Image of the front of Homewood Friends. A queer pride flag hangs out of one window and a trans pride flag hangs outside the other. A banner with bold text at the top of the building reads "Seek Together a World at Peace."

 FAQs

Click on a topic to jump to a section of frequently asked questions:

Shabbat & Spiritual Life
Online life & accessibility
In person
About us
Learning
Lifecycles
Collaborations

  • Yes! You are very welcome, we look forward to meeting you! If you’re able, we appreciate you registering for the service or event beforehand. To do so, click the link provided on the calendar event. With questions, be in touch!

  • On Friday night our Shabbat services meet in the dining room on the basement level of Homewood Friends. Enter by the side porch (stairs) or ring the doorbell on the front entrance by the blue doors (ramp). We use siddur Eit Ratzon, a fully transliterated Reform prayerbook. While the majority of services are in Hebrew, there are lots of nigunim (wordless melodies), short chants, and English kavvanot (intentions and reflections.) Rabbi Ariana or a member delivers a d’var Torah (sermon.)

  • Wear something you feel comfortable in. Hinenu dress skews more casual. If it feels right to you, wearing something that feels festive to celebrate Shabbat is a great choice. For some that means a suit, for others their best sequin caftan. There is no expectation that anyone of any gender wear specific clothing or have covered shoulders.

    Everyone is welcome to wear a headcovering, but not required. Most will wear a headcovering when wearing a tallit (prayershawl), but kippah or other covering is not restricted to Jews.

  • All Hinenu services and events are hybrid, livestreamed on Zoom. We use a laptop camera and microphone, which amplifies for guests in the room and on Zoom.

    During Shabbat, we ask that all technology that is not for accessibility should be stowed away to help preserve the spirit of Shabbat. Screen readers and other accessibility technologies are welcome and encouraged!

    And, is the only way you and your little can get to shul if they have an iPad with Ms Rachel on? Pop them in the pew with headphones and join in the singing! Need to keep your phone on you for a loved one you’re caring for or waiting for paratransit? Do what you need to do!

    We use hand drums most frequently in services, but currently no stringed instruments are used. Feel free to write to Rabbi Ariana to confirm before any particular service.

  • There is no mechitzah in our services. Our services are fully egalitarian and people of all genders lead services and count in the minyan.

  • The majority of our service is in Hebrew, with a fully transliterated siddur. We use Siddur Eit Shalom, generously donated to Hinenu by Bolton Street Synagogue. Page numbers and intentions to ground more deeply in the service are in English, as well as the sermon! English poetry is often woven into the service.

    We are in the longterm process of creating our own siddur!

  • Food at Hinenu should be kosher by ingredient, but does not require a heksher (kosher certification). All potlucks are vegetarian dairy, and if a meal changes to include fish, clear advertising will be made.

  • No, you are in good company with many of us! Our siddur is fully transliterated, and we are committed culturally to using Jewish terminology and always translating!

  • Yes! And you’ll likely find that you’re not the only one in the room. They might even be leading services.

  • Not at all, you are so welcome to join us! Hinenu cherishes our non-Jewish community members, whether you are a member of a Jewish family, exploring your relationship to Judaism, or simply looking for a warm place to connect to spirituality or community.

  • Services are led by members of our congregational service leading team and Rabbi Ariana.

Shabbat & Spiritual Life

  • Service animals are always welcome.

    Please request ASL with at least a week of lead time before the event if possible.

    The main entrance to the building has an ADA ramp. There is an ADA bathroom on the main floor, in the Susan B. Anthony room.

  • All Hinenu services are hybrid and can be accessed online via Zoom. Either Autocaptions or live captions provided by Maryland Relay are available for all programs.

    ASL can be provided upon request, please email us with as much time ahead of the program as possible; we will do our best to honor requests made with less than a week before the program but cannot ensure it.

  • Yes. The ramp into the building is located at the front entrance, and has one turn in it. There are non-automatic doors throughout the building, however. There is a recently replaced elevator in good working condition that has access to every floor in the building. There is a single stall ADA sized bathroom on the ground floor, but the door entry is not automatic. The side porch where we often gather for potlucks is accessible without stairs via the main building.

