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Connection: Bringing People Closer to Torah and the Synagogue Table of Contents

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Connection: Bringing People Closer to Torah and the Synagogue Table of Contents Spring 2010 Do not separate yourself from the community... — Pirkei Avot 2:5 Connection: Bringing People Closer to Torah and the Synagogue Table of Contents Spring 2010 B’reishit - The Beginning: A Message from the Editor David I. Rothenberg, FSA, ATz ........................................................................................................................ 2 EDITOR: David I. Rothenberg, FSA, ATz Beth Israel Congregation, Owings Mills, Maryland Five Challenges to Managing for Success EDITORIAL BOARD: Glenn S. Easton, FSA, ATz ................................................................................................................................. 3 Suzanne S. Connell, FSA Abby Levine Harry Hauser Ethel F. Levinson Robert E. Hill, FSA Marcia K. Newfeld, FSA Both Sides Now: Balancing Work and Life as an Executive Director Gilbert Kleiner, FSA Allan Ross, FSA Marc M. Neiwirth, FSA, ATz ............................................................................................................................. 7 HONORARY PRESIDENT Neal S. Price, FSA, ATz The Necessity of Human Connection and Engagement in the Synagogue Hebrew educational Alliance, Denver, CO Thomas Jablonski, FSA, FTA .........................................................................................................................11 PRESIDENT Gilbert Kleiner, FSA Beth El Congregation, Baltimore, MD Ideological Schizophrenia and Denominational Bewilderment: SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR PROGRAMMING Conservative Theology in the Age of Personal Autonomy Marcia K. Newfeld, FSA Congregation Bnai Tzedek, Potomac, MD Bernard Goldblatt, FSA, ATz .........................................................................................................................14 VICE PRESIDENT FOR MEMBERSHIP Marc M. Neiwirth, FSA, ATz Inreach AND Outreach: Our Future Congregation Tifereth Israel, Columbus, OH Steven Hecht ......................................................................................................................................................20 VICE PRESIDENT FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Michael Schatz, FSA, ATz Beth El Temple, Harrisburg, PA Photographs from the NAASE - NATA Joint Conference in Atlanta ........................................22 TREASURER Robert D. Festenstein, FSA Temple Beth Sholom, Las Vegas, NV Sof Hadavar – End of Discussion: SECRETARY Im Ein Kemah Ein Torah - If There is No Flour, There Can be No Torah Miriam F. Telem, FSA Rabbi William H. Lebeau ................................................................................................................................25 Beth David Bnai Israel Beth Am, Toronto, ON BOARD OF GOVERNORS Beryl P. Chernov Ben Cuperman, FSA Lori Dafilou, FSA Luis R. Dorfman, FSA Bernard Goldblatt, FSA Steven Hecht Rachel Gross Donald A. Kaye Robert Krakowsky Abby Levine Fred Rothstein Michael L. Simmons, FSA, ATz Elliot A. Sorkin Gail S. Tescher PAST PRESIDENTS Joseph Abrahams* Joseph Goldberg* Abe Shefferman* Gerald N. Schoem* David I. Siegel, FSA* Harold W. Hammer* Max D. Weinles, FSA* Abraham Stadlen* North American Association of Synagogue Executives Lionel Semiatin, FSA is affiliated with United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the Jewish Theological Howard S. Danzig, FSA* Martin Leightling* Seminary of America, and the Jewish Communal Service Association Doris Jaffe, FSA* Burton D. Shanker, FSA Charles Parmet, FSA* Stanley I. Minch, FSA* Joseph M. Miller, FSA The NAASE Journal is published by the North American Association of Synagogue Executives (NAASE) as a Leonard H. Smith, FSA* forum for sharing ideas about synagogue leadership and management. The opinions and points of view Sanford S. Cohen, FSA expressed in the articles presented in this publication are those of the authors, and do not necessarily Harvey Brown, FSA represent or imply agreement with the positions or viewpoints of NAASE, its officers, staff, members, or the Thomas Jablonski, FSA, FTA synagogues that employ our members. Rhoda Myers, FSA Larry Trope, FSA The NAASE Journal welcomes submission for consideration manuscripts and articles that may be of value Ralph Kirshbaum, FSA Janet Baron, FSA to synagogue executive directors and others interested in synagogue management and leadership. All Amir Pilch, FSA material to be considered for future issues should be sent to NAASE via [email protected], or sent to The Judith Kranz, FSA, ATz NAASE Journal, c/o NAASE at Rapaport House, 820 Second Avenue, New York, New York 10017. Robert E. Hill, FSA Glenn S. Easton, FSA, ATz CREDITS *Of Blessed Memory • Cover illustration, as well as photos and illustrations on pages 3, 4, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 20, 23, 24, and 25 courtesy of Big Stock Photo. Used with permission. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR • Photos of contributors and photos on page 22 by David Rothenberg. Harry Hauser • Word cloud on back cover developed by Harry Hauser using www.wordle.net. • Graphic design by Goin’ Graphic. Printed by Sir Speedy of Owings Mills, MD. • Distribution and mailing by Letter Perfect Mailing services. A Message from the President of NAASE Gilbert Kleiner, FSA 1 As I looked at the titles of the articles in this issue of NAASE Journal, I was impressed. Our authors have given us compelling reading. When professionals develop skills and insights and pass them on to others in the field, their generosity in sharing their professional experiences places them among the leadership elite. Their research and their opinions are valuable tools for their colleagues in the field of synagogue administration. By sharing with us, they elevate their standing in our Association and in-turn, they make each of us that much better at performing our responsibilities for our congregations. The NAASE Journal is our opportunity as professionals in synagogue management to learn and grow in this collegial yet learned forum. A scholarly professional Journal is a garden where valuable sharing thrives and the seedlings of ideas grown from practical experience and wisdom take root. Take this opportunity. Read these articles, and learn from your fellow professionals. I hope you will then be inspired to share your own wisdom and experiences in the next issue of the NAASE Journal, as our unending search for new and inspiring ideas continues to transform our profession, and our congregations, in these challenging times. Gilbert Kleiner As President of the North American Association of Synagogue Executives, I would like to thank our contributors, our editor David Rothenberg, and his editorial board for producing this year’s NAASE Journal. Yasher Koach. n GIlbert Kleiner, FSA NAASE President February, 2010 Adar 5770 ABOUT THE COVER Our cover is an illustration of randomly placed human like figures connected by seemingly random vector lines. Some of the figures are in close proximity to each other, and some are farther off. Some have several lines of connection and some have less. This illustration, somewhat abstract but quite symbolic, in many ways reflects the web of relationships and people that is the modern synagogue community. It was chosen because it graphically represents that which concerns many of the articles in this issue of NAASE Journal – how can Jews connect to each other, to Torah, to their synagogue and to the community as a whole. And of course – we know the Executive Director has a role to play in either creating those connections, or at least fostering the opportunity for connections to happen. Although the private life of the individual is important, the importance of community in Judaism cannot be overemphasized. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 17b) states that scholars should only reside in towns that had a structured, organized community. It defines the essential elements required - of course one of them being a synagogue. We are familiar with the cautionary statement in Pirkei Avot 2:5 – “Al tifrosh min hatzibbur” – do not withdraw from, or separate from, the community. And no one can be so ego-centric or sure of his or herself that he / she can be the center of that community – “v’al ta-amin b’azmecha”- and do not be so sure of yourself. Hence, no one figure in the cover illustration is taller or bigger than another. Every day in our worship there is the statement attributed to Hillel, from Pirkei Avot 1:12 – to be like a disciple of Aaron – loving peace and pursuing peace, loving our fellows and bringing them near to Torah. We recite the passage from the Talmud which lists the deeds that bring reward, among them creating peace (i.e. – friendships) between people. Although study and prayer can be done by individuals in private, it takes on a higher dimension of holiness when we connect with each other and pray or study in community. Talmud Brachot tells us that knowledge of Torah cannot be thoroughly acquired unless studied in a group. And of course, certain prayers and ritual privileges are reserved for the minyan. In fact, most of our prayers are written in the plural. Since each Jew is inexorably tied to every other Jew (“kol Yisrael averim ze la-ze”) we cannot escape the community even if we wanted to. Inevitably there will be those who try to distance themselves, but we must always be prepared to welcome someone back. The prophet Isaiah expresses this well – “Shalom shalom lerachok velekarov”. (Welcome welcome to those who are near and those who are far - Isaiah 57:19). Recognizing, of course, that distance may not just be because someone traveled a long way to enter our synagogue… there can be a spiritual or an emotional distance as well. n B’reishit: The
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