Eli Freedman Rabbi Catherine S Fischer Director of Community Engagement October 26 2016 Creating Profound Connections OUR VISION Our vision is to awaken our human spirit to the possibilities within and between us We create a Jewish community of profound connections through transformati ID: 589054
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Slide1
Entry Points and Pathways of Jewish Engagement
Eli Freedman: Rabbi
Catherine S. Fischer:
Director of Community Engagement
October 26, 2016Slide2
Creating Profound Connections
OUR VISION
Our vision is to awaken our human spirit to the possibilities within and between us. We create a Jewish community of profound connections through transformative study, prayer, and urban engagement. Standing on the shoulders of our historic congregation's founders, we dedicate ourselves to ensuring the future of the Jewish people. To pursue our vision we:
* Welcome all who come to explore or deepen their connection to Judaism and God
* Find strength in our diversity of perspective, age, gender, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, family constellation, and socio-economic backg
round
* Welcome interfaith families with open arms
* Rejoice with each other in times of joy and comfort each other in times of sadness
* Lift our voices in prayer, embracing the faithful and the skeptic
* Wrestle with the many faces of the Divine on our journeys of growth and spirituality
* Engage in the lifelong study of Torah, adding our voices to the generations of interpretation
* Repair the brokenness in our neighborhood and the world
Celebrate our connection to Israel and Jews globally, providing a forum for learning and discussion
Draw inspiration from the beauty of the musical, visual, and performing arts
Cultivate a commitment to Jewish life and Jewish identity in the next generation
Reflect, renew, and innovate in the spirit of Reform Judaism Slide3
Creating Profound Connections
Creating an inclusive Congregation
Invitation to participate fully in the life of the congregation.
Membership
: all members of an interfaith family are considered full members of the congregation.
Governance
: each member is welcome to participate in synagogue life.
Ritual
: each member is welcome to participate in ritual to the extent they feel comfortable.Slide4
Creating Profound Connections
Vision Informs P
athways
Welcome & Personal Connection
Membership (for many, Jewish or not, it
’s their first time,
relevant)
Worship
Accessible (assumptions)
Relevant (sermon and music choices)
Welcoming and inclusive
ShaBBQ
Study in and out of the synagogue
Entry level (e.g. Taste of Judaism, Introduction to Judaism, New Beginnings)
20s & 30s study in local bar, hanging mezuzah
Religious School (majority are interfaith families)
Nodal Moments
Life cycle, Caring CommunitySlide5
Creating Profound Connections
Greeter Training
Ambassador Program
Community Building Summit
Teacher in-service
Entry points
Audacious Welcoming
Among other things, Audacious Welcoming is ”... A
two way street where synagogue and stranger need each other - not just teach new comers but for them to teach us....
–Rabbi Rick JacobsSlide6
Creating Profound Connections
Higher purpose
↓
Vision Statement
↓
Approach & Pathways to Jewish Life
Practice consistent with vision strengthens
relationships and connection to Judaism
.
ConclusionSlide7
Creating Profound Connections
When two people relate to each other authentically and humanly, God is the electricity that surges between them.
- Martin Buber