Or Adam is a different type of congregation. In the 1960s, the Secular Humanistic Judaism movement was founded, led by Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine. Dana Naimark attended his temple in Michigan, so years later, when she met her husband Rick and they found themselves in Phoenix, they decided to promote those ideas and concepts by founding Or Adam with the help of another couple they had recently met. That was in 1987, 25 years ago this month.
Back then, things were organized, but not quite as cemented as they are today. “We kind of have everything in one place now,” Rick says. “We’ve been at a home that’s worked wonderfully for us for the past several years, which works for everything. That’s been good.”
He’s referring to the facility for Or Adam, or more specifically, the lack thereof. Today, most services for the congregation are held at Phoenix Country Day School in Paradise Valley. But they have met at other spots through the years, which made things difficult sometimes. “Our membership isn’t big enough to support a building, but also, I don’t know that I necessarily want to own a building. But, sometimes it’s really hard to find a space that you can use, you know, for services and also works for Sunday school.”
Still, the resulting group they’ve built over the years has become quite loyal to the cause. “We’ve got a really solid community. We’ve grown very close and provide everything that people need,” Rick says. This is evidenced by the length of time that some members have been involved. “Now we’re at the point where kids who have been through our Sunday school become bar and bat mitzvah,” Dana says, further proving that point.
The congregation continues to exist because it also fills a need that some Jews find critical. When asked what she hopes for the future of Or Adam, Dana replies, “I think the key thing is to keep providing a Jewish home for people who for whatever reason don’t nest with or don’t feel comfortable with the other branches of Judaism, but definitely want to be Jewish and identify as Jewish. I feel that that’s what we have provided.”
On Dec. 14 Or Adam will celebrate their 25th anniversary and host their annual Hanukkah party at Phoenix Country Day School. What can Rick tell us about the big event? “Actually, I can’t,” he responds. “We’ve kind of been left out of the planning because they’re honoring people like us. And so I think they don’t want us to be involved.” Well that makes sense.
We’re certainly not going to ruin any surprises, so here’s what we do know. The event is a potluck, so there are rules to follow. Members with last names beginning with A through H should bring an appetizer for up to eight; with last names beginning with I through P an entree for up to eight; and with last names beginning with Q through Z a dessert for up to eight people. It’s going on from 7 to 9 p.m., and if you’d like to attend, please RSVP as soon as possible to oradam25@gmail.com.
