Achva BaKerem is a Reform congregation founded in 2006 in the Beit HaKerem neighborhood of Jerusalem. The congregation is built on three pillars: Jewish renewal Social responsibility Environmental stewardship Kehilat Achva BaKerem offers a community and a cultural framework for liberal Jews in and around the neighborhood. We provide a spiritual connection between the soul and the world. We focus on fostering identity, belonging, community ties and mutual care, and encourage involvement, activism and social responsibility for the neighborhood and for Jerusalem as a whole. Rabbi Tamir Nir explains his motivation for establishing the congregation: “My Jewish religious calling inspired me to take up responsibility for our city and our planet, to build a vibrant communal life and to develop a liberal Israeli-Jewish identity.