These Shoes are Made for Walking: Our Collective Path in the New Year
TOMS Shoes have fascinated me for years. I am taken by the company’s business model and how it brought social entrepreneurship into every day vernacular.
Three Congregational Programs that Prove We’re Stronger Together
In Jewish tradition, the theme of partnership is one that arises again and again: Adam seeks an appropriate partner from among God’s creations; Moses and Aaron are two brothers whose strengths and leadership skills complement each other; King Saul and King David both depend on Samuel the prophet
Three Great Congregational Programs that Tackle the Challenge of Demographic Diversity
Three Reform congregations received URJ Belin Awards or honorable mentions for the ways they’re “meeting people where they are” – creatively adapting their engagement strategies in response to local community needs, thereby enabling their congregations to successfully meet and engage people where they live and work.
Two-Fold High Holiday Prep: Our Congregations and Ourselves
As congregational leaders, you may find that the month of Elul and the High Holidays fly by in a whirl of logistical details – arranging for tickets, ensuring enough chairs, assigning aliyot, planning the community’s break-the-fast – necessary to ensure meaningful worship for members and visitors alike. That is indeed holy work. Often, we fail to devote adequate time and attention to cheshbon ha’nefesh (accounting of the soul) – the act of taking stock of the spiritual health of both ourselves as individuals and our congregations.
What Makes Jewish Science Camp So Special?
URJ 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy is where imagination, mind, and Judaism are all present as 5th – 10th grade campers energetically and joyfully learn Jewish values while participating in robotics, video game design, web and graphic design, earth and sky, forensics, digital film, and rocketry.
Five Great Congregational Programs All About Building Strong Relationships
A number of Reform congregations recently received Belin Outreach and Membership Awards or honorable mentions from the URJ for their work to promote authentic, meaningful relationships among members.
Learning Opportunity: Closing the Gap between Good Intentions and Bad Results
Here are a few steps congregations can take to increase matterness and begin to close the gap between the values synagogues espouse and the experience of potential and existing members:
This Month in The Tent: Policies and Ideas for Your Congregation
As 5776 gets into gear, congregational leaders are asking lots of terrific questions in The Tent, the URJ’s online communication and collaboration forum. In response, those leaders with relevant experiences, practical information, and useful suggestions are sharing their expertise.
Learning Their Truths: Talking to Kids About Camp
I had the honor to learn with teen leaders from two of our NFTY regions. I asked them to share with me their truths – the things they have learned about themselves and the world, that are central to the way they live. Truths can be found in questions like: What do you stand for? What do you value? What are your boundaries? Who are you aspiring to become?
6 “Can’t Miss” Youth Engagement Opportunities at the 2015 URJ Biennial
Here at the URJ, we are proud to offer programs and camps to form a different kind of social network. One where cell phones are replaced by laughter around a dining hall table and Facebook is set aside for an old-fashioned game of cards.