Please help me understand why there is no conversation in here? I’m having difficulty connecting “no conversation in here,” with an organization that’s about helping to renew, re-envision revitalize the synagogue; that’s about helping synagogues reconnect with Jews.

Shabbat Shalom to all of us,

Biv’racha,
Jordan

“Mah sh’hayah, hu sheyih’yeh; umah sh’na’asah, hu sh’yei’aseh; v’ein kol hadash tahat hashamesh,” ” What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; And there is nothing new under the sun.” Kohelet 1:9

Professor Cohen’s article reminds all of us of the timeless truth of the 3000 year old wisdom of King Solomon quoted above. Turn back the clock forty plus years to 1968 and one could write a very similar analysis referring to the beginning of the havurah movement with the establishment of Havurat Shalom.
In fact, check out volume one of “The Jewish Catalogue,” by Siegal, Strassfield and Strassfied, beginning on page 281 to see what I’m talking about.

What interests me most is Professor Cohen’s last paragraph with a title WARNING. He writes:

“The community may well need to ‘change or die’.”

Correct! This is the amoral Truth of life itself. In the animal and plant kingdoms
(for the purists among us the biological kingdoms are: Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, Archaea, Bacteria) it is called natural selection; in economics it’s called capitalism. Prof. Cohen continued:

“The change agenda requires three components: a ‘wedge’ - a critical image of contemporary reality,”

Correct again! We can’t change what we don’t acknowledge. And the brutal and unvarnished Truth is that non-orthodox Judaism and its primary delivery system, the synagogue, are woefully broken and out of touch with the vast majority of Jews, most of whom are unaffiliated. The same can be said as well of the majority of affiliated non-orthodox Jews whose most likely reason for affiliation is a bat/bar mitzva for their child(ren) or another lifecycle “fix”, and/or the perceived need (for ever fewer of these folks) for a High Holiday or other worship service. Prof. Cohen continued:

“a ‘magnet’ - a vision of how things could look,”

Once again King Solomon’s words ring true. “B’ein hazon, yipara’ ‘am” “In the absence of vision the people will be unrestrained.” Mishlei 29:18.

Vision is “a passion producing picture of a preferred future.” Thanks to Bill Hybels Senior and Founding Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, A megachurch in northwest suburban Chicago, for this alliterative masterpiece. Vision answers the question, “Why do we need this synagogue?” Vision casting is about the creation of a compelling narrative around which the folks will coalesce. People will connect emotionally when a God and community honoring vision is cast, ultimately resulting in them feeling personal ownership in/of it.
Professor Cohen continued:

“and a ‘bridge’ - a means by which to move towards that vision.”

The means would be mission, values and strategy defined as follows. Mission answers the question, “What business must we be in to move intentionally toward fulfilling our vision?” If the mission statement is crafted skillfully (Peter Drucker said it should be able to fit on the back of a tee shirt), it too can draw people into connection with it and each other. One can’t know what business one needs to be in (mission) without first creating that compelling narrative that paints the passion producing picture of the preferred future (vision). After Why? and What? comes… Walues (I know daeinu already with the alliteration). Values are nothing less than the guiding principles and behavioral engines for all synagogue activity.

The measurable success of the megachurch is directly traceable to the clarity they and their members ALL (not just their paid staff and lay leadership) have about the vision, mission and values of their respective communities. The resulting focus and unity that they have makes other churches as well as synagogues without such focus and unity appear to be struggling by comparison.

Strategy answers the question “how?” Before you have a “how?” you need to have vision–the passion producing picture of the preferred future; a mission: a statement of what business you’re in so as to move toward the fulfilling the vision; and a statement of value: to know what will be the behavioral engines of all strategic/tactical action taken.

Then and only then can one undertake formulating a strategy, i.e., answering the “how” questions. Strategy can and must evolve over time; vision, mission and values ought to be the 2nd “Torah miSinai” of a synagogue.

Since it all starts with vision the question is first and foremost: Where/What exactly is that clear, crisp and compelling vision (as defined above) for non-orthodox Judaism and it’s primary delivery system, the synagogue?

Chabad “sh’lihim” have deeply held kishke level convictions (not to be confused with mere opinions or beliefs) about their vision for a Jewish future as well as what they have to do to bring it about (their mission). So strong and heartfelt are these convictions, that they are willing to live a very frugal/bare minimum lifestyle as independent entrepreneurs in order move that vision forward.

The founders of Willow Creek Church (Bill Hybels and the youth group he led) sold apples door to door in the early days (the mid ’70’s) of their community in order to raise funds to further their vision and mission.

Rick Warren and his wife started Saddleback Church (a megachurch in Lake Forest CA), 30 years ago with a bible study of 6 people and no money.

So I’ll repeat my question and add a few more. Where/What exactly is that clear, crisp and compelling vision (as defined above) for non-orthodox Judaism and it’s primary delivery system, the synagogue? And will this vision inspire kishke level convictions in non-orthodox Jewish leaders (one might ask is there such a thing as a non-orthodox Jew having convictions about anything but that is a whole different discussion)? An obvious component of these convictions (if Chabad and the megachurch are any indication) is the willingness to live financially modest lives in order to move this vision forward. Are non-orthodox
Jewish leaders willing to trade comfort for a God and community honoring vision and mission? These are the real questions that need brutally honest answers.

Sadly the pasuk from Mishlei repeated below rings all too true as a description of the current reality of non-orthodox Judaism.

“B’ein hazon, yipara’ ‘am” “In the absence of vision the people will be unrestrained.” Mishlei 29:18.

Biv’racha,
Jordan