RJ Blog

Caring Committees are a great beginning but are even more effective when our congregations are communities in which everyone provides care. Some congregations have gotten everyone involved in caring activities by asking each family to volunteer to be available for one or two days each year. They can trade days with another family as necessary, and they can select the ways in which they feel most comfortable helping. Nobody is ever forced to participate, but every family can be asked to offer one or two days when they might deliver a basket to welcome a new baby; bring a meal [...]

A “vouchers for taxis” program helps the elderly and disabled get to congregational events. It can also be a tzedakah and teaching opportunity. Many congregations, concerned about liability and volunteer-driver burnout, negotiate with a taxi company to provide transportation to synagogue services and events. This approach allows the elderly and the disabled to participate without being dependent on others’ schedules. Such a program is often funded as a budget item or by specific-use contributions. This program reassures everyone that they will always have a way to get to synagogue events. The logistics are simple. First, work out with a taxi [...]

Baskets to welcome new born babies and newly adopted children delight member families and gently introduce prospective members to our congregations. Baskets can include Jewish children’s books, ritual objects and collections of Jewish lullabies and songs. Donations made to say thank you often cover the expense of creating the baskets. Caring Committee members often create social events during which participants make festive baskets for families welcoming a new life into their midst. Tiny Shabbat candlesticks; colorful mezuzot; literature about programs for parents and children; board books about Jewish holidays; collections of blessings; and readings for children and parents can be [...]

by Rabbi Thomas Gardner I once read an autobiography called Turbulent Souls, written by a man who grew up Catholic. It was only after he had become an adult that he learned that both of his parents had been born Jewish. My favorite part of the book was when he acknowledged that he probably should have guessed earlier, since after returning from Mass every Sunday, his father would eat  gefilte fish, while singing to the author’s mother My Yiddishe Mama. When we think of a Jewish person, what do we think of? Do we think of a man with a [...]

by Dolores Wilkenfeld On behalf of my Houston community, I want to express deep gratitude for the Shutafim/Partners recognition we received at the Biennial from the Union for Reform Judaism and its Synagogue-Federation Relations Committee for exemplary collaboration and cooperation between the Federation and the synagogue community.  I also appreciate this opportunity to share with you some of my thinking about the institutional relationships in our communities.

by Vicky Farhi Synagogue dues can be difficult to understand if you weren’t raised in a family that maintained a synagogue membership. Without knowledge of the variety of mechanisms that all religious institutions use to sustain themselves financially, some charge that synagogues require you to “pay to pray.” What follows is one way that you might explain synagogue dues to those who raise this objection.

by Vicky Farhi When we discuss connecting those interested in exploring Judaism we often forget two pieces of the conversation:  financial restraints and starting with early engagement of young families.  In this article, we will learn how one congregation addressed both of those issues. Recently, there has been a lot of conversation about relationship building before asking for financial support. For many congregations, this is a difficult matter as they struggle to pay their bills. Temple Beth Or (TBO), in Washington Township, NJ, developed a compromise to encourage early engagement of their young parents without the significant costs of a [...]

by Pat Whitlock “So, how many children do you want?”  Not an unusual question for a man to ask his girlfriend when he is beginning to think about a future with her.  However, when I heard this question, it came from the cute, industrious Israeli I had been dating for about six months and I actually laughed.  “You mean grandchildren, right?”  You see, at 38, I had been a single parent for 18 years, and I was looking forward to the next phase of my life.   But, as we continued to talk, I started to think that parenting with a [...]

by Rabbi Brian I. Michaelson It was Yom Kippur morning.  I had just sat down after doing the blessing of the non-Jewish spouse and introducing the Haftarah portion.  As I sat, I kept thinking about the fact that we have done the blessing of the non-Jewish spouse for a number of years and I know that it was appreciated, but what else were we doing for them?  It was then that the idea came to me that I should set up some kind of meeting with the non-Jewish spouses who are part of the congregation.  This was the moment when [...]

by Marcia Brandt Frezza Several years ago my husband Tony and I moved to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina and joined Congregation Beth Yam.  What a blessing for us to find this amazing community!  What is unique about Congregation Beth Yam is that the  we have developed  a culture of caring that is part of the fiber of our congregation.  We believe when it comes to the members of our congregation you cannot talk the talk without walking the walk.