Shabbat at IKAR
Every seventh day we are called to step out of the world as it is and reimagine the world as it ought to be. To stand on the margins of society rather than deep within it, and see — with a new perspective — what is broken, what is beautiful, and what is possible. We take this holy task very seriously.
At IKAR, Shabbat is our central organizing principle. Shabbat forms the rhythm of our week, and is the constant reminder that things need not be as they are – in our personal lives and in the world.
And it is the reminder that each of us is surrounded by blessings, hidden and revealed, but often we must slow down to recognize and celebrate the abundance. Our services are traditional and experimental, contemplative and ecstatic. They are a fusion of spirit and purpose, old and new, east and west, Yair Dalal and Bono.
You don’t have to be a ringer to be touched by Shabbat davening at IKAR. You won’t be the only one who doesn’t read Hebrew, or feels more comfortable with Shavasuna than Shabbes or is wearing jeans and sneakers. This is truly an eclectic community – the schmoozers in the back are as likely rabbis and rab students as they are comedy writers, rocket scientists (yes, we actually have a few!), and baristas. The service is designed to welcome and stretch us all; wherever we come in, we ought to leave in a different place.