Rabbi Nancy Fuchs-Kreimer shares her initial misconceptions about Islam, and what she's learned since. She is Director for Multifaith Studies and Initiatives at the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College.
Type: Article
Community Building
Home page of PEARL (Providing Education and Resources for Leadership) , a distance-learning program for congregational leaders and professionals that ran from 2008-2014.
Type: Other
Rabbi Richard Hirsh discusses the importance of providing grape juice in addition to wine at congregational and ritual gatherings.
Topics: Jewish Practice, Community Building, Congregational and Organizational Life, Family Issues, Holy Days and Rituals, Religious Values, Pesach, Building Community, Inclusive Communities
Type: Policy
This is a series of audio recordings and related documents explaining how one congregation did outreach to unaffiliated and intermarried Jews. It was part of the PEARL series for Kehillah builders and the calls were facilitated by Rabbi Nancy Epstein, RRC '06.
Topics: Community Building, Interfaith
This article connects effective inreach and outreach in the process of community growth. Thinking about how to grow can help a congregation figure out how to better serve its current members as well.
Type: Article
Wrestling With Rest
A community process to resolve questions about observance of Shabbat
Topics: Congregational Development, Jewish Practice, Community Building, Congregational and Organizational Life, Holy Days and Rituals
Type: Profile
Making Our Synagogues Vessels of Tikkun Olam
Rabbi Mordechai Liebling is the former Torah of Money director at the Shefa Fund (now Bend the Arc). This article is adapted from a talk at the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation Tikkun Olam Kallah March, 2003.
Topics: Congregational Development, Synagogue Programs, Tikkun Olam, Jewish Community, Community Building, Innovative Programming
Type: Article
Ways to Welcome New Members
A list of ways to warmly welcome new members into your community, from partnering new members with veteran members to running special programs for members' uninvolved partners and families.
Type: How to
Planning for Change: Dollars and Sense
A guide to thinking about and implementing long-term strategic planning in your congregation as a community building process.
Topics: Congregational Development, Money and Values, Synagogue Administration, Transitions, Community Building
Type: How to
Values Inventory
An exercise examining your congregation's goals and values, evaluating successes and planning for the future.
Type: Evaluation Tool