Kickoff Meeting Handout

Steering Committee Kickoff Meeting Agenda

Confirming email to group leaders (AJNWF Steering Committee)

On Thu, May 17, 2018 at 11:53 AM, Neil Wernick <neilwernick@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear friends,
 
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
 
Thank you for taking the first step in a defining moment in the proud history of Congregation Adath Jeshurun. By stepping up to chair your “member constituency group” in the AJ New Way Forward (AJNWF) initiative, you have helped to create the critical leadership which will represent the entire membership of AJ.
 
Together, we comprise the Steering Committee for this initiative. We have both the great honor, and the profound responsibility, for helping define the identity and re-envision the image of AJ as a vibrant and growing Jewish community for the 21st Century.
 
This is your invitation to attend the kickoff meeting of the AJNWF Steering Committee on Wed, May 30 in the AJ Library, from 7:30-9:30 pm (following minyan).
 
The purpose of this meeting is to:
1.         Formally launch the initiative;
2.         Define the goals;
3.         Discuss the project plan, leadership responsibilities, timelines, and available resources;
4.         Address your questions, comments, and concerns; and
5.         Create the action plan for immediate next steps.
 
Please confirm your attendance as soon as possible by replying to this email. (Suggestion: Avoid REPLY ALL to cut down on everyone’s email inbox overload.)
 
Thank you, once again, for your commitment to what promises to be an exciting, meaningful, and transformative journey for all of us.

Looking forward,
 
Skip and Naomi Atkins
Neil Wernick and Michele Rifkin

AJNWF Leadership Team

AJNWF Leadership Team

AJNWF Leadership Team
(Left to right) Neil Wernick, Michele Rifkin, Naomi Atkins, Skip Atkins

AJ New Way Forward - Detailed Project Plan

Initial Congregation Letter 4/27/2018

Dear fellow AJ Congregant:

        We, the members of Congregation Adath Jeshurun, have an important opportunity and a critical challenge. Our challenge is to create, together, a dynamic and growing congregation that supports all current members and continually attracts new members who share that goal and vision. As most of you are aware from AJ President David Reibstein’s recent letter to the congregation, starting on July 1, AJ will be entering a year-long period of transition. During this time, considerable work will be needed in order to ensure that AJ emerges stronger, vital, and ready to embrace a new, long-term, forward-thinking identity that will guide us through the twenty-first century while, importantly, maintaining our financial security.

        The reality that AJ faces may seem uncertain and daunting. It also presents us with a unique opportunity to re-envision and refashion our congregation as a dynamic, self-sustaining and growing inter-generational Jewish community that meets the needs of our multi-faceted membership. In his letter, David announced the creation of a new initiative known as the “AJ New Way Forward” (AJNWF) to plan and facilitate the changes that will be needed. As the leadership team for this initiative, we want to introduce you to the process for change that the four of us envision.

        Those changes will not be determined in the conventional, “top-down” manner. Instead, we are embarking on an ambitious grass-roots effort, and we are committed to involving every AJ mind in a well-coordinated process to chart a new course for the future of the congregation.

        We have designed a far-reaching, vital program that starts today and must be completed by the end of 2018. It will begin by identifying several groups to represent major “constituencies” within the congregation. These may include:   

1)    Young marrieds, Preschool families, and members of <10 years

2)    Families with school age children (Hebrew School and Pre Bar Mitzvah)

3)    Families with Bar Mitzvah age and Confirmation age children

4)    Regular synagogue and minyan goers

5)    Havurah

6)    AJ Acts/Social Action-Justice

7)    AJ members 10-25 Years

8)    AJ members 25 + years

9)    Past and present leadership (e.g., Mens and Womens Association, EC, Boards of Directors and Trustees)

10)  Moed

Each constituency group will have one or two chairpersons whose role will be to: 

·Serve as members of the AJNWF Steering Committee,representing their group

·Coordinate one or more Parlor Meetings for their group 

·Communicate regularly using various channels (US mail, email, phone) with their group providing initiative updates, special updates as required

·Seek input and feedback from the group on various issues that arise during the course of the initiative and report that feedback to the Leadership Team

·Serve as the point person to receive and obtain answers to questions from their group

        A cornerstone of this initiative will be its transparency and its frequent communication with the congregation to provide regular updates, seek input on arising issues, and address the challenges and opportunities we face in an open, honest, and timely fashion. We are in the process of identifying possible constituency group chairpersons. Your suggestions are invited and appreciated. To that end, we will be forming a listserv to facilitate communication among AJNWF participants, its leadership, and AJ membership as a whole. In the meantime, please feel free to share your thoughts via email to any of the AJNWF leadership team.

 The major parts of the program and the overall timeline are shown below:

AJ New Way Forward (AJNWF) will culminate in a set of conclusions and recommendations detailing the programs, priorities, and practices that will lead our beloved AJ to become a vibrant 21st century Jewish community. In doing so, our congregation will continue to enrich our lives through meaningful religious practice, inspiring Jewish education, heartfelt life cycle events, and active participation in community and social justice initiatives.

        Importantly, during the upcoming transition year, AJNWF will not function as a rabbi search committee. However, it is the intention of the EC that conclusions drawn from our initiative will help inform the congregation and Board of Directors regarding AJ’s future clergy needs.

We have a very brief window of opportunity to accomplish this major task. It should be apparent that we absolutely need your help. We need you to participate, we need to hear your voice, and we need you to help us with the “heavy lifting,” So please stay tuned for our next outreach regarding groups and parlor meetings.

        Our leadership is committed to listening to us and are counting on allof us to help create AJ’s future together. This is our chance, this is our opportunity, this is the time. 

        

Skip and Naomi Atkins

Neil Wernick and Michele Rifkin

AJ New Way Forward Leadership Team

Email addresses:

        Skip (rfa@comcast.net)

        Naomi (nrsa@comcast.net)

        Neil (neilwernick@gmail.com)

        Michele (michelerifkin.ot@gmail.com)