Rethinking Synagogues

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Rethinking Synagogues

Author : Lawrence A. Hoffman
Publisher : Jewish Lights Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1580232485
Total Pages : 242 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (82 download)

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Book Synopsis Rethinking Synagogues by : Lawrence A. Hoffman

Download or read book Rethinking Synagogues written by Lawrence A. Hoffman and published by Jewish Lights Publishing. This book was released on 2006 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A critical and challenging look at reinventing the synagogue, as the centerpiece of a refashioned Jewish community. America is undergoing a spiritual revolution: only the fourth religious awakening in its history. I plead, therefore, for an equally spiritual synagogue, knowing that any North American Jewish community that hopes to be around in a hundred years must have religion at its center, with the synagogue, the religious institution that best fits North American culture, at its very core. from Chapter 1 Synagogues are under attack, and for good reasons. But they remain the religious backbone of Jewish continuity, especially in America, the sole Western industrial or post-industrial nation where religion and spirituality continue to grow in importance. To fulfill their mandate for the American future, synagogues need to replace old and tired conversation with a new way of talking about their goals, their challenges and their vision for the future. In this provocative clarion call for synagogue transformation, Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman summarizes a decade of research with Synagogue 2000 a pioneering experiment that reconceptualized synagogue life providing fresh ways for synagogues to think as they undertake the exciting task of global change.

Rethinking Synagogues

Author : Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD
Publisher : Turner Publishing Company
ISBN 13 : 1580236405
Total Pages : 262 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (82 download)

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Book Synopsis Rethinking Synagogues by : Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD

Download or read book Rethinking Synagogues written by Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD and published by Turner Publishing Company. This book was released on 2012-05-24 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A critical and challenging look at reinventing the synagogue, as the centerpiece of a refashioned Jewish community. “America is undergoing a spiritual revolution: only the fourth religious awakening in its history. I plead, therefore, for an equally spiritual synagogue, knowing that any North American Jewish community that hopes to be around in a hundred years must have religion at its center, with the synagogue, the religious institution that best fits North American culture, at its very core.” —from Chapter 1 Synagogues are under attack, and for good reasons. But they remain the religious backbone of Jewish continuity, especially in America, the sole Western industrial or post-industrial nation where religion and spirituality continue to grow in importance. To fulfill their mandate for the American future, synagogues need to replace old and tired conversation with a new way of talking about their goals, their challenges and their vision for the future. In this provocative clarion call for synagogue transformation, Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman summarizes a decade of research with Synagogue 2000—a pioneering experiment that reconceptualized synagogue life—providing fresh ways for synagogues to think as they undertake the exciting task of global change.

What You Will See Inside a Synagogue

Author : Lawrence A. Hoffman
Publisher : SkyLight Paths Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1594732566
Total Pages : 35 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (947 download)

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Book Synopsis What You Will See Inside a Synagogue by : Lawrence A. Hoffman

Download or read book What You Will See Inside a Synagogue written by Lawrence A. Hoffman and published by SkyLight Paths Publishing. This book was released on 2008 with total page 35 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Names and explains the various objects found in a synagogue, how they are used in the service and other events, the rabbi and lay people who use them, and the meaning behind them.

Rethinking Poles and Jews

Author : Robert D. Cherry
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 9780742546660
Total Pages : 252 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (466 download)

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Book Synopsis Rethinking Poles and Jews by : Robert D. Cherry

Download or read book Rethinking Poles and Jews written by Robert D. Cherry and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2007 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rethinking Poles and Jews focuses on the role of Holocaust-related material in perpetuating anti-Polish images and describes organizational efforts to combat them. Without minimizing contemporary Polish anti-Semitism, it also presents more positive material on contemporary Polish-American organizations and Jewish life in Poland.

Sacred Strategies

Author : Isa Aron
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1566996236
Total Pages : 295 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (669 download)

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Book Synopsis Sacred Strategies by : Isa Aron

Download or read book Sacred Strategies written by Isa Aron and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2010-05-17 with total page 295 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 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.'

Tomorrow's Synagogue Today

Author : Hayim Herring
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1566996805
Total Pages : 149 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (669 download)

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Book Synopsis Tomorrow's Synagogue Today by : Hayim Herring

Download or read book Tomorrow's Synagogue Today written by Hayim Herring and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2012-02-17 with total page 149 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the past decade many intelligent people who care deeply about synagogues have written about them. So how is this book different from all other books? Many books take the overall mission of the synagogue as a given, and the recommendations around structure are really about incremental change. Tomorrow's Synagogue Today stimulates the reader to unleash the power of synagogues to exponentially influence people's Jewish lives. Herring offers creative scenarios to stretch the imagination about how more synagogues could become vibrant centers of Jewish life and how congregational leaders can begin to chart a new course toward achieving that goal. Key to his vision are the ways synagogues can collaborate with other synagogues and other Jewish institutions in the local Jewish community and around the globe, as well as with organizations outside of the Jewish community. Herring also explores structural change that is occurring in the rabbinate, as well as future roles rabbis may play and how rabbis might begin preparing for that future now. He shares insights from twelve rabbis from across the country about new models of synagogue mission, governance, and organization. He concludes with recommendations about the kinds of investments those who care about synagogues and the Jewish future need to make so that synagogues will remain a significant force in the Jewish community.

משכן תפלה

Author : Elyse D. Frishman
Publisher : CCAR Press
ISBN 13 : 9780881231045
Total Pages : 412 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (31 download)

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Book Synopsis משכן תפלה by : Elyse D. Frishman

Download or read book משכן תפלה written by Elyse D. Frishman and published by CCAR Press. This book was released on 2007 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Rethinking Modern Judaism

Author : Arnold M. Eisen
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
ISBN 13 : 0226195295
Total Pages : 358 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (261 download)

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Book Synopsis Rethinking Modern Judaism by : Arnold M. Eisen

Download or read book Rethinking Modern Judaism written by Arnold M. Eisen and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 1998 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Arnold Eisen here calls for a fundamental rethinking of the story of modern Judaism. More than simply a study of Jewish thought on customs and rituals, Rethinking Modern Judaism explores the central role that practice plays in Judaism's encounter with modernity. "Fascinating . . . an insightful entrance point to understanding the evolution of the theologies of America's largest Jewish denominations."—Tikkun "I know of no other treatment of these issues that matches Eisen's talents for synthesizing a wide variety of historical, philosophical, and social scientific sources, and bringing them to bear in a balanced and open-minded way on the delicate questions of why modern Jews relate as they do to the practices of Judaism."—Joseph Reimer, Boston Book Review "At once an incisive survey of modern Jewish thought and an inquiry into how Jews actually live their religious lives, Mr. Eisen's book is an invaluable addition to the study of American Judaism."—Elliott Abrams, Washington Times

Governance and Ministry

Author : Dan Hotchkiss
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1566997712
Total Pages : 263 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (669 download)

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Book Synopsis Governance and Ministry by : Dan Hotchkiss

Download or read book Governance and Ministry written by Dan