The challenge: how do we make our synagogue more vibrant?

Summary of Challenges:

How do we make our synagogue more vibrant?

1. How to strengthen our financial viability.

2. How to foster a growing and engaged membership.

3. How to strengthen and build the Jewish community within the Conservative Movement.

4. How to enrich our array of activities so that they are current and relevant to the members of the Jewish Community.

a. Education

b. Spiritual

c. Social

d. Social action

e. Interaction with the larger community

f. Teen/Youth programs

5. How to find the balance of tradition and inclusiveness.

a. Intermarriage

b. Sexual orientation

c. Different pathways to spirituality – shifting paradigm

more challenges and opportunities

More Challenges: from April Meeting

Finance:
capital campaign, decline of the number of small business owners, prohibitive dues, financially viable congregation, how to make Ohav a financial priority for individuals and families in the current economy


Membership:
aging community, loss of Holocaust generation, engage and welcome diverse membership, small Audience, stronger competition, loss of institutional memory, geographically dispersed, shrinking demographics, Strengthening and Building the Jewish community, how Ohav interacts with the other elements of the Jewish community and possible forced consolidation, how to attract/engage youth and young families, groom future leaders, Retain and meet the special needs of seniors, how to reach out to Jews who move to & study in the capital region


Ideology
future of conservation movement, working with other shuls , social justice vs social action, shift in Israel’s global perception, members don’t know what the conservative movement stands for these days and how our congregation fits within the larger movement, meeting needs of a different age groups, lack of people for leadership, non-religious interest groups, reduced distances of social and religious lives, Ohav activities outside of synagogue

Education:
declining Hebrew school enrollment, Hebrew Academy promotion, Talmud Torah competitive , lack of high school education, how to make Judaism, Hebrew school , services , synagogue participation a priority in the synagogue and the home

Involvement:
attract adult children of members to join
keeping Jews engaged in Jewishly, loss of Holocaust generation, Social justice vs social action, get young member involved , lack of interest in synagogue in general, how to engage the youth, How to appeal to a diverse set of interest, how to create a vibrant synagogue

Spirituality & Religion
make Judaism fun and exciting ,keeping Jews engaged Jewish-ly, keeping services relevant , new ways to approach spirituality, shifiting spiritual paradigm, lack of interest in religion


Finding the balance of tradition and inclusiveness
interfaith related issues , intermarriage, connections between convert members, children of interfaith marriage, the congregation doesn’t know what it wants its response to intermarriage and children of intermarriage to be