In 1961, a handful of local Jewish families dreamt of a Reform congregation for the Durham and Chapel Hill, NC area. They combed the telephone directories, university faculty lists and community rosters to spread the news. They held services in their basements. When the group outgrew their homes, they borrowed the Quaker Friends Meeting House. When they outgrew the Friends Meeting House, they used the Temple Baptist Church. To accommodate the many Chapel Hill congregants, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services were held in the Community Church of Chapel Hill. By the end of the decade, this experiment in Reform Judaism had become a growing concern. Every time our founders took a step forward, they found solid ground. The congregation grew. With nearly 100 families, Judea Reform Congregation dedicated its own synagogue on Durham's Cornwallis Road in 1971. One new sanctuary, one major addition, two land purchases, 32 years and four rabbis later, Judea Reform Congregation has more than quintupled in size to become the largest Jewish congregation in the Triangle. Our talented rabbis and staff serve up a menu of Jewish activities for all ages, and our dedicated lay leadership guide us with thoughtfulness and commitment.

Kedushah (“Sanctity”): We sanctify life’s sacred moments, from birth to death, through tradition and ceremonies that unite the hearts of loving companions, celebrate the bond between parents and children, and welcome people into the covenant of our faith, honoring our heritage while reflecting with sensitivity and creativity the insights of our time.

Our vision is to be the spiritual center of Reform Jewish life in the Durham and Chapel Hill area. We are a sacred community where relationships with God and with each other define everything the synagogue does; where ritual and learning are engaging; where Torah guides our thoughts and acts; where social justice is a moral imperative; and where membership is about welcoming and engaging both the committed and the unaffiliated. We are dedicated to sustaining Judea Reform Congregation from generation to generation to nourish meaningful Jewish life in our community.

 As Judea Reform Congregation embarked on a milestone year of celebration in 2010-2011, our Strategic Planning Committee looked ahead to the next five years and the next chapter in our maturation as a spiritual community and as an organization.

The 2010-2015 Strategic Plan is an ambitious roadmap.  It grows out of Judea Reform Congregation's last strategic plan that charged us to build a larger, more engaged membership supported by two clergy leaders.  It reflects extensive input from our congregants, gathered through a comprehensive survey and a face-to-face forum.   It is a synthesis of the most important areas to which JRC needs to devote time, attention, energy, and resources in order to continue to serve the needs of our congregants and the larger community.

For the full text of the 2010-2015 Strategic Plan, please click here.