Big Tent Judaism

How Can Day Schools Lower Their Economic Barriers?

One of the chronic problems facing the Jewish community is the high cost associated with being an engaged Jew. There are synagogue dues, membership fees for Jewish organizations and JCCs, and some Jews truly “break the bank” by sending their children to Jewish day schools. In the pursuit of endowing their children with a well-rounded secular and Jewish education, parents of Jewish day school students spend an average of $15,000 per year per child. While parents are usually satisfied with the education and the “frills” that the schools provide (like arts education, state-of-the-art technology, and small classroom sizes), some are finding that the economic toll is too burdensome and unsustainable in the present economy.

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Accommodating Those with Financial Challenges: a Webinar Recap

Last week, Jewish communal professionals and volunteer leaders from over twenty Big Tent Judaism organizations “gathered” for an important webinar conversation. The topic? Accommodating people with financial needs who want to affiliate with Jewish institutions. While we could have engaged in many kinds of conversations about the high costs of Jewish life, and hope to in the future, this particular webinar focused on how Jewish communal organizations can better communicate their existing discounts and policies for financial accessibility to engage those who are actually seeking to participate or join. We believe that there are many folks out there who do want to engage, but simply don’t know about or are embarrassed to ask for financial assistance.

When JOI works with a community to maximize its outreach potential we begin with a comprehensive scan of each organization’s policies and communication strategies. More often than not, we find that special rates, discounts, and other policies for financial accessibility exist, but are unpublicized (often unintentionally). A potential newcomer to Jewish life is often required to bravely expose his or her financial status and desire for help up front, in order to find out about such discounts or special rates on programs and institutional membership. We believe that to truly welcome all newcomers, the Jewish community must reveal and consistently communicate the message “we welcome people of all financial means.” As our Purim-inspired Big Tent Judaism campaign encouraged, “There is no shame in asking,” because a Big Tent Jewish organization welcomes people of all financial means, and proactively communicates that message.

Together on our webinar, we began by exploring a variety of policies and initiatives with regard to financial accessibility for programs and membership. We heard from Jewish communal professionals about fair share systems, free membership marathons, special rates for different age groups, and free High Holiday experiences. While many participating organization have policies in place, others are just beginning to embark on establishing guidelines, and appreciated learning from the experiences of their peers.

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Let’s support the non-Jewish Jewish Communal Professionals too

Much of the conversation in the Jewish community with regard to those who are not Jewish is about intermarriage. The conversation evolves around this question: What roles can those who are not Jewish and yet married into the Jewish community play in the Jewish community? We at the Jewish Outreach Institute believe that the role of these folks is significant, but the Jewish community has to be more welcoming and supportive in order for such roles to make a difference and have the impact we all desire. And while we know that it is more than just welcoming (since our recommended approach includes a lot more than just welcoming), there is an insufficient amount of that too.

In some corners of the community, there is also a discussion about those participants who aren’t Jewish who take advantage of what the Jewish community has to offer. These include those who might join the Jewish Community Center because of its superb fitness facilities or camp. Or those who might send their children to a Jewish preschool because of the reputation it enjoys in the community. These are what we often call “community non-Jews,” those who have no family link to the Jewish community.

But there is a third category that it is time to consider—those who are not Jewish who are put into places of education and influence in the community, such as preschool teachers and camp counselors. I think that it is time to make sure that we provide a program of education for this group of people who are helping to extend our efforts in securing a Jewish community, particularly for the generation in front of us.

Defining Outreach as a Methodology

As our board of directors has just approved a new strategic plan for JOI, it behooves us to consider the intentional and creative tension between general outreach for engagement and outreach to specific populations—such as intermarried couples and their families. Some may argue that there is confusion, especially if you look at the many program models we have developed over the years. Since it all makes sense to me, I thought that I would try to explain it.

Outreach at JOI has always been a method and never a target population. It has always been about going wherever people are or, as we like to say, where people are at. This is both a physical notion—bringing programs to where people actually are: in the shopping mall, for example. But it is also a metaphysical notion, developing programs to meet the specific needs of individual populations. However, it has never been about imposing upon people what we think they need.

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