Beit Ha'Chidush

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Beit Ha'Chidush (meaning House of Renewal in Hebrew) (BHC) is a Jewish congregation founded in 1995 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, by Jews who at that time didn't feel at home anymore in the existing Jewish congregations. Beit Ha'Chidush is known for its tolerant point of view towards accepting homosexuals and 'father Jews' (people with a Jewish father, meaning that they are not Jewish according to the Halakha) as a member of the congregation. Rabbi for the community is German-born Elisa Klapheck, the first female rabbi in the history of the Netherlands.

1 History
2 Affiliation
3 Trivia
4 External links

[edit] History

In 1995, a number of both secular as well as religious Jews, unsatisfied with the present Jewish congregations, made the move of starting their own congregation, different from the existing Jewish organs. The first shabbat service of Beit Ha'Chidush was soon to be held on December 1th 1995. Several rabbis - mostly from progressive Jewish communities overseas - were in charge of the services. This changed on May 1th 2005, when German-born Elisa Klapheck became the community's first own rabbi; she is the first female rabbi in Dutch Jewish history.

[edit] Affiliation

Beit Ha'Chidush has strong ties to Jewish Renewal and Reconstructionist Judaism in the United States, and Liberal Judaism in the United Kingdom. A large part of the BHC community hails from outside the Netherlands. The founding members of Beit Ha'Chidush were very much in favor of establishing a new community which was more diverse, open and renewed in comparison to the already existing Jewish communities in the Netherlands. Because of that, people who can become member of BHC include people who have one or two parents who were considered Jewish during their generation. This makes it possible for so-called 'father Jews' to become member, which is unique within the Dutch Jewish community. The community is also very open towards homosexuals; no distinction is made on basis of gender and sexual orientation.

[edit] Trivia

BHC is the organiser of the Queer Shabbaton event, an annual weekend for LGBT Jews from all over the world held during the Amsterdam Gay Pride.
Place of worship for the community is the renowed Uilenburger Synagoge (Uilenburger Synagogue) in Amsterdam.