RJ Blog

by Rabbi Andy Bachman Earlier today, I stood on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art together with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and many of Congregation Beth Elohim’s (CBE) neighbors and friends—the Brooklyn Public Library, The High Line, the Guggenheim Museum, the Tenement Museum, and many, many others. I was absolutely thrilled when the mayor announced that CBE has been chosen from among hundreds of applicants from throughout the five boroughs as one of only 40 finalists in American Express’ Partners in Preservation (PiP) program with the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and the National Trust [...]

by  Jocelyn Sontag For the past few years, I served on the Membership Initiative Task Force at Westchester Reform Temple (WRT) in Scarsdale, New York.  Many of our meetings were spent discussing, among other things, how best to engage families with young children.  Specifically, we talked about engaging the families in our Early Childhood Center (ECC), as these are families that chose to send their children to a synagogue preschool (as opposed to a secular one down the street), so their desire for an early Jewish education was apparent.  We heard a constant message from the ECC liaisons that these [...]

by Cantor Alane Katzew A congregational seder is a wonderful way for a small congregation to build community while sharing the experience of the Exodus. While it can be daunting for one person, when the work is shared and delegated among many according to their interests and abilities, the results can be awesome, educational and fun. We developed this easy to use guide specifically to provide small congregations with the basics. Of course, contact us if you’d like to discuss in more detail, and discuss below what ingredients you would add to this recipe for your community. Ingredients of the [...]

by Stephanie Zinn Our congregation, M’kor Shalom of Cherry Hill, NJ, has introduced a unique program which has personally touched my soul. It is a monthly gathering, led by our own Rabbi Richard Address, entitled “How to Talk to your Child About…”  While the talk is open to everyone in our community, it is geared mostly toward preschool mothers like me, as the title suggests. Taking place directly after the rush of the morning drop-off, we enter our synagogue’s cozy chapel where chairs are arranged in a welcoming circle. A delicious selection of baked goods and warm tea or coffee [...]

by Susan G. Davis Grandparenthood at last!!  Most of us look forward to this new role in our lives with anticipation and delight.  We can’t wait until there is a new baby in the family.  But like any other new role in our lives, along with the blessings and pleasure, there also are adjustments and a renegotiation of relationships, in this case, with the parents of the new baby. The balance of power has shifted and we are no longer in charge.  It is up to the new parents to decide how they want to raise their baby. Sometimes they [...]

by Dana Rosenbloom, M.S. Ed. Each August early childhood program teachers, and teachers of all ages, keep an eye on their mailbox or their inbox for the roster of children who will be in their class the coming year. Are there any children we know? Parents we’ve had before? Children with special needs?  As an educator who works both in a school and in the home, I advise parents to let their school and teachers know if their child is receiving special services.  Parents often respond with, “Will they hold it against my child?” “Will my child be labeled?”  I [...]

by Benjamin J. Dubin Some 35 years ago my wife, Esther, gave birth to an adorable girl, Rachel. It was not until Rachel was three that we knew she had a hearing loss. Then, at the age of five, Rachel lost all her residual hearing. Esther, a coronary care nurse, took a break in her career to be with Rachel and to be her ears when necessary. Together the three of us advocated for the deaf and hard of hearing:  Rachel testified before the United States Congress beginning at age eleven while Esther and I were involved in local and [...]

by Lindsey Sadler This summer I experienced my first membership commitment recertification at Temple Sinai, Atlanta. As we operate on a fair share dues model, this is the time of year when we send our membership materials to congregants and ask them to strive towards contributing 2% of their annual gross household income minus costs such as alimony and child support. Simple, right? Members and their families do the math; a household earning $200K per year would contribute at the $4000 level, and a household earning $80K would contribute at the $1600 level. The distribution of wealth will balance out; [...]

by Anita M. Rosenberg Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim in Charleston and Temple Sinai in Sumter, South Carolina, share a storied past dating back to 1815 when members of KKBE ventured to Sumter to establish a Jewish community there. The Sumter community flourished until the past few decades, when declining membership and changing demographics indicated a fading future. Robert A. Moses, whose grandfather served as Temple Sinai’s second president in 1882 and who has himself been a member of the congregation for nine decades, told a powerful story at a board meeting this past summer. He described the “unbreakable and warmly [...]

by Rabbi Howard Jaffe Okay, it is not so modest. It may be a bit too ambitious. So how about this: can we at least rethink how we fund our synagogues? We need a new financial model in North American Jewish life. Once upon a time, Jews grew up, became young adults, almost always married other Jews, and within a few years, joined a synagogue. Whatever that synagogue asked for in dues, they paid (and did not see it as a contribution, but more of a Jewish tax). No more. Even so, the vast majority of our congregations still operate [...]