The Jewish Outreach Institute

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Greetings!

In this issue of Inside JOI, we are excited to share with you the highlights of our recent webinar, "Making the Most of the High Holidays," which helped High Holiday volunteers and synagogue front-line staff create a more welcoming environment for both newcomers and "occasionals" during the High Holidays.

Also in this issue, we are thrilled to introduce several new staff and Board members.

We wish you and your family L'Shana Tova, a sweet and healthy New Year!

High Holiday Webinar Highlights

"Making the Most of the High Holidays"

On September 14th, JOI Senior Director of Training Eva Stern presented a webinar for High Holiday volunteers, ushers, greeters, and synagogue front-line staff, providing new methods of outreach for the High Holiday season. Over 50 Jewish communal professionals and synagogue volunteers logged on to hear Eva share some insights and suggestions on how to "open the tent" this Jewish New Year. Below are some highlights from this webinar, including ideas you can implement before the High Holidays begin.

During the High Holidays, synagogues often focus on filling their seats. However, organizations must look beyond the High Holidays and identify target populations to engage in not just Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, but in holidays and activities year-round.

First, we must get to know the participants, and discover their needs. Instead of asking "what can you do for us?" synagogues should ask "what can we do for you?"

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Use the High Holidays as a time to transform a single contacting into a lasting relationship. It starts with understanding the needs and passions of participants, not just the needs of the synagogue.

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Always make sure the information is updated, easily navigable, and logical. Be sure to include cost and discount information, and try to stay away from exclusive language, like Hebrew words that require prior knowledge to understand.

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Begin the conversation! Once you have made a connection, be sure to keep the person or family involved by including them in future events, and asking about them and what they would like to see.

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For synagogues, the measure of success is engagement: Are people coming back? Are we serving their needs? JOI can provide some excellent engagement tools such as a sample participant information collection card to utilize during services, tips for greeters and ushers, and ideas for post-holiday follow-up to help your synagogue engage those on the periphery.

Please click here for access to a recording of the full webinar.

New Board and Staff Members

JOI recently welcomed four new board members and three new staff members. We are very excited to have them as a part of the team.

JOI Welcomes New Members to the Board of Directors

JOI is excited to announce that Rachel Cohen Gerrol, Carolyn Kaplan, Dr. Jonathan Metsch, and Kenneth Schriber have joined our Board of Directors. Each member brings with them a unique background in public service and community leadership. To read more about each member, please click on their names below:

JOI Welcomes Three New Staff Members

JOI also welcomed three new staff members this summer: Jamie Allen Black, Director of Development; Adam Courtney, Director of Program; and Amanda Kaletsky, Communications Associate. We are excited to have them on the JOI team, and look forward to working with them to continue to "open the tent." To read more about each new staff member, please click on their names below:

Jamie Allen Black

Adam Courtney

Amanda Kaletsky

Best of JOI's Blog:

CSI: Inclusive
Rabbi Jeffrey Abraham of Congregation Sons of Israel in Upper Nyack, NY is "opening the tent" through JOI's Big Tent Judaism Coalition.

Courage in the Rabbinate Today

What does it take to be a courageous rabbi today? Are there issues for which rabbis would risk losing their jobs to take a position? Rabbi Aaron Bisno starts the conversation.

Woody Allen in Kentucky?

The Forward posted a first-person narrative of wanting to "immigrate to Judaism," which offers a unique perspective of someone raised very much outside of the Jewish community who desperately wanted to be a member of the Jewish community.

A Transformative Camp Experience for Young Jews of Color Earlier this month, the New York Times featured a story about Camp Be'chol Lashon ("In Every Tongue"), a summer home-away-from-home for Jewish children of color.

Conservative Synagogues and Intermarriage
A recent article in the Forward, in which JOI Executive Director Kerry Olitzky is quoted, explains the evolution of the relationship between Conservative synagogues and interfaith families. Many Conservative synagogues are opening their doors.

You Can Help!

We believe "outreach" is about the organized community giving, not asking, so all JOI direct service programming is free to participants. However, these programs still require resources. If you are already engaged in the Jewish community and consider it important to reach those who are not yet benefiting from all our community has to offer, we ask that you please support our work by making a financial contribution. Thank you for your generosity and commitment.

Check: Please make your check payable to the Jewish Outreach Institute and mail to:
1270 Broadway, Suite 609, New York, NY 10001.

Online: Please give with a credit card online at our website, www.JOI.org/help.

Questions? Please contact, Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky, Executive Director, at: KOlitzky@JOI.org or call 212.760.1440.

The Jewish Outreach Institute is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization and contributions are tax deductible in accordance with the law.

© 2011 Jewish Outreach Institute (JOI.org). JOI is a national, independent, nondenominational organization dedicated to creating a more inclusive Jewish community toward all who would join us, especially intermarried families and disengaged Jews, by working to transform existing institutions and by creating new programs when necessary.