words to describe Ohav Shalom

Description of Congregation Ohav Shalom : Meeting : Feb 23 2009

Words to Describe Congregation Ohav Shalom (see below)


Text Summary (early draft from Michael):

Community
Congregation Ohav Shalom is a welcoming, comfortable community that provides a social and support network for all of its members. The congregation embraces its members and all members of their families, including children, seniors, and interfaith couples. The congregation recognizes that there are many ways of being Jewish, and we accept and strive to learn and grow from our members’ differences in approaching Judaism. Members are encouraged to get involved early on, and long-time members are encouraged to partner with new members to enhance the experience of all of our members. The synagogue provides a forum for members to meet other Jewish families similar to their own, to celebrate holidays and life events and to enable members to stay connected to the Jewish community. At times, the most meaningful connections are built during unplanned moments, kibitzing in the hallway, or walking home after services. In sum, Ohav is inviting and welcoming to all people.

Community of Learners
Congregation Ohav Shalom is a “community of learners,” encouraging all of our members to learn more about Jewish religion and culture from early childhood and nursery school through Hebrew School, Bar and Bat Mitzvah, teen years and adulthood. We offer family education programming to build connections within families, youth programs that provide opportunities for children and teens to interact with other Jewish kids, Shabbat morning “learner’s services,” and Adult B’nai Mitzvah programs and classes on topics of interest to today’s Jewish community.

Personal Needs
Ohav Shalom affor ds opportunities to fulfill members’ personal needs, reinforcing members’ Jewish identity, and creating opportunities to develop and apply their skills in a Jewish environment by serving on committees of interest to the members. Members also build personal relationships with their rabbis, who are available for individual and small-group meetings to consult on personal and religious issues.

Family Child Programs
Ohav offers family/child programs including Shabbat morning Shorashim services for preschool-age children in addition to a family-friendly nook in the main sanctuary, special holiday events including a fun and silly Purim carnival, and family education programs both within and outside the context of our Talmud Torah.

Social Action
The Congregation’s commitment to social action includes volunteer work to support the larger Jewish and general community including a special project this year to support the Equinox community services agency, support Israel, and work on activities to promote environmental awareness and other issues of common concern.

Atmosphere
Congregation Ohav Shalom provides a unique sense of community where congregants truly care about their religious experience. The Rabbis are active and interested in the lives of congregants, and are open to ideas and trying20new things. The congregation is friendly, sociable and welcoming, and we provide a haimish pre-school for families with young children.

Spirituality
Ohav provides opportunities for members to explore and express their spirituality, providing a “Step by Step” program for adults, offering meditation sessions, and enabling members to explore their relati onship with G-d.

Services and Religious Experiences
Congregation Ohav Shalom provides egalitarian, traditional services in a relaxed, inclusive prayer environment. Services are participatory and include a significant degree of lay leadership. Services are available throughout the year, including High Holiday services, Shabbat and holiday services, and weekday morning minyanim, as well as alternative services on an occasional basis.

Life Cycle
Ohav accompanies its members through all phases of the Jewish life cycle, performing rituals and providing support through celebrations, losses, grief and mourning. As a community, we provide a nice place to get married, provide meals for tired new parents, and come together for shiva minyans in our members’ homes.


Words to Describe Congregation Ohav Shalom

Community

Network for families and individuals, Community support, Outreach partnering with new and long term members, Welcoming interfaith couples,Welcome all kinds of people and accept individuals with different ways of becoming Jewish, Welcome all family members, Inviting welcoming and open to all people, Comfortable, Create Community:, Meet other families with and without kids in the area. , Meet other young Jewish families, ??Shul emphasis, Stay connected to people in the Jewish community, Support families in time of need, Celebrate life events., Invited to get involved early on, Not exclusive try to involve everyone, Kibbitz, projects., Equinox, Maintain an Ohav presence in the community, Megillah reading, Meeting people on Shabbat during services, Meeting members, being with friends, Shabbat services in a welcoming environment, Walking to shul, Community support

Social Progressiveness

Welcoming intra-faith couples/families, Ritual Lay Leadership, Inclusive participatory equalitarian, Environmental Awareness, Has a long range planning committee

Community of Learners

Mitzvahs and classes, Shorashim Shabbat, Shul emphasizes learning with adult and child, spiritual or intellectual, Study: learn more about Judaism. Think, Jewish religious, cultural education., Preschool to educate children, Continuing classes: interesting to today’s Jewish population, B’nai Mitzvah tutoring, Evening Adult classes, Learn, educate, and participate in communities of learners program, Schlepping: taking my child to school/carpooling, Run a preschool to educate children, Find ways to get teens, pre-teens, and younger children interacting with other Jewish kids, Opportunities to attend a variety of programs

Personal Needs:

Serve on educational or search committee, Consult with Rabbi’s on personal religious issues, Personal meeting with my Rabbi, Reinforce Jewish Identity

Family Child Programs

Services on Shabbat for preschool(Shorashim), Family programs – Saturday evening –Holidays ( Special events and holiday programs for children, Purim Carnival silliness costumes, Family ed. Program with Rabbi’s, Hamish preschool, Family Talmud Torah programs, Family friendly shul play areas (2), Take my (daughter0 child to Hebrew School

Social Actions

Support the larger Jewish and general community, Support Israel, Has a long range planning committee,Volunteer work on outside community, Environmental awareness, Equinox, Volunteers work on outside community projects

Atmosphere

Rabbis are open to ideas and trying new things, Rabbi’s active and interested in the lives of congregants, Friendly and social congregants and services, Friendly to families with young children, Unique sense of community where congregants truly care about their religious experience, Hamish pre-school, Pray, Participatory Jewish services

Spirituality

Meditations, Explore our relationship with God, Adult step by step program

Services and Religious Experiences

Relaxed atmosphere to pray, Religious service traditional but egalitarian, Daven, Relaxed atmosphere to pray, Attending high holidays, Attending traditional and alternative services, With my kid and rabbi in the Bat Mitzvah class, Pray (daven), Participate in Jewish services, Ritual lay leadership, Hold religious services, Life cycle event rituals, High Holy Days

Life Cycles

Meals for newparents, Mourning together, Celebrating together, A nice place to get married, Life cycle events, Celebrate rituals

Demographics of members

Age, Family Status, Gender, Income/giving level, Spiritual/Religious Attitude

Facilities Personnel

People,Age,Strengths/weaknesses,Workload

Building

Age, Condition, Function

Activities

Sabbath Attend, 3x year, Daily Minyan, School, Adult Ed., Other Programs, Haverah

Interests/Needs

Community

Perceived Role in the community