    For security on Friday nights for Kabbalat Shabbat services the front door is locked. For accessible entry please text the number on the door when you arrive, or email us ahead of time if you don’t use technology on Shabbat.

  • All who are able 2 years and over are required to mask. Similarly, proof of vaccination is required, and we ask that you stay home if you feel sick and Zoom in instead. Please visit our page on COVID policies for more info.

  • While Homewood is used by many different groups, there are always quiet dark rooms to spend solo time in. On High Holy Days and other large events we designate a sensory break room for this purpose. We welcome all stimming (no matter how loud!) in services, and encourage you to come and go in the space as feels right for you.

    Services tend to be loud with music, exclaiming, and the noise of children.

Online Life & Accessibility

  • Hinenu meets in person at Homewood Friends Meeting House, at 3107 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21218. All Hinenu services are hybrid and can be accessed online via Zoom.

  • Street parking is available around Homewood Friends, and there are parking garages nearby. There is a bus stop in front of Homewood at N Charles at 31st Street.

  • Yes! On the ground floor there is an ADA single person bathroom located in the Susan B. Anthony room next to the elevator. There are bathrooms on the basement floor and the floor located between the ground floor and 2nd floor, which have original signage indicating a gender, but we use as all gender bathrooms.

In Person 

  • Hinenu, הננו in Hebrew, means “here we are.” Throughout Torah, the Divine calls out to human beings, and they answer “hinenu,” here I am. Hinenu answers the call–to act for Justice, to care for one another, and to answer holy voices that call. We act together–saying here we are, instead of here I am.

    Hinenu is pronounced “he-NEY-nu” and you can listen to how it’s said here!

    The second half of our name, “the Baltimore Justice Shtiebl.” Shtiebl is Yiddish for "little house," a term for an intimate, cozy space where prayer and study meet. This name is a part of our origin story–needing a place holder to describe the community that we were considering beginning, Rabbi Ariana titled the 1 sheet flyer “Baltimore Justice Shtiebl” and it stuck! Since 2018 we have grown significantly and can no longer all fit into a row house to gather, but the intimacy and casual welcoming nature remains.

    Shtiebl is pronounced in many different ways, but we most often say “SHTEE-bul” and you can listen to how it’s said here!

  • Our community runs on the heart and sweat of our membership! Hinenu is staffed by Rabbi Ariana Katz who is full time with the congregation, and Meitav Aaron who works for Hinenu as our administrator half time. Our board of directors is lay led!

  • All our services are open and free to the public, we hope you’ll join us. Contributions are not required to attend! However, your contributions are always appreciated and ensure we can continue sustaining our community. You can make a donation here, or learn more about membership here. Classes and other programs that are ticketed are indicated in the event information on our calendar and at the event registration. If you know in advance you plan to join us, please sign up at the registration link at the event (but if you forget, don’t let that prevent you from attending!)

  • Send Rabbi Ariana an email to set up a time to talk, she would love to meet you.

    Due to our growing congregation, Rabbi Ariana has restricted availability to talk to non-members and is available for a one time conversation.

    If you have a question about the larger congregation, fill out this contact form to be in touch with our board president, membership chair, fundraising chair, education committee, or treasurer.

    General questions can be directed to our administrator.

  • From our community values statement adopted June 2019:

    “As a Jewish community, we feel a particular responsibility towards justice in Palestine/Israel. Hinenu is committed to Palestinian equality, freedom, and dignity, and believes just peace in Israel/Palestine requires the liberation of Palestinians.”

    We sometimes get the question “I’m not a member of XYZ, can I still come to Hinenu?” The answer is yes—if you want to be a part of a community that holds the above value, we want you to be a part of our community too!

About Us

  • Yes, you are so welcome! There are a few classes that have discounted tuition cost for members, but all courses are open to the wider community.

  • Diving Into Judaism, Hinenu’s 18-week intro to Judaism class, is offered every other year. The next cohort will begin fall 2024/5785. Synagogues Rising, the collective of lefty synagogues of which Hinenu is a member, is offering an intro to Judaism course spring 2024! If you are interested in the conversion journey, check out our resources on conversion here.

  • Yes! Learn more about our small but mighty Beit Hinenu Youth program here!

Learning

Lifecycles

Collaborations