New members bring their curiosity and excitement to congregations. Take advantage of this momentum to welcome new members into the community, orient them, excite them about being part of the congregation and motivate them to become involved and engaged in your synagogue.

Learn how your synagogue can:

• Re-envision membership
• Help your members feel like insiders

In order to achieve optimal connections, synagogues can provide an active program of integration during the first two years of membership. In this extended period, newer members will have a chance to learn about congregational culture and traditions. Establishing a strong initial connection to your synagogues will help them to affect a transition from newcomer to insider.

Above is one of a series of ads available to member congregations. To learn more, please email URJ@urj.org

The Life Cycle of Synagogue Membership 
A Guide to Recruitment, Integration and Retention
This newly revised and expanded resource helps congregations more effectively reach out to the unaffiliated, welcome and integrate new members and retain members throughout the life-cycle of membership. This resource not only includes diagnostic exercises for the Board of Trustees and your membership committee but also offers programmatic suggestions and best practices which include: mission statements, assessment scales, sample membership committee structures, membership ads and forms, new member interviews and suggested ways to honor new members and long time members through the years. This important new resource will help your congregation attract the unaffiliated, integrate those who have recently joined and maintain connections to those that call your congregation “home.”

Bonus: This publication includes an interactive CD full of membership essentials to be adapted for your own congregation. Available through the URJ Press at http://www.urjbooksandmusic.com/ or by phone at 212.650.4120.