Kol HaLev: A Brief History

We began in 1992 as a small group who came together out of an interest in Reconstructionist Judaism, and a desire to create Jewish experiences that combine creativity and critical thinking, comfort and challenge, innovation and tradition. We named ourselves "The Reconstructionist Havurah of Cleveland".

If you've encountered the name "Havurah" before, it was probably used by a small fellowship, often persons at roughly the same stage in life, that has no rabbi and meets in its members' homes. And that's what we were in the beginning.

Today, our community has a diverse, inclusive, multi-generational membership of more than 130 households. Rabbi Steve Segar is our full-time spiritual leader. We hold weekly Shabbat and holiday religious services and celebrations (most of them at The Ratner School in Pepper Pike), life cycle events, community service activities and adult learning programs. We run a ground-breaking educational program for pre-school through high-school students, and are active participants in substantive community-wide dialogue and social action initiatives. Our growth is the result of this innovative, co-creative environment for Jewish engagement.

In June 2004, we sought a new name for our community and selected Kol HaLev, which means "voice of the heart." We retain the Havurah spirit with a warm atmosphere and we hope to continue to grow and welcome those who, after learning about our community, decide to make their Jewish journey with us.

For a more complete recounting of how we formed and how we have grown, please visit our History page.