Blogs

I just learned that Ta’amod is shutting down. And while I might only have a tangential connection to the organization, this news hits deep. Really deep. Never heard of Ta’amod? Let me give you a quick sense of what Ta’amod was up to. If you take a look at their website you’ll see that their goals were lofty, and important. They committed to “Raising the bar for Jewish organizations through empathy, education, and equity” and to do that work through a data-driven approach to harassment prevention and organizational culture founded in Jewish principles. The goals were lofty, yes. The work, incredibly important. Let me take you back to 2017. The Me Too movement ...

“Mila, If you don’t advocate for yourself and your people, you’ll never know what’s possible.” I’ve repeated these words to my daughter countless times over the years, especially when she approaches me apologetically with a request. Each time she timidly asks for something — whether it’s permission for an activity or help with a project — I give her this same response. Why should she feel that her wants, desires, or needs are an imposition? Let me be clear: she doesn’t get everything she wants (I think). That’s not the point. What matters is that I don’t want her to feel nervous about asking. Right now, she’s dealing with her mom and me — two people genetically ...

I've been in the synagogue game since 1992, and let me tell you, it's more than just a job. It's personal. One thing that's been driving us crazy for years? Dwindling Shabbat attendance. In my 30 years, I've sat through countless strategy sessions and task forces, all trying to crack this nut. And almost every single time, we end up with the same old solution: "Theme Shabbat" experiences. You know the drill - "Football Jersey Shabbat," "Birthday Month Shabbat," that kind of thing. I'm in the middle of this cycle today. Calgon, take me away. Now, sometimes these themed services seem to work. They might draw a crowd, create a bit of buzz. ...

After reading a blog post today (link here: https://rogermartin.medium.com/how-to-be-a-good-board-member-249f819e7401), I felt compelled to share my reflections. Like many of our colleagues, I find myself grappling with the dynamics of our board of directors. The frequent turnover in leadership, with new presidents entering every few years, often brings fresh perspectives. However, these perspectives can sometimes clash with the established direction of our synagogue regarding staffing, clergy, and mission. We've observed this pattern firsthand, where new presidents arrive without understanding their role, let alone the role of the executive director, highlighting ...

Picture this: a world where the voices that guide, educate, and inspire our synagogues start to disappear. This isn't some far-off hypothetical scenario—it's the real deal facing Jewish communities all across the US. We've got a serious shortage of rabbinic, cantorial, and Jewish educator candidates, but hardly anyone is talking about it. At least, not out in the open. Sadly, these professional shortages have a parallel in our established Progressive youth groups, both NFTY and USY. For the past decade or more, these key youth organizations have been struggling. Yes, COVID sped up the decline of NFTY and USY, but many of us could see that our Movement youth ...