NEWS&VIEWS
QUOTABLE from p. 67 always do—of her love, her values, and her well-lived life. Perhaps most importantly, the strands of silver will prompt me to behave in ways that release my own divine sparks into the world. In so doing, I will, I believe, help her light continue to shine.” —Jane E. Herman, on rj.org
“The sukkah is an intriguing symbol of faith; as we sit in the sukkah, with only leaves for a roof, exposed to the wind, the rain and the cold, we become aware of our fragility in the face of the forces of nature and our dependence on it. Sukkot also symbolizes the moment in the agricultural year cycle when we celebrate and enjoy the fruits of our summer’s hard labor. Enjoying the fruits of our hard labor is a gratifying experience. Our society today is not primarily agricultural, but we can still relate to these ideas metaphorically and draw some relevant insights for our times. This fascinating juxtaposition between feeling empowered and vulnerable creates a healthy tension that protects us from vanity and teaches us a lesson in modesty. It can also teach us how to be good hosts. While guests are an important part of the Jewish home all year round, they are even more so during Sukkot. We are commanded to celebrate with the members of our community and especially with those who are more vulnerable and deprived. Once the comfort of sitting in the sukkah is challenged by the weather, hosts become aware of their own vulnerability and the differences between hosts and guests blur. These insights are subtle reminders that the ties that unite us are stronger and richer than the conditions that differentiate us from each other.” —Yehudit Werchow, on rj.org
OF REFORM JEWS
ACTION The Key to Keeping Members When it comes to synagogue ment, including the URJ and its camps. membership, keeping current adult Now, new members know why Temmembers is just as important as identiple Beth Emeth shares a building with fying and recruiting new ones. St. Clare’s Episcopal Church. They also Congregations that achieve a high know that Rabbi Bob Levy cheers for level of memOhio State bership retenUniversity’s tion create a football culture where team—a people feel brave admisconnected by sion in a town strong relawhere archritionships to val University both their of Michigan clergy and is king. their fellow This bulleMEMBERS OF A CONGREGATION BETH ISRAEL SHABBAT congregants. tin is helping CHAVURAH GATHER FOR LUNCH AND STUDY. Here are new members some tips from some of these congrefeel more connected and become gations and the URJ to help you get involved. In an online survey, 75% of there too. bulletin recipients said it led them to participate in a temple activity or go to ♦♦♦ its website. Member Annette Fisch The secret to engaging new members agrees. “When I joined four years ago, at Temple Beth Emeth in Ann Arbor, the bulletin made me feel more at home Michigan (templebethemeth.org) is to in the congregation,” she says. “People not keep secrets. That’s why the congre- are hesitant to put themselves in a situagation produces two temple bulletins— tion where they’re not sure what’s going the second one exclusively for members on. Because of the New Member Bullewho’ve joined within the past year. tin, I knew things I could talk about Recognizing that retention efforts with others in the congregation—such must begin on day one, past president as the rabbi’s sharing my enthusiasm for Bette Cotzin (photo #1; see previous bicycling.” Early on, Fisch also took page) began writing the New Member advantage of temple resources, such as Bulletin 15+ years ago, when she the congregation’s library, where she served as membership vice president. discovered the information she needed “My goal was to be sure that anyone to customize a haggadah. who walked in our doors felt wel“Right away,” she says, “the congrecome,” says Cotzin, who also serves on gation didn’t feel like a strange place.” the URJ’s North American Board. ♦♦♦ “And new members can feel lost or out of place when they don’t know much Sometimes a synagogue’s biggest about the congregational culture and challenge is its size. In larger congrehistory. I felt that a publication geared gations, more people can end up in towards filling in those blanks could the periphery. provide some of that context.” To turn that problem to its advanHer emailed New Member Bulletins, tage, Congregation Beth Israel of San sent three times a year, cover temple hisDiego (cbisd.org) has raised the chatory, annual events, personal tidbits about vurah (small group) concept to a new the clergy and staff, and the temple’s level. Small groups of members join relationship to the larger Reform Movetogether regularly to learn, socialize, reform judaism
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fall 2012
7/18/12 9:34 AM