“The old shall be made new, and the new shall be made holy” – Rav Kook, first Chief Rabbi of Israel

A focused learning community dedicated to a deep-dive exploration of the changing landscape of Jewish families, and their intersection with synagogue communities.

This special initiative is a collaboration of Jewish LearningWorks, Jewish United Fund, and the Builders of Jewish Education of Los Angeles designed to help congregations seek alignment between the needs of their communities, and their ultimate purpose.

A Guided Exploration of Your Community’s Needs and Your Purpose

The Changing Synagogue Landscape will gather synagogue teams from the Bay Area, Chicago and Los Angeles to learn from experts, reflect together, address guiding questions, and create next steps for their communities.

Through this guided exploration, synagogue teams will address 3 key questions:

  • How might we articulate the needs of our community?
  • How we might refine the purposes and goals of our synagogue?
  • How might we move towards alignment of our purpose and goals with the needs of individuals in our community?

Program Details

  • Aimed at: Synagogue teams of up to 5 professionals and lay leaders, located in the Bay Area, Chicago and Los Angeles.
  • Time horizon: An 18 month project beginning in early Spring 2024.
  • Format: Virtual with local community gatherings.

Registration

This special initiative is underwritten by Jewish LearningWorks, Jewish United Fund, and the Builders of Jewish Education of Los Angeles.

Successful participants will:

  • Serve congregations in the Bay Area, Chicago or Los Angeles.
  • Apply as a team, including senior clergy, lay leaders, senior educator, and if appropriate to your settling, other professionals serving the community. One of your team will serve as the teams’ leader.
  • Commit to attend all sessions, and do the reflection work in between sessions.
  • Engage with curiosity and creativity the issues facing synagogues.
  • Hold a collaboration stance to share their exploration journeys, and the outcomes that may help lift up other communities.

Application coming soon. Enrollments will be communicated by mid-December, 2023.

Questions About the Program?

For more information or any questions you may have, please contact Kathy Schwartz at kathy@jewishlearning.works.

A Collaboration of