This award winning collection of ideas, programs, and resources have been assembled to help create comprehensive congregational Outreach and Membership Programs from our Idea Book Series, including programs for Jews-by-choice, intermarried couples and their children, and Jewish parents of intermarried couples. It includes information about creating an Outreach Committee, program models, samples of publicity, relevant biblical and rabbinic sources concerning conversion, discussion questions about Jewish identity, reaching out beyond synagogue walls to welcome all and much more.
Idea Book Programming Library for Outreach and Membership
The Reform Jewish Outreach Idea Book Series available at URJ Books and Music features award-winning programs by Reform synagogues with outstanding Outreach programs that actively welcome and integrate those new to Judaism.
Interested in engaging your empty nesters? Beth El Temple Center of Belmont targeted their empty nester membership by utilizing inter-personal relationships and creating special events for this target group, to keep it connected to the congregation.
Temple Shalom of Dallas extends the congregational Shabbat experience from services to Shabbat dinner, as congregants join for a celebratory Shabbat dinner at a different restaurant every week.
Congregation Or Ami, Calabasas, CA has a Shabbat Services Script program on the rights and wrongs of greeting Shabbat guests (both the members and visitors).
Congregation Kol Chadash, Solon, OH, welcomes unaffiliated Jewish and interfaith families and enables them to try out the congregations at no charge for six months.
This Belin Award-winning program comes from Temple B'nai Torah, Bellevue, WA. TBT invites all adult members to build friendships by forming new and innovative interest groups.
Interracial families and families of ethnic diversity should expect to be welcomed into your congregation just like any other family into your community. Here are 18 ways your congregational community can welcome and embrace interracial families.
Celebrating our Diversity. Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles has a strong Chinese American demographic. Chinese New Year has become a Jewish event that has taken all of the joy and essence of the traditional Chinese New year's celebration and made it comfortable for both traditions. Use their model in celebrate the ethnic identities in your congregation!
Gather programming ideas from young Jewish people, generate excitement for future programs, and ensure that community members feel that they are a part of conceptualizing new programs.
An educational/support/discussion group designed to enhance the participants' knowledge of Jewish ritual, tradition and community and to develop a stronger connection to Judaism.
A brief introduction to Judaism and synagogue life for intermarried families who are in the process of making decisions concerning the religious upbringing of their children and the religious identity of their families.
A discussion group where participants share ideas about how to make family members and guests of different faiths feel comfortable and included in the Bar/Bat Mitzvah service.
An educational/support/discussion group designed to enhance the participants' knowledge of Jewish ritual, tradition and community and to develop a stronger connection to Judaism.
A program that consists of field trips to Jewish resources in the greater Phoenix area and workshops focused on building Jewish identity for those going through conversion or new Jews-by-choice.
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