Let me try to be specific about the kinds of programs that compliment the welcoming atmosphere that we need to first establish. Once a synagogue has the reputation for welcoming new faces, the next big issue is “what does the synagogue have to offer?” In some ways Welcoming and Programming need to go hand in hand. As I stated before, many Jews today want to get involved first and then will become part of the community. So how do we get them involved?
First of all, we must remember that each person who walks through our door has individual needs and interests. We live in an age where we encourage everyone to find their own way in life. This means that we need to offer an array of programs, to cast our net wide, so that we can involve a diverse group of people in a wide range of programs. A synagogue may eventually discover that a staff person is needed to oversee this extensive program. A Program Director or a Lifelong Learning Director could do what a Rabbi alone may not be able to do. A pulpit rabbi, no matter how good his or her intentions may be, will be drawn away from planning and organizing when pastoral duties interrupt. Having someone to do the coordination and publicity could make a big difference in the success of these programs. Volunteers can go a long way in a program that is just getting started, but as the programming grows, and as the congregation grows, a new staff position may be required.
Programming is not only about social activities; it is about learning and social/political action. These are the two main areas that synagogues and other religious institutions can provide that are still important and meaningful to those who are tired of empty and self centered living. While there are many non-profit organizations that try to offer such programming, synagogues (and churches too) are in a unique position to do a great deal of good in a very wide segment of the larger community outside their doors. Synagogues can partner with other non-profit organizations to bring the volunteer culture of the congregation to the causes espoused by the non-profits. We don't need to always reinvent the wheel by starting our own programs. We can work with other organizations to make the biggest impact in the wider community.
Examples of Social/Political Action Programming
Having stated the need for Social/Political Action, we must remember to be sensitive to the needs of the different groups in our congregation. Young Jewish adults may be able to do different activities than those who are middle aged or seniors. For example, middle aged adults may be able to help at a homeless shelter by checking in the residents for the night and making sure that they have what they need; younger volunteers may be better suited to stay on duty over the entire night. For this reason some congregations that have homeless shelters have two shifts, one in the early evening for a couple of hours to get everyone settled, and a second shift that stays overnight, for six to eight hours, to make sure that everything goes smoothly all night. A middle aged adult may be happy to do carpentry work at a Habitat for Humanity build, but someone older perhaps should be kept off the ladders. Every one of every age has a role to play and we need to be sensitive as to what those roles may be by providing options for those who wish to serve.
Some of the best volunteers at a Senior Center are other seniors. They often have the time and patience to assist every resident. Younger volunteers, or those who do not have the patience to sit and talk with the clients of the Center, could take part in special programming. I have seen volunteers who speak Yiddish have a profound effect on elderly Jews who feel like the world has changed so much that they no longer have a place in that world. Just speaking Yiddish can make a world of difference to those who are very elderly. Over time, volunteers should be provided the means to increase their skills and find new ways to help. As volunteers become more skilled, we should make sure that there are many ways for them to use their experience to provide greater service to the cause.
Here again it is important that we realize that “one size does not fit all.” Individuals will have different ideas as to how to bring meaning into their lives. It may not even be an age difference, but their approach to social action may reflect incidents from their childhood. I once wanted to open a Jewish Alcoholics Anonymous group at my synagogue. The President refused to allow “those kinds of people” to come onto the synagogue campus. I am sure that somewhere in his past, an encounter with a drunk set his mind against “those kind of people.” There is no one social action or political action program that will make everyone happy.
In a church setting, these kinds of programs are called “ministries”. Every part of the church is organized around volunteers who are part of a “ministry”. In Hebrew, the word is “Vaad” or the plural, “Vaadot” which loosely translates as “societies” or “committees”. It seems to me that this is an excellent way to organize a Social/Political Action program in a congregation. Invite groups to come together around a particular service program and if they can reach a critical mass of people, from 8-12 individuals or so, then they can begin to work together on behalf of their cause. There are two types of programs that they will need to focus on: the ongoing program that speaks to the needs of the community and the congregational program that teaches the other members of the congregation what the work of this “vaad” is all about and how they can help. Sometimes help may be a fundraiser for the project, but there are lots of other important ways a congregation as a whole can help the vaad. For example, if they are knitting wool caps for Israeli soldiers, then anyone can sign on to make hats that the committee can send on to Israel. If there is a need for contact with political figures, there can be a congregation wide letter writing program, or maybe a forum featuring information on the issue and inviting political figures to join the event. It could alternatively mean setting up a “lobbying” day at the state capital or in Washington DC to bring home to the state and federal leadership the importance of this cause to your congregation. A vaad that is working with a homeless shelter could ask members of the congregation to donate furniture and clothing to help the homeless set up new lives. Some congregations sponsor “suit and dress” drives to collect clothing for the homeless to wear for job interviews. A local orphanage, with teens getting ready to graduate high school, were looking for donors of cars for these students who were leaving foster care and going on to college as adults, taking on responsibility for their own lives.
Examples of Learning Programs
Almost every congregation has an Adult Studies Program. The issue is not having the program; it is having a GOOD program. All too often, adult studies classes are simplistic lectures which are perpetually geared for beginners; the level of learning is far below the level of most adults today. Students are not inspired to look deeper into the subjects and to grapple with traditional study texts. Innovative programs for adults provide opportunities for learners to share their knowledge with others and encourage them to find their own way in these important religious texts. What makes Jewish learning exciting is the discovery of meaning in ancient texts. This does not happen when someone is lecturing on what the meaning of the text is for that teacher. Real learning comes when students are permitted to find their own meaning in the sources. There are two basic kinds of programs that promote this kind of learning and every synagogue should think about having opportunities for both.
The first type of class is, as we stated earlier, Hevruta Learning of serious texts. This kind of learning is text based. It encourages learners to read and grapple with a text, but not alone. It can be used to study Bible, Talmud, Liturgy or any other form of sacred text. A teacher should prepare a section of text, in Hebrew or in Hebrew and English, depending on the students’ abilities, (Hebrew is the language of Jewish learning and at some point the students should want to expand their Hebrew proficiency) with a list of open ended questions. The students then should have some time to look at the text and contemplate the questions. This is done in small groups of two or three students (a Hevruta – from the word Haver, meaning “friends” or “colleagues”) around a table. The group can be as large as four or five but remember that the more students in each group, the longer the time they will need to prepare the material since each person needs some time to share his or her understanding of the text with the rest of the group. Each person in the Hevruta has his or her own background and life experience to bring to the discussion.
At the end of this “Hevruta time”, the groups then gather where the teacher gives a “shiur” a “lesson” that offers the groups a chance to explain how they understand the text and how they came to answer the questions. There should be time allotted so that each group can share their ideas and answers, and then the teacher can weave all the answers together, explaining why some ideas are not as good as others based on the limits of the text and how rabbis and other commentators understand what the text is about. This will deepen the understanding of the text for the students. Hevruta study is a way to learn from the experiences of others and at the same time have the guidance of an experienced teacher.
The other style of learning is an independent study group. Here, a diverse group of 8-12 people decide on a text to study and then start at the beginning and read through it with whatever commentary and study aids they find that help them understand the text. Here too, the life experiences of the members of the group are brought to the table to understand the meaning of the text. The Genesis Project, made famous on a PBS special years ago, is a good example of this kind of learning (The Bill Moyers Genesis Project: www.pbs.org/wnet/genesis). A diverse group of learners gathers each week in someone's conference room and study together a text of their choosing. Each person in the group can lead a session and the rest of the group can comment on what has been presented. The group does not need a teacher unless there is something in the text that stymies the entire group and a teacher or some reference work can be consulted for the next session.
Both of these methods of learning rely on the students to set the tone and pace of the discussion. Sometimes a teacher can point out a really important concept that will help the students later in their learning or the teacher can help the students drill down into the text to find deeper meaning than they may find on the surface. For example, Bibliodrama, a way of personally encountering the stories of the Bible is an extension of the study group. Here a teacher can guide the discussion to bring out the ways that the stories of the Bible are also the stories of our own lives. (See the book, “Our Fathers' Wells” by Peter Pitzele, Harper Collins Press 1995, as an example). The organization “Storahtelling” in New York (www.storahtelling.org ) can provide a good kickoff for this kind of a group or a way to renew a group that is struggling.
Adult learners should be encouraged to examine and write out their Jewish journey, the journey that has brought them to study these texts. Sometimes these journeys can be an inspiration to others who are on a similar path. To know that the same need for meaning and the same search for faith that drives one adult are the same motivations that drives others is a powerful way of helping adults to connect with their learning. This is not the esoteric learning of college nor the practical learning needed to improve skill sets on the job. Adult Learning at the synagogue should be the kind of life changing learning that helps us understand better who we are and where we want our lives to go. It is unique to religious learning and we need to make better use of it for the benefit of those who are searching.
I like to think of this kind of adult learning as participating in the longest running classroom discussion in the history of the world. Jews have been studying these texts together for thousands of years. It is an honor to be able to study these texts together and the enterprise is filled with meaning for the students
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