied to large‑scale industrial projects.
The organization has filed five ongoing lawsuits challenging the environmental review conducted on hyperscale data centers proposed in Lakeville, North Mankato, Hermantown, Pine Island and Faribault.
Mulholland holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Brandeis University, a law degree from Harvard Law School and a master of laws degree in environmental law from Vermont Law School.
Those who cannot attend the program in person may join over Zoom. Please register in advance for the Zoom option.
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.

Jewish Cultural Sunday School #6
2026-02-14 10:00 - 12:30 | Twin Cities German Immersion School,, 1031 Como Ave, St Paul, MN, 55103, United States

Executive Committee Meeting
2026-02-10 19:00 - 20:30, 2026-01-13 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-12-09 19:00 - 20:30, 2025-11-11 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
If interested in attending, please contact info@oremet.org; 612-787-7812
For more information about Or Emet​ and/or membership, contact info@oremet.org, 612- 787-7812 or visit oremet.org.

Jewish Cultural Sunday School #6 (Tu BiShevat)
2026-02-08 10:00 - 12:30 | Twin Cities German Immersion School,, 1031 Como Ave, St Paul, MN, 55103, United States

Adult Program: “From Fork to Forest: Why We Can’t Solve the Climate Crisis Without Changing How We Eat”
2026-02-08 10:00 - 12:00 | Twin Cities German Immersion School,, 1031 Como Ave, St Paul, MN, 55103, United States
On Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026, Or Emet will host a presentation titled “From Fork to Forest: Why We Can’t Solve the Climate Crisis Without Changing How We Eat.”
The event will run from 10 a.m.-noon at Twin Cities German Immersion School, 1031 Como Ave. in St. Paul. A social time will follow.
Presenters Nicola Philpott, co-leader of the Minnesota west suburbs chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, and Anna Larsson, an executive team member of The Climate Reality Project, will explore the overlooked role of the global food system in driving climate change.
Even if fossil fuel use ended today, emissions from food production alone would push the planet beyond climate targets. Philpott and Larsson will explain why this issue deserves more attention and will outline practical steps individuals and communities can take to support a more sustainable food future.
Those who cannot attend in person may join via Zoom. Please register in advance for the Zoom option.
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.

Or Emet Book Club: 'The Flight Portfolio,' by Julie Orringer
2026-01-25 10:30 - 12:00 | TBA
The Flight Portfolio, by Julie Orringer, will be discussed. If you are interested in participating, contact Bruce Pomerantz at bruce.f.pomerantz@comcast.net for location information.
(In case of bad weather, the book club will meet Sunday, Feb. 1.)

Shabbat Service | Program: "The State of White Christian Nationalism and Antisemitism"
2026-01-24 10:00 - 11:30 | Minnesota JCC Sabes Center Minneapolis, 4330 Cedar Lake Rd, Minneapolis, MN, 55416, United States
On Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, from 10-11:30 a.m., Or Emet will host a Humanistic Shabbat service led by Rabbi Eva Cohen followed by a Q&A with Angela Denker, a local journalist, Lutheran pastor and author. A social time will follow.
The events will take place at the Minnesota JCC Sabes Center Minneapolis, 4330 S. Cedar Lake Road, Minneapolis.
The conversation with Denker will center on the rise and threat of white Christian nationalism, online radicalization, violent masculinity and their growth and prominence in Trump’s second term. Denker will also help explain the role of so-called “Christian Zionism” and how Christian nationalists understand the role of Israel in their theology and politics, in contrast to Zionism within the Jewish community.
Denker is an award-winning author, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America pastor and veteran journalist. Her first book, “Red State Christians,” was the 2019 Silver Foreword Indies award winner for political and social sciences. Her second book, “Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood,” was released in March 2025.
She is a former columnist for the Minnesota Star Tribune and has written for many publications, including Sports Illustrated, the Washington Post and Fortune magazine, and has appeared on CNN, BBC, SkyNews and NPR to share her research on politics and Christian nationalism.
Those who cannot attend the program in person may join over Zoom. Please register in advance for the Zoom option.
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.

New and Prospective Member Brunch
2026-01-18 10:00 - 12:00 | TBA
Join us for a casual, informative brunch (bagels!) and an opportunity to meet Or Emet’s Rabbi, Eva Cohen, and other congregational leaders. New Or Emet members and others interested in learning more about our congregation are welcome. (Golden Valley location will be provided when you sign up.)
You’ll be able to connect with members and others while learning about Humanistic Judaism, our Jewish Cultural Sunday School, our B’Mitzvah programs, adoption into Humanistic Judaism and the Or Emet community.
In the past, this event has been lively, fun and informative. All are welcome; families and children are welcome, too, of course!
Membership information is also available on Or Emet’s website, oremet.org.
If you are interested in attending and for more info, please email president@oremet.org.

Jewish Cultural Sunday School #5
2026-01-11 10:00 - 12:30 | Twin Cities German Immersion School,, 1031 Como Ave, St Paul, MN, 55103, United States

Adult Program: "Jewish Communities in Ancient Egypt"
2026-01-11 10:00 - 12:00 | Twin Cities German Immersion School,, 1031 Como Ave, St Paul, MN, 55103, United States
On Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, Or Emet will host a presentation by Dr. Patricia Ahearne-Kroll, Associate Professor in the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Religions and Cultures at the University of Minnesota. She will speak about Jewish communities in ancient Egypt.
Ahearne-Kroll will talk about the evidence for Jewish life in Hellenistic and early Roman Egypt and the various ways these populations interacted with the multicultural realities of Egypt.
Ahearne-Kroll holds a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies (Hebrew Bible) from the University of Chicago Divinity School. Her research has focused on literature from Egypt during the Second Temple period in Israel, as well as the impact of religious practices in Hellenistic Egypt on discourses of power and identity.
Those who cannot attend in person may join over Zoom. Please register in advance for the Zoom option.
The Sunday adult programs are free and open to the public and meet concurrently with the Jewish Cultural Sunday School.
We continue to collect empty pill bottles and personal care items for clients at Listening House, a St. Paul drop-in center. Donations are gratefully accepted at all Shabbat and Sunday programs.
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.

Shabbat Service | Program: "An Inside Look at BRKFST’s Groundbreaking, Multicultural, BIPOC Group"
2025-12-20 10:00 - 11:30 | Minnesota JCC Sabes Center Minneapolis, 4330 Cedar Lake Rd, Minneapolis, MN, 55416, United States
On Saturday, Dec. 20, from 10-11:30 a.m., Or Emet will host a Humanistic Shabbat service led by Rabbi Eva Cohen, followed by a presentation by Lisa “MonaLisa” Berman, co-founder and co-artistic director of BRKFST Dance Company.
Berman will present “An Inside Look at BRKFST’s Groundbreaking, Multicultural, BIPOC Group.” She will describe how BRKFST creates intellectually rigorous, physically demanding works of art through abstraction, breaking and contemporary dance vernacular — dance that evolves naturally from within a community.
Berman and Joseph “MN Joe” Tran co-founded BRKFST in St. Paul in 2014. Guided by the hip-hop adage “each one teach one,” where everyone remains both teacher and student regardless of their background, identity or status, BRKFST honors its roots from breaking culture by embodying inclusivity, passing down their knowledge to the next generation and representing the form with foundation and innovation.
Berman is the recipient of the McKnight Dancer Fellowship, Jerome Travel and Study Grant, multiple Minnesota State Arts Board and Metropolitan Regional Arts Council grants, and most recently, the Bridge Fund for Dancers Grant through the City of Minneapolis Arts and Cultural Affairs.
Expanding her artistic practice to interdisciplinary exploration, Berman partnered with film director Maria Juranic, co-creating, producing and choreographing the short, experimental dance film “Dreamers.” The film was chosen as an official selection in 11 international film festivals, receiving the Grand Jury Award at the In/Motion Festival and Best Experimental Film at the Tirana International Film Festival in Albania.
Those who cannot attend the Shabbat service in person may join over Zoom. Please register in advance for the Zoom option.
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.

Or Emet Hanukkah Party
2025-12-14 16:00 - 18:30 | First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, 900 Mount Curve Ave, Minneapolis, MN, 55403, United States
Members and their guests are invited to celebrate Hanukkah again with Or Emet!
Featuring fun group crafts, dreidel games, song, dance, menorah lighting and a community dinner. All will be family and kid friendly.
We will also be collecting hats and mittens on our mitten menorah to donate.
Please RSVP and sign up to volunteer by Dec. 3.
For more information about Or Emet programs, email info@oremet.org.

Jewish Cultural Sunday School #4
2025-12-07 10:00 - 12:30 | Twin Cities German Immersion School,, 1031 Como Ave, St Paul, MN, 55103, United States

Adult Program: "Lessons From Listening House" and Judaica Swap
2025-12-07 10:00 - 12:00 | Twin Cities German Immersion School,, 1031 Como Ave, St Paul, MN, 55103, United States
On Sunday, Dec. 7, Or Emet will host a program on Listening House of St. Paul, a day shelter and resource center that provides hospitality and practical assistance to adults experiencing homelessness, poverty and loneliness.
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.
Andrea Hinderaker, the volunteer coordinator for Listening House, will share updates on the facility, including its recent transitions, and offer reflections on the current state of homelessness in the Twin Cities. She also will share perspectives on the culture of homelessness and the spirit in which Listening House offers its services.
Those who cannot attend in person may join via Zoom. Please register in advance for the Zoom option.
After the program, Or Emet will host a free Judaica swap meet. Attendees are encouraged to bring items such as ceremonial and ritual objects, textiles, books, art and jewelry to swap with others. Unclaimed items will be donated to Heritage Judaica, a local nonprofit that collects and offers Judaica at no cost.
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.

Yiddish Shabbos featuring Yiddish music and dance by Di Bayke Klezmer Band
2025-11-21 19:00 - 21:00 | Minnesota JCC Sabes Center Minneapolis, 4330 Cedar Lake Rd, Minneapolis, MN, 55416, United States
On Friday, Nov. 21, from 7-9 p.m., Or Emet will host a Humanistic Shabbat service led by Rabbi Eva Cohen, followed by a special Yiddish Shabbos program.
The evening’s events will take place at the Minnesota JCC Sabes Center Minneapolis, 4330 S. Cedar Lake Road, Minneapolis.
The family-friendly Yiddish Shabbos will feature Yiddish music and dance by the Minneapolis-based Di Bayke Klezmer Band. Di Bayke — pronounced “dee bye-keh,” which means “the tall tale” in Yiddish — will perform and teach the traditional dance music of Eastern European Jews. Refreshments will be provided.
Or Emet suggests a $10 donation per person/family and encourages people to RSVP via this link. Those who RSVP will receive access to digital sheet music and recordings; attendees are encouraged to bring an instrument to join in.
Those who cannot attend the Shabbat service in person may join over Zoom. Please register in advance for the Zoom option.
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.

'Contemporary Humanistic Judaism' study group
2025-11-10 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom
The group meets on Zoom and focuses on Rabbi Chalom’s book Contemporary Humanistic Judaism — Beliefs, Values, Practices. Contact Allan Malkis to attend and/or with questions at amalkis51@gmail.com.

Jewish Cultural Sunday School #3
2025-11-09 10:00 - 12:30 | Twin Cities German Immersion School,, 1031 Como Ave, St Paul, MN, 55103, United States
