Valley Beit Midrash (VBM) is a collaborative organization that brings new, exciting, and relevant Jewish programming to the Greater Phoenix Jewish community in a diverse, welcoming, engaging, and pluralistic setting.
VBM offers classes, panel discussions, and scholars-in-residence as part of its adult education offerings. In addition, VBM offers a teen program (The VBM Teen Scholars), a program for medical professionals (HaRofeh: The Jewish Medical Society of the Valley), and a fellowship program for young leaders (Start Me Up!).
Valley Beit Midrash was established in 2007 as a collaborative effort between KiDMa -
The Southwest Community and Temple Chai to bring together a diverse cross-section
of the Greater Phoenix Jewish community around Jewish learning.
The partnership between TempleChai, a long-established synagogue and center for Jewish
life, and KiDMa – The Southwest Community, a then two-year-old startup organization is a model for American Jewish life in the 21st century.
In 2010, Valley Beit Midrash expanded its programming and welcomed Temple Solel
as a third partner organization. Over the course of the 2010-2011 program, Valley Beit
Midrash welcomed over 1600 members of the Greater Phoenix Jewish community to its
educational programs.
As of the 2011-2012 season, VBM added additional partner organizations and is proud to count Temple Chai, Temple Solel, Congregation Beth Israel, and Temple Kol Ami (Reform), Congregation Or Chadash (Conservative), Congregation Beth Tefilah (Orthodox) and the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center as partner organizations.
In January 2012, VBM received a major allocation from the Jewish Community Association of Greater Phoenix (formerly The Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix) for Start Me Up!, the only leadership development of its kind in the Valley.
Our mission:
- To improve the quality of Jewish life in the Greater Phoenix Jewish community.
- To create contexts in which diverse cross-sections of the community come together to learn.
- To encourage greater cooperation and collaboration between different Jewish organizations.
- To teach, model, and inspire the value of pluralism.
- To develop the next generation of Jewish leaders.
