BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

We are gratified by the overwhelming response we received to our request for Inside Leadership subscriptions. Because of the high demand, we have concluded that the most efficient distribution method for now will be broadcast fax. Meanwhile, the UAHC continues to explore updated means of communication, and we expect to have the capacity to broadcast e-mail to many of you in the near future. As always, Inside Leadership is available to you on the Web and we welcome your comments and feedback.

ON ESTHER'S LEADERSHIP

Use the upcoming holiday of Purim, which begins at sundown on March 20, to study Esther's highly successful leadership style and discuss what your board members can learn from her to accomplish their own goals. Before your next meeting, ask your members to read the story of Esther, the Megillah, and come prepared to discuss the following questions about Esther's leadership style:

• What traits did Esther exhibit?
• What can you learn from her style?
• If Esther were a member of your board, what might her role be?
• In what situations would she be effective or ineffective?

Esther's strategy earned her a sacred place in history. In fact, the Megillah commands that her story is to "be remembered and kept throughout every generation." Her leadership style is worth considering.

REPAIR THE WORLD BUT SAVE THE POLITICS FOR HOME

In this year of presidential electioneering, you may be tempted to inject your Social Action Committee's enthusiasm into the political arena. As board members, it is your duty to rein in this enthusiasm or risk losing your tax-exempt status.

A Recent Electioneering Ruling
There have always been IRS compliance requirements to maintain tax-exempt status for federal income tax purposes. All section 501(c)(3) organizations, including synagogues, are prohibited, at the risk of losing their exemption, from participating in political campaigns. In general, political campaigns are defined for this purpose as elections. Thus endorsement of or opposition to a political candidate by such organizations is forbidden. In a recent decision, a federal court has upheld the revocation by the IRS of a church's exemption because it was publishing anti-Clinton newspaper ads. The court rejected the church's claim that the revocation of its tax-exempt status violated the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Limited Lobbying Is Acceptable
Steer your Social Action Committee to lobbying activities rather than engaging in outright electioneering. Lobbying is defined as an attempt to influence legislation either directly through legislators or indirectly through grass root campaigns, which ask citizens to contact their legislators. For an organization to maintain tax-exempt status, its lobbying can only be an insubstantial portion of the group's activities, but the term "insubstantial" is not clearly defined. However, it is essential to recognize that synagogues can participate in lobbying only to a limited degree.

What Can and Cannot Be Done

• Particular care should be taken regarding statements made from the bimah or at any official synagogue function that could easily be understood as representing the position of the organization instead of that of the individual who made the statement.
• Synagogues cannot endorse or oppose any candidate, contribute money or resources to any candidate's campaign or political party, or rank candidates, even if such ranking is the result of a nonpartisan process.
• Synagogues can register voters, sponsor debates among candidates, distribute general voter education information, or run a get-out-the vote operation on Election Day only if such activities are conducted in a nonpartisan manner.
• Synagogues can take advantage of heightened public awareness during political campaigns to draw attention to concerns about social justice and tikkun olam, for example, the importance of gun control, which Rabbi Yoffie emphasized during the 1999 Biennial.
• During "nonbusiness" hours, a member of the clergy or another senior staff person can take a public position on a candidate or sign an endorsement letter published in a newspaper. However, if the clergy's affiliation with his or her synagogue is included, accompanying language (such as "Affiliation for identification purposes only") should clearly disclaim the synagogue's involvement. As temple leaders, it is essential that you understand the limitations on your possible activities in the political arena that are required to preserve the critical tax-exempt status of your synagogue.

E-MAIL CHAT LISTS FOR ALL SEASONS

Twenty Common Grounds Luncheons were held at the December 1999 UAHC Biennial, the purpose of which was to bring together a variety of groups--from presidents of congregations to Preschool Committee chairs--to discuss issues of shared interest. The discussions that took place were so fruitful that many participants wanted to continue and expand upon them. In response to this need, the UAHC has inaugurated eight new on-line Chat Lists to enable those who are interested in the specific subjects listed below to share information and ideas on an ongoing basis. You need not have attended the biennial in order to join a Chat List, but you must enroll.

Here are the new lists that were "launched" at the biennial:

• AdultGrowth: For Adult Education Chairs and Others
• Bulletin: For Temple Bulletin Editors
• EarlyChildhood: Raising Young Children Jewishly
• iWorship: A Virtual Discussion about Worship Issues
• Prosearch: Finding the Right Professionals
• rSchool: Sharing Knowledge about Jewish Education
• We.Care: Sharing the Way We Care for Our Community
• YouthCommittee: A Conversation about Congregational Youth, Youth Programming, and Youth Committees

Also, don't forget about Temple-Chat, a more general discussion group for temple leaders on wide-ranging issues, and Presconf, for presidents and presidents-elect. To subscribe to any of the above lists, please send an e-mail to uahc@uahc.org and include your name, congregation, city, state, the position you hold, and the lists that you wish to join. For your convenience, your e-mail request will be forwarded to the appropriate department. In addition, a full listing of UAHC discussion groups is available online.

HOW TO AVOID BEING ALONE AT YOUR ANNUAL MEETING

Now is the time to start planning your congregation's annual meeting. To insure that it is successful, first think about your audience and your agenda and then plan accordingly. Because it is frequently a challenge to obtain a quorum, consider the following: The day and time you select will have a critical effect on attendance. If attracting parents of religious school children is your priority, consider scheduling the meeting on Sunday morning during school hours, or plan a program in which children can participate, for example, a children's choir concert, a children's art show, or a holiday presentation.

Some congregations have chosen the following other times for annual meetings:

• Sunday at noon, right after religious school, along with a light lunch.
• A weekday or Sunday evening, sometimes accompanied by refreshments, the bestowal of awards, or singing by the choir.
• Before or after the regular June board meeting.
• Immediately prior to sundown and Shabbat on Friday, followed by services.

NOTE: No temple business, including annual meetings, should be conducted on Shabbat.

Prepare your agenda in advance, remembering to take into consideration how the board will deal with budgetary and controversial issues. Some congregations schedule a budget meeting one week before the annual meeting. All appropriate staff members and officers should be present at the budget meeting so that those congregants whose primary focus is the synagogue's finances can explore this issue in detail.

If controversial issues are going to be raised, make sure the agenda is mailed to congregants in advance and that key officers and board members make some initial telephone calls to address potential concerns.

Consider showcasing temple successes at the annual meeting and publicize that event accordingly. Make it a social occasion. Honor your key leaders. Plan an appropriate Torah study session. Involve children in the programming.

The key to a successful annual meeting is a thoughtful approach: Determine the tone that you would like to create and the information that you would like to convey and then plan accordingly.

Share Your Ideas and Input

Do you have

• Programs that have worked well in your congregation?
• Topics about which you would like more information?
• Suggestions for future Inside Leadership articles?

For our March-April issue: Share your thoughts about
and approaches to successful annual meetings.