ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT: This is summary of notes from two meetings in April 2012, one with a group of temple leaders and one a discussion by the full board. The first two sections below are from the small group meeting and the third from the board discussion. These are notes to document the discussions and do no represent edited or final documents.
Village Temple Strategic Planning Session – April 2012
Following are notes from a meeting on April 21, 2012, of several Village Temple leaders to begin a discussion of long-term strategy. Participants were: Bill Abrams, Jerry Arbittier, Fred Basch, Wendy Goldberg, Emily Hacker, Stephanie Kanarek, Don Kent, Deb Seidman. The session followed an Executive Session discussion of the full board on April 17, when the board did a rapid collective brainstorm of a desired future for the temple.
Section 1: What Works Well Today?
- Lay leadership
- Services are very nice/music in services
- Children’s choir
- Soup Kitchen
- Location and proximity to a good demographic
- Synaplex – alternative programming; women’s Seder
- B’nai Mitzvah
- Religious School
- Interfaith families (the feel welcome)
- Size (not tremendous)
- Israel trips (when we can do them)
Topic
Facilities Membership Growth Membership -- Broaden/target membership feeder pools Membership Engagement Religious School Ritual Social Action Community/Congregation Management Financial Management Technology Clergy Programming |
Outcomes
Stable, physical plant Be ahead of the maintenance issues ADA accessible (at least first floor) Plan for a new facility for a larger membership, including capital campaign Minimum 300 members – a realistic plan to get to 350 -400 members Retention rate of 95% (esp. post B’nai Mitzvah) Identify target populations and create 2-3 recruitment pools
Shabbat attendance Friday and Saturday Every new member has had an evening with clergy and Shabbat dinner with others (in a home) Congregants say/feel they want to be actively engaged in the Temple (and take responsibility) A variety of activities to engage outside of services 75% of members attend at least two non-service activities 75% of members say they feel engaged/connected Religious school parents engage in a meaningful way for themselves – e.g., engage them in services Having a segmentation strategy for membership Every class has 30 students
Expanded secular school base with champions identified to recruit at each school Mix of private and public school kids Educational outcome standards in place Assistance for non-Hebrew-speaking parents Touch base engagement – parent/teacher Regular communication with parents Class dinners Contact lists for parents (so they can connect with each other) Religious school retreats Religious school committee owns agenda for the school (set objectives and implement) Reintroduce Torah readings some Friday nights
Reintroduce Saturday services Have successful, well-attended Saturday services Decisions about ritual matters fully engage the congregation and have a clear policy Clarity on what we mean by “reform” – policies, ritual Time of services aligns with needs of congregation Shorter, more accessible sermons:
Maintain quality of High Holy Day services More congregant participation in services One-to-two specific social action issues to mobilize around and implement (that engages the congregation) A long-term soup kitchen strategy (develop vision for soup kitchen, better integrate soup kitchen with our other engagement efforts) Make soup kitchen self-funding and sustainable (including leadership succession) Partner with other congregations Engage youth/family in social action Synagogue that is welcoming to all kinds of families and individuals…particularly interfaith families A synagogue that is part of the conversation in the community on public issues – active and visible within the Jewish community Broader footprint (Downtown beyond the Village) Executive Director in place and providing executive direction/100% responsible
Operating policies and procedures codified/documented Clear decision-making process and authority Succession plan in place for Board leadership Leadership training implemented Clear roles and responsibilities – clergy, staff and reporting structure Performance reviews are done; clear and effective process Inclusive financial management – funding and operating decisions in sync. Funding/budgeting decisions are aligned to strategy/goals Clear technology strategy, goals, priorities implemented
Full engagement in membership recruitment, retention and participation
Clergy aligned with values and religious practices of the community, Board, each other Process exists to constructively discuss and resolve conflict Dialogue of respect Warm, engaging, inspirational clergy Full engagement in daily Temple life (beyond services) Understands and engaged with Reform movement Engages with community clergy Strategy, goals, staffing in place for programs:
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Section 3: Village Temple - -Future Vision brainstorm
VT Board of Trustees, April 2012
Imagine the Village Temple three years from now. What does it feel like, look like, what is happening/what outcomes?
Social/cultural activities
- Jewish book groups
- Jewish book lending library
- A place where people come for socializing, like Shabbat Dinners at VT
- Members get together socially outside temple walls
- Organized group activities (excursions, etc.)
- Social/cultural activities (e.g., theatre outings)
- More activities for more people
- Members coming to the temple for lots of different reasons, e.g. Torah study, social action, cooking classes.
- Trip to Israel
- Sister congregation in another country/exchange visits
- Community service beyond the soup kitchen (outside our doors, outside our neighborhood, etc.)
- Service projects
- Social justice activities
- Social/political action (beyond soup kitchen)
- Real Bikkun Cholim committee to visit and assist the sick
- Committee of congregants who visit the sick, elderly, etc.
- Young couples/singles
- More young couples
- Revived Darkenu ( younger members group)
- More programming for singles and young couples.
- Parents
- Parenting groups
- Intergenerational
- Inter-generational programs
- Seders
- Continue the Women’s Seder
- 2nd night congregational Seder
- Other
- Temple retreat
- Kosher style meat and chicken allowed at dinners, Onegs, etc.
- Regular Shabbat dinners at temple
- More attractive to community
- Stronger presence in our community
- Diverse community
- Multi-generational congregation
- Diverse, welcoming congregation
- More welcoming to a diverse group of constituencies – interfaith, gay families, etc.
- Diverse community from downtown
- Broader geographical footprint
- Broaden the boundaries of the community through technology (i.e., “E” members, live streaming of Friday services, E-learning or webinars with the Rabbi or Cantor)
- Reach into NYU/community outreach
- Have better outreach to interfaith families
- More feeling of community
- Warm, friendly
- Rabbi actively outreach to current members (e.g., dinner with family or small groups)
- Student participation
- More active, vibrant, healthy membership
- 300+ members (vs. 235 today)
- Increased membership
- 200 more members
- Expanded membership base
- Conversions
- Education programming (films, art, etc.) other than Shabbat
- Adult education
- Interesting and well-attended adult learning program (e.g., Hartman)
- Shabbat morning study groups
- Classes for new members on how to read the blessings before and after the Torah Parasha and on the service
- Attract high-profile speakers
- Make educational seminars
- Adult education/B’nai Mitzvah
- Exciting adult and family learning activities
- Lots of kids in the religious school
- Diverse religious school (beyond PS 41)
- Active, vibrant religious school
- Best religious school in lower Manhattan
- Greater presence of clergy day to day
- A more hands-on clergy
- Synergistic clergy
- Better knowledge of congregation by clergy
- Clergy tied in with other local clergy, involved actively in NYC reform Jewish community and issues
- An occasional call from the rabbi or cantor to say “hi”
- Torah reading on Friday nights (not all, but some)
- Saturday morning services more than just B’nai Mitzvah weeks
- Still different (i.e., own/unique prayer book, service, community) – not the reform synagogue in my home town in Westchester
- Reading Torah on Shabbat and holidays
- Full house every Friday/50+ on non-B/M Saturdays
- Services on Sat. morn.
- Regular participation of congregants in services
- Read Torah; Torah study
- Different style services (e.g., outdoor service, meditation)
- At Shabbat services we offer Aliyahs to congregants, especially new members
- Early/Shorten Friday night service w/ Torah reading
- Occasional Torah reading on Friday nights
- Reform Judaism being practiced
- Diverse Shabbat programming to meet different needs
- More child-friendly during services
- Maintain children’s High Holy Day services
Sermons
- Shorter, more accessible sermons
- Sermons that include discussions
- “Teaching” sermons
- Contemporary musical style in services
- Musical/prayer innovation
- Opportunity for Adult choir/adult singing (community choir)
- Active youth group
- Active, vibrant teen programming
- Expanded youth group
- Need for new Board members
- Pipeline of leaders – younger leaders to allow long timers to step back
- Ideally, members will line up to join the Board because it’s such an honor to serve our community
- More active 20s to 30s in leadership roles
- More of congregation engaged
- Broader responsibility shared within congregation
- Executive Director overseeing operations
- Temple Exec Director
- The temple is run on a daily basis by Exec. Dir.
- Multiple income streams – earned income, giving over time, honors, big donors
- Balanced budget without stress
- Double or triple the number of $10K/yr donors
Facilities
- Hassle-free facilities (e.g., HVAC)
- An ADA bathroom/First floor ADA universal accessibility
- More resources for “drop-in’s” – expanded hours building is open
- Modernized web site
- Expanded scope for web site
- E-learning webinars
- Newsletter -- “e “ or otherwise