Sacred Strategies is about eight synagogues that reached out and helped people connect to Jewish life in a new way-congregations that had gone from commonplace to extraordinary. Over a period of two years, researchers Aron, Cohen, Hoffman, and Kelman interviewed 175 synagogue leaders and a selection of congregants (ranging from intensely committed to largely inactive). They found these congregations shared six traits: sacred purpose, holistic ethos, participatory culture, meaningful engagement, innovation disposition, and reflective leadership and governance. They write for synagogue leaders eager to transform their congregations, federations and foundations interested in encouraging and supporting this transformation, and researchers in congregational studies who will want to explore further. Part 1 of this book demonstrates how these characteristics are exemplified in the four central aspects of synagogue life: worship, learning, community building, and social justice. Part 2 explores questions such as: What enabled some congregations to become visionary? What hindered others from doing so? What advice might we give to congregational, federation, and foundation leaders? The picture that emerges in this book is one of congregations that were entrepreneurial, experimental, and committed to 'something better.'
Autorentext
By Isa Aron; Steven M. Cohen; Lawrence A. Hoffman and Ari Y. Kelman
Zusammenfassung
Sacred Strategies is about eight synagogues that reached out and helped people connect to Jewish life in a new waycongregations that had gone from commonplace to extraordinary. Over a period of two years, researchers Aron, Cohen, Hoffman, and Kelman interviewed 175 synagogue leaders and a selection of congregants (ranging from intensely committed to largely inactive). They found these congregations shared six traits: sacred purpose, holistic ethos, participatory culture, meaningful engagement, innovation disposition, and reflective leadership and governance. They write for synagogue leaders eager to transform their congregations, federations and foundations interested in encouraging and supporting this transformation, and researchers in congregational studies who will want to explore further.
Part 1 of this book demonstrates how these characteristics are exemplified in the four central aspects of synagogue life: worship, learning, community building, and social justice. Part 2 explores questions such as: What enabled some congregations to become visionary? What hindered others from doing so? What advice might we give to congregational, federation, and foundation leaders? The picture that emerges in this book is one of congregations that were entrepreneurial, experimental, and committed to 'something better.'
Inhalt
Acknowledgments
1. Snapshots of Visionary: The Congregations We Studied
Part 1: Exploring Congregational Vision
2. A Portrait of "Visionary": The Characteristics We Saw
3. Visionary Worship: T'fillah that Engages
4. Visionary Learning: Schooling for Everyone
5. Visionary Community: Tikkun Olam and G'milut Chasadim from the Inside Out
Part 2: Achieving Congregational Change
6. Transformation in Practice: Moving toward Change
7. Transformation in Theory: Thinking about Change
8. Transformation in Perspective: Looking Back and Looking Forward
Appendix A: Study Participants
Appendix B: Interview Protocol
Notes
Annotated Bibliography