What’s Happening
Adas Kodesch
Shel Emeth

AKSE invites men and women in the community to join us at weekday services. Currently we have two in-person services during the week. On Tuesday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., we meet in the Gameesh Room of the Siegel JCC (101 Garden of Eden Rd. in Wilmington) for Mincha. On Thursday morning at 9 a.m., we meet in our building for Shacharit and Torah reading. Please check our monthly bulletin the Shofar or sign up to receive our weekly Shabbat email newsletter for any deviations from this schedule.

The Friday evening service consists of Mincha, Kabbalat Shabbat, and Ma’ariv. We also occasionally host congregational Shabbat dinners, where we enjoy welcoming the Shabbat together with dinner and zemirot, following the service.

The Shabbat morning service at AKSE follows the Orthodox davening structure. Our service begins at 9:00 a.m. with Birchat Hashachar and Pesukei d’Zimrah followed by Shacharit and the Torah service. We read the full parsha and Haftorah. The Rabbi’s sermon follows the return of the Torah scroll to the Ark. We continue with Musaf and the concluding prayers. Everyone is encouraged to join in prayerful singing. Services usually conclude before noon — in time to adjourn to the social hall for a lovely Kiddush prepared by our Sisterhood. Many congregants choose to sponsor a Shabbat Kiddush to share a personal event with their AKSE family. The Shabbat Kiddush affords the opportunity to enjoy the spirit of the Shabbat together. We reconvene on Shabbat afternoon for Mincha, Torah study, Ma’ariv, and Havdalah. Please see the Shofar for the latest schedule. (Please note: During the winter months, when we are on standard time, Mincha takes place immediately after Shabbat Kiddush, and we do not reconvene later in the afternoon.)

We provide a full schedule of Holiday services. Check the Shofar for details.

Adas Kodesch Shel Emeth has a long history of enhancing women’s participation in ritual consistent with a traditional interpretation of Halacha (Jewish law). The most recent innovation, begun in 2016, is the Partnership Minyan, a service involving both men and women where women chant Torah and Haftorah, are called for Aliyot, and lead certain other parts of the service.

By instituting the Partnership Minyan, AKSE, a traditional congregation, joins a growing movement within the progressive wing of Orthodox Judaism. The concept originated in Israel and New York City over 20 years ago and has now been adopted in 40 or so communities in the United States, as well as in the UK, Canada, and Australia. While all our regular services have mixed seating, the Partnership Minyan has separate seating to conform with the practice in other communities.

The Partnership Minyan is a prayer group that is committed both to maintaining Halachic standards and to including women in ritual leadership roles to the fullest extent possible. Talmud (Megillah 23b) states that women can be called up for an Aliyah (Torah honor). The reason given for not implementing this practice in the Orthodox world is the concept of Kevod Ha’Tzibbur (the honor of the congregation), the fear of embarrassing less educated men. But the bigger issue today is the affront to women’s dignity and the larger principle of human dignity (Kevod Ha’Briyot).

The Partnership Minyan meets several times a year on Shabbat morning, with great success.