Fishbone
+ Demographics (i.e. age ,numbers, trends)
+ Economic trends
+ Other ways Jews affiliate in the Jewish community
+ Financial crisis
+ Who joins and why
+
External Challenges
o Response to other community issues
o Interfaith issues and relationships
o Community of faith interacting
o Other demands on time
o Economic, demographic, numbers, trends
o Local issues re Jewish population
o Greater assimilation
o Life cycle challenges
o NFP trends for efficiency, cost cutting,
o What people are looking for
o Non-active member opinions
o Focus groups for ages that are not represented
o Changes to religious life and spirituality
Internal Challenges:
- Attract adult children of member to join
- Future of conservative movement.
- Intermarriage
- Declining Hebrew school enrollment
- Promoting Hebrew Academy
- Capital Campaign in this economic time
- Decline in number of congregants who are small business owners
- How to Make Judaism at Ohav fun and exciting
- Talmud Torah – competitive with other synagogues
- Keeping Jews engaged Jewishly
- Building connections between convert members
- Working with Temple Israel and other shuls.
- Losing the Holocaust generation
- Reluctance to diverse membership and community
- Technologically reluctant
- Social justice stance vs. social action stance
- Keeping services relevant and interesting
- New ways of approach spirituality
- Get young members to be involved
- Prohibitive dues
- Stronger competition to smaller audience
- Meeting needs different age groups
- Lack of people for leadership
- Opportunity for communicating outside of religion
- Decreased interest in religion
- Reducing distance of social and religious lives
- Lack of high school education
- Loss of institutional knowledge
- More geographically dispersed
- Shift in Israel’s global perception
- Aging community
- Fun activities i.e. gardening
- Fostering strong sense of Jewish identity
- Children of interfaith marriages
- Remaining positive about challenges
- Ohav activities outside of synagogue
Minutes of 3/24/09
Meeting of Ohav Shalom Long Range Planning Group
The meeting commenced at 7:10 with a D’Var Torah by Rabbi K., an overview of the prior meeting of 2/23 by Esther K. and a review of the distributed agenda (attached).
A draft document titled “Rules of the Road” developed during the prior meeting was distributed with proposed revisions for discussion. Substantive discussion focused on a provision regarding confidentiality and a vote to adopt the Rules of the Road as revised passed unanimously.
The Group next discussed an effort commenced during to prior meeting to identify Ohav’s strengths and the Current description sub-group’s effort to synthesize the list down to select categories reflected on an untitled document (A. Michael W., 3-09) . Scott and Alan discussed the difficulties in reconciling and consolidating the list and Esther stressed the importance of participants admitting what they didn’t know. The Group identified a few of the enumerated strengths needing additional detail or discussion including the pond, preteens, openness and shul. Harris stressed the need to incorporate economic considerations into the process; Jennifer, Michael and Rabbi Dan joined the discussion.
The Group next engaged in a “fishbone” exercise identifying areas that impact Ohav to add to the fishbone. Esther charted all responses (B. Fishbone Exercise 3-24-09); Brad, Roberta, Scott, Dan, Mona and Carol volunteered to untangle the list.
Esther transitioned the discussion to a review of the overall Group plan which included a review of Ohav’s history and vision which would lead to a statement of Ohav’s mission. This in turn would lead to an identification of Ohav’s challenges and dreams. She indicated that groups (i.e. education, membership , religious ,social action) would be formed to address particular challenges and dreams as part of the planning process. Dan B. discussed the importance of focusing on youth groups as a discrete category for special attention.
Alan discussed generally the opportunity for Group members to adopt a longer term perspective about Ohav’s direction than Ohav’s current board members.The discussion next focused on developing a list of significant challenges facing Ohav. Alan and Esther charted all responses from Group members (C. Ohav Team Challenges 3-24-09).
