Celebrating Israel- Reconstructing  Zionism : Mordecai Kaplan believed that nowhere else could Jews live so completely a Jewish life as in Israel. However, because not all Jews intend or even desire to emigrate to Israel - nor did Kaplan believe that there is an imperative to do so - he envisioned that Jewish communities around the world ought to be interdependent. Such a relationship to Israel and to Jewish communities around the world, maintains Israel as central to our historical self definition and affirms our identity as a nation within the global family.

One of the core principles as a Reconstructionist community is the support of Israel's right to exist as an independent nation, which includes both advocating on behalf of policies and needs in Israel, as well as challenging policies if they contradict other sacred values.  Because of the emotional complexity of dealing with Israel, opportunities for real dialogue and discussion of the critical issues facing the Jewish homeland have suffered. Such discussion will also, we hope, help promote our movement's active support of a Jewish state that is secure and living at peace with its neighbors, a place where democracy and pluralism can flourish. This goal comes directly out of our movement's support and love of Israel, as well as out of our commitment to Jewish values of peace and justice.

Download the audio while you view the power point below.

The Dynamics of Growth: Outreach/Inreach, Marketing, Branding and the Covenant of Membership: Growth isn’t only about numbers; if your congregation is to grow, it must focus also on dynamic changes. Members of congregations of various sizes will share their stories of successful growth and will provide workshop participants with opportunities for practical application to their home communities. Creative “branding” and marketing of Reconstructionist Judaism is crucial to the growth of individual Reconstructionist congregations and havurot and to the movement-as-a-whole.  These sessions will share some of the wealth that is being developed in these areas.

Click Here to listen to the audio while viewing the power point below.

For access to Michael Clancy's complete "branding" presentation, go to: http://jrf.org/keruv-library. You will find the link on the page in the fourth paragraph beginning with "Michael Clancy."

“Where there is no vision, the people lapse into chaos” Proverbs. 29:18

It’s hard to know where you are going if you don’t first know where you are. Strategic planning cannot take place without first undertaking strategic thinking: what are the mission, vision, and values of our community? Explore ways to think about these key issues, models for creating cohesive statements that respond to them, and challenges and opportunities of doing this work in a spiritual community.
Where we are now: Assessing environment, organizational lifecycle, strengths, etc. (data collection: SWOT and SOAR models); Where are we going: Developing mission-vision-values-goals-strategies; Specific actions; Communication and alignment side ; Managing the execution- how will you know you are doing a good job? Examples of JRF community plans and/or working with presented examples.

Part I: Download the audio
Part II: Download the audio

“Where there is no vision, the people perish” Proverbs.
It’s hard to know where you are going if you don’t first know where you are. Strategic planning cannot take place without first undertaking strategic thinking: what are the mission, vision, and values of our community? Explore ways to think about these key issues, models for creating cohesive statements that respond to them, and challenges and opportunities of doing this work in a spiritual community.
Where we are now: Assessing environment, organizational lifecycle, strengths, etc. (data collection: SWOT and SOAR models); Where are we going: Developing mission-vision-values-goals-strategies; Specific actions; Communication and alignment side ; Managing the execution- how will you know you are doing a good job? Examples of JRF community plans and/or working with presented examples.

Part I: Download the audio
Part II: Download the audio

As part of JRF's ongoing Sustainable Synagogue Initiative, these sessions will focus on Jewish values and successful greening of synagogue life. Special focus on texts and traditions on religious and ecological consciousness and sustainable practices in ritual, programming and policy aspects of Jewish communal life, using alternative energies, and emerging best practices.

Below you will find a packet of texts to be used in the call in addition to the PowerPoint presentation that will be used and uploaded later, and a copy of the packet from the 2009 PEARL call on Sustainability.

To listen to a version of this presentation go to http://greenfaith.org/programs/denominational-partnerships/the-reconstructionist-jewish-movement

As part of JRF's ongoing Sustainable Synagogue Initiative, these sessions will focus on Jewish values and successful greening of synagogue life. Special focus on texts and traditions on religious and ecological consciousness and sustainable practices in ritual, programming and policy aspects of Jewish communal life, using alternative energies, and emerging best practices.

A Sacred Trust: Effective Leadership Skills and Governance that Works: We can’t lead in a vacuum – the work of leadership is done within a larger system. Whether you are on the board, a member of a committee, part of the executive committee, or a staff member, working within a well-defined governance structure can help to clarify roles and responsibilities. These sessions will highlight effective models for structuring and managing the congregational board as well as explore the key elements to effective Jewish congregational leadership. As well, determining values that underlie congregational life can provide the framework for a viable approach to engaging and vibrant Reconstructionist Judaism.

NOTE:  To maximize communal learning, congregations are encourage to form a team (including clergy) and sign up for all three sessions designed for your congregational size, see http://jrf.org/pearl/sessions/2012

Expected Preparation:

http://jrf.org/pearl/2008/how-to-successfully-integrate-and-use-reconstr...

http://jrf.org/pearl/2011/Leadership-and-Governance/1

http://jrf.org/pearl/2011/Leadership-and-Governance/2 

A Sacred Trust: Effective Leadership Skills and Governance that Works: We can’t lead in a vacuum – the work of leadership is done within a larger system. Whether you are on the board, a member of a committee, part of the executive committee, or a staff member, working within a well-defined governance structure can help to clarify roles and responsibilities. These sessions will highlight effective models for structuring and managing the congregational board as well as explore the key elements to effective Jewish congregational leadership. As well, determining values that underlie congregational life can provide the framework for a viable approach to engaging and vibrant Reconstructionist Judaism.

NOTE:  To maximize communal learning, congregations are encourage to form a team (including clergy) and sign up for all three sessions designed for your congregational size, see http://jrf.org/pearl/sessions/2012

Expected Preparation:

http://jrf.org/pearl/2008/how-to-successfully-integrate-and-use-reconstr...

http://jrf.org/pearl/2011/Leadership-and-Governance/1

http://jrf.org/pearl/2011/Leadership-and-Governance/2

To listen to the recording of this call, go to: http://jrf.org/node/3312

You're Invited to JRF's Chesapeake Region Annual Celebration! This year's celebration will take place at Oseh Shalom in Laurel, MD on Sunday, March 4, 2011.

The theme for this year's event will be "JRF Salutes: L'dor v'dor (From Generation to Generation)"

As the JRF and the RRC (Reconstructionist Rabbinical College) continue towards restructuring the movement, JRF is celebrating the legacy of our first half-century as a congregational movement. We are creating a Legacy book to highlight JRF's communities. These books will be available in time for the Chesapeake Celebration.

REGISTER
PURCHASE AN AD IN THE TRIBUTE JOURNAL
DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE REGISTRATION FORM

A Sacred Trust: Effective Leadership Skills and Governance that Works: We can’t lead in a vacuum – the work of leadership is done within a larger system. Whether you are on the board, a member of a committee, part of the executive committee, or a staff member, working within a well-defined governance structure can help to clarify roles and responsibilities. These sessions will highlight effective models for structuring and managing the congregational board as well as explore the key elements to effective Jewish congregational leadership. As well, determining values that underlie congregational life can provide the framework for a viable approach to engaging and vibrant Reconstructionist Judaism.

Expected Preparation:

http://jrf.org/pearl/2008/how-to-successfully-integrate-and-use-reconstr...

http://jrf.org/pearl/2011/Leadership-and-Governance/1

http://jrf.org/pearl/2011/Leadership-and-Governance/2