Building stronger connections with and among the almost 200 congregations in our South District will be the top priority of your District Council in the coming months so we can learn and benefit from each other as we serve our member congregations. The South District Council's plans include:

- Instituting a "bridge building" program so that every congregation in the district has a liaison on the District Council who will get to know the congregation and its issues, strengths and weaknesses so that the URJ can provide services and resources tailored to the congregation's needs. Our "bridge builder" work in conjunction with your Congregation Representative's insure that you always have someone to talk to. 

- Forming new geographic affintiy groups so that leaders from congregations in close proximity to each other can meet "punim to punim"  as they explore various issues of concern. Currently we have groups in South Florida and Atlanta. A group is beginning in Central Florida and we hope in the next year to have groups on the West Coast of Florida and in North Carolina. 

- Expanding congregational representation on the District Council and Committees. Many, but certainly not all of our congregations are represented on the District Council. It is our intent to continue to reach out to those not represented. We welcome volunteers from any congregation in the South District that would like to serve on a District Council Committee. The South District has a dozen different committees in a variety of subject areas. 

- Holding a District Council Retreat in March 2012, when congregational presidents will be invited and have the opportunity to become more involved in the URJ. 

While we are working at building connections at the District level, similar projects are underway on the North American level.

In June, for the first time in more than eight decades, the boards of the three key organizations of Reform Judaism - the URJ, HUC-JIR and CCAR - met jointly in an effort to build a new foundation for partnerships as we pursue a shared vision for the future of our Movement. 

At this meeting, Rabbi Richard Jacobs was unanimously elected to be the next president of the Union. I was delighted to meet Rabbi Jacobs and am filled with optimism at the future of the Movement under his leadership. I urge you to read his acceptance remarks. Plans for the transition from Rabbi Eric Yoffie to Rabbi Jacobs are underway and will be led by Rabbi Jonah Pesner, who many of you know from his work as the Director of Just Congregations. 

I look forward to meeting with you in the coming months and urge you to share with me and the District staff your thoughts and concerns. You may reach me at southdistrictchair@urj.org.

B'shalom,

Jane Aronoff
South District Chair