Who are we?

Congregation Dor Hadash is Pittsburgh’s only Reconstructionist Jewish Congregation. We are inclusive, egalitarian, and member-led. We are an active, socially engaged, community-oriented congregation, and we are passionate about repairing the world (tikkun olam). We are proud of our history of advocating for our vision of a shared society in which diversity is celebrated. Through community and social action, we strive to tear down the walls that divide us while seeking to build a more just, thriving, and inclusive world for all of us.
‍
Our congregants are Jews by birth or by choice; they are single or part of family units; they include people of different races, places of birth, sexual orientations, and gender identities; and they live in households that are of the same or different faiths. Volunteerism and active participation are central to the religious, educational, and cultural life of Dor Hadash.  
‍
Our congregants share in the responsibility for ritual programs and in all of the administrative aspects of congregational life.

What is Reconstructionist Judaism?

Reconstructing Judaism is a politically and religiously progressive Jewish movement that approaches both life and Judaism with a deep consideration of the past and a desire to create and share new ways of being Jewish and practicing our faith in the present. Reconstructionists often say that the past has a vote but not a veto.
To learn more about Reconstructing Judaism, click here.

Our History and Philosophy

Congregation Dor Hadash (New Generation) was formed in 1963 as a prayer and study group and has been an affiliate of the Jewish Reconstructionist Movement since 1969. Volunteerism and active participation are central to the life of our congregation. We are committed to providing our members with the opportunity for spiritual growth, life-long learning, prayer services, holiday celebrations, life cycle rituals, member support and community belonging. Through our services, religious school, and celebrations, we fulfill the commandment to teach our children their Jewish heritage and to engage them in an evolving Jewish civilization. Our services and other activities integrate a deep respect for traditional Judaism, including its music, with the insights and intentionality of contemporary social, intellectual, and spiritual life. Through our religious practices and our dedication to tikkun olam (repairing the world) and gemilut chasadim (lovingkindness), we express reverence for the sacred in our world.

   Founders of Congregation Dor Hadash, June 1963

-Solomon Abrams
-Betty Barlow-Balsam
-Harold & Rita Blatt
-Dorothy & Howard Braun  
-Al Braunstein
-Merle Charney
-Harold Cholok
-Elsa & Seymour Coburn  
-Eve & Harold Harter
-Nathan & Zahava Herz
-Bernard & Esther Klionsky  
-Martin Lowy
-David & Marcia Lubell
-Jerry & Luella Mattes
-Phyllis & Victor Mizel
-Bernard Mohr-Norman Podosky
-Bill Poel
-Ann & Leo Rosenzweig
-Claire & Milton Sackin
-Bilha & Nathan Witt