History

A central theme of Judaism is to heal and repair ourselves and the world. We uplift those parts of our tradition that embody the revolutionary consciousness characterized by love of the stranger, a movement toward freedom and justice, and a critique of imperial power and thinking. The spiritual audacity of the Hebrew prophets guides our spiritual and religious practices and mandates us to challenge oppression in all its manifestations.

This is the core of what our founder Rabbi Michael Lerner envisioned when he started Beyt Tikkun in 1996. Rabbi Lerner was mentored by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel at the Jewish Theological Seminary and received his rabbinic ordination from a rabbinic beyt din directed by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, the founder of the Jewish Renewal movement. Rabbi Lerner has shaped the religious life of Beyt Tikkun and empowered us to continue his legacy.

Rabbi Lerner’s prophetic vision infuses our liturgy, our rituals, our advocacy, and our social action, and helped shape our inclusive, egalitarian, and loving community. Through his involvement in social justice work and as a psychologist studying the psycho-dynamics of working people, Rabbi Lerner became deeply aware of the isolation many people experience in their day-to-day lives and recognized the centrality of creating religious communities that nurture its members. At Beyt Tikkun, we strive to co-create the community and the world we want by manifesting love and care for one another, the stranger, and the planet. We show up for each other and for those in need.