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About L'Atid
On May 20th, 2008, more than fifty members gathered with clergy and staff to help improve the Temple of Aaron with their ideas and energy.
As a part of the L’Atid Strategic Planning Process, Bob Leventhal from the Alban Institute led a workshop to help us envision success and set goals, both long and short term.
(The committees include: Attracting Young Jews; Improving Worship, Increasing Volunteer opportunities, Broadening Adult and Youth Education; Welcoming Members, Working for Social Justice; and Improving Communications.)
Each committee brainstormed ideas and then set several specific goals, some goals had clear time lines and agreement on how to measure success. For example: the Attracting Young Jews group suggested several informal gatherings outside of the synagogue; the Worship group suggested a variety of new types of worship, many of them congregant run; and the Welcoming committee is exploring re-vitalizing the Havurah program. These are just a few of the many ideas generated.
But beyond the ideas, there was also a great deal of energy as a wide variety of members shared their views and talents.
 Each committee also left with a good sense of the degree to which they will need to coordinate with each other. There will be much opportunity for overlap, and good communication will help prevent unnecessary duplication of effort.
The evening was a clear success, but the key will be the next meeting.
Committees were charged with setting a first meeting before the June 19 board meeting. If you have any questions or feedback on this process, please contact one of the co-chairs:
Judy Werthauser
Nancy Lane
Sandy Kamin
Working Values and Goals
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Keruv
Bringing people closer |
We believe each member has a special gift to
bring to the building of the synagogue community. We will all work to
understand who our members are, and how to get them connected with each other
and with their synagogue. We share the responsibility to help each member
connect his or her talents, interests and passions to the right work. |
Building Participation
(Volunteerism)
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Kehilat Kodesh
A sacred community |
Everyone who enters the Temple of Aaron must be
made to feel equally welcome, whether they are guests, or long time members.
We must use the size of the congregation to enable everyone to find and build
relationships (both within groups and with other individuals) where they can
connect and grow. We must also foster an environment that recognizes that the
building and evolution of relationships is a continuous, intentional effort. |
Welcoming Everyone
(Membership) |
Klal
Yisrael
The entire community of
Jews |
Once individuals have entered the congregation, we
must ensure that each truly becomes a part of the community by providing
programs and experiences that engage them fully. All members share the
responsibility for improving and extending these relationships with each
other and with the community in general. |
Deepening Community
(Programming) |
Elu
v'Elu Diveri Elohim HaChaim
These and These are the
words of a living God. |
Temple of Aaron today sits on the shoulders of
past members, leaders, and staff who have built its legacy. We are committed
to writing a new chapter in our story, and communicating it to members of all
ages. Keeping members informed of how our values and goals translate into
action will require both developing new communication methods, and improving
face-to-face interactions. |
Expanding Communications |
Le'Dor
va'Dor
From
Generation to
Generation |
The Temple of Aaron will only be kept vibrant and
vital by attracting new members. We are committed to attracting the full
diversity of the next generation by acknowledging their contributions to the
community, developing creative programs of interest to them, and
allowing them to broaden our vision and mission. |
Attracting Young Jews |
Lilmud
Torah
The study of our
Tradition |
The synagogue is committed to continuously
deepening our Jewish knowledge, and to improving our ability to learn from
each other. A variety of educational opportunities, both formal and informal,
will be provided for all ages and at all levels. It is a place where everyone
who has a desire to learn can satisfy his or her religious and cultural
curiosity. |
Life Long Learning |
Devakut
Finding sacred connections |
The Temple of Aaron provides many opportunities
for warm, uplifting, progressive, prayer services that allow participants to
make spiritual connections in a uniquely Jewish context. We are constantly
seeking ways we can use dynamic, creative approaches to Jewish prayer that
will help individuals connect with the community, with themselves, and with
God. |
Improving Worship |
Tikkun Olam
Repairing the Creation |
We must look beyond the walls of synagogue
into the general community. We share a commitment to the Jewish people, the
Land of Israel, and all of creation. The focus of these efforts is both hands
on service work to meet immediate needs in our community, and advocacy based
work to address the root causes of injustice. We as Jews have a
responsibility to make our diverse voices heard in order to improve our
world. |
Working for Social Justice |
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All programs listed on the Upcoming Events page are color coded to correspond with these strategic areas. |
