Friends of the Egalitarian Minyan in Frankfurt am Main e.V.

The Association

The Association Friends of the Egalitarian Minyan e. V. evolved from the association Kehilla Chadaschah (Heb. New Congregation), which was founded in 1994, for the purpose of conducting liberal, egalitarian worship services in Frankfurt am Main.

The association promotes and financially supports the implementation of egalitarian Jewish services as well as religious and cultural programs. The association pursues these goals by means of public relations, donations and membership dues.

Anyone who would like to support the work of the Egalitarian Minyan is eligible for membership.

The Egalitarian Minyan Frankfurt/Main

The former Kehillah Chadascha e. V., now the Egalitarian Minyan Frankfurt am Main, has met in a variety of locations in Frankfurt:

Beginning in the Philanthropin, it moved to the Frankfurter Frauenschule, and then to the Fritz Bauer Institut, where it remained for more than two years.

In 1998 the Jewish Community invited the Egalitarian Minyan to hold its services and programs in the Jewish Community Center (Jüdisches Gemeindezentrum), Savignystr. 66.

In 2000, the association Kehillah Chadaschah e. V. changed its name to Egalitarian Minyan, Jewish Community Frankfurt am Main, and underwent restructuring.

It is recognized and supported by the Jewish Community Frankfurt am Main, and as an egalitarian congregation within the greater community, it contributes to the diversity of Jewish religious practice within the community.

Since 1994 the Egalitarian Minyan holds biweekly Friday evening Kabbalat Shabbat services, High Holy Days (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) services and a Seder on the second evening of Pesach. Also on the calendar of yearly events is the Shavuot (Jewish Festival of Weeks) “Learning Night”.

Worship leader for the Friday evening services is singer-songwriter Daniel Kempin-Edelmann.

The Egalitarian Minyan engages guest rabbis and cantors to perform the High Holiday services, and augments its program of events with speakers from Germany and abroad.

Since 2005 Rabbi Elisa Klapheck conducts regular Shabbat morning services as well as shiurim and learning nights, and is also available for private consultation. In addition, she offers instruction in Torah chanting (leynen).

As is the practice in other congregations, a volunteer board of directors (Gabbaim and Gabbaot) organizes and schedules services, holidays and special programs.

The Egalitarian Minyan is the only liberal Jewish congregation in the entire Rhine-Main region.

The Egalitarian Minyan is increasingly able to conduct services independently, thanks to an in-depth study of liturgical order and prayers.

In addition, the Egalitarian Minyan is in the process of enlarging the spectrum of activities surrounding religious-cultural and philosophical educational programs. Shiurim and services alike, everyone is personally included in congregational life.

“We are in the process of rediscovering and further developing the wide variety of Jewish music, liturgy and spirituality as a means of searching for a Jewish identity that is able to apply Jewish traditions to the challenges of life in our world today.”
(Daniel Kempin-Edelmann)