MISSION
Breaking the cultural barriers around Torah-observant Judaism.
Imagine a world where torah is embraced by every jew.
Imagine a world where jewish influencers inspire us to observe.
Imagine a world where we honor and respect the uniqueness of all souls.
That world, is Ha’Olam Ha’ba—the World to Come
Many may argue that our biggest problems are combating anti-semitism and engaging young Jews, but what the Jewish community has largely missed is how culture and identity impact both of these areas. BARA is dedicated to making a cultural impact on Judaism by creating content that’s relevant to young Jews including Jews of all backgrounds and making Torah learning and observance accessible to all.
VISION
OUR VISION is to create a new wave of Ba’alei Teshuva encompassing Jews of all backgrounds and embracing the true spirit of Ahavat Yisrael.
By breaking the cultural barriers around Torah-observant Judaism, BARA invites Jews of all backgrounds to return to the Jewish values of Torah and mitzvot.
The Ba’alei Teshuva movement is ready to evolve by honoring the many ways one can live as a Torah-observant Jew (and what it looks like to be observantly Jewish today).
In order to merit Ha’Olam Ha’ba, we must recognize that every Jew matters, regardless of race, ethnicity and origin, and allow for our differences to bring us together.
OH BTW,
WHAT EXACTLY
DOES “BARA”
STAND FOR?
“BARA” ( ברא ) is the second word of Torah in the book of Bereshit (“In the beginning of G-d’s creating the heavens and the earth”). Roughly translated, it means “to create,” and more accurately, “to create ex nihilo” (i.e. to create something out of nothing). It is this verb that describes G-d’s creation of the universe and it reminds us that anything worth creating begins with a good idea.
BARA was founded with the idea that living Jewishly shouldn’t mean deciding between factions, that Jewish identity and authenticity should not be mutually exclusive, and that every Jew, no matter their background, should be welcomed and honored as part of the Jewish people.
As the Lubavitcher Rebbe once said, “Our mission on earth is to recognize the void— inside and outside of us— and fill it.” It is our hope that BARA’s work helps fill the void for Jews unable to identify with mainstream Judaism despite an earnest desire to be observant and participate in the Jewish experience of Torah and mitzvot. This is our idea and we invite you to join us as we aspire to fulfill it.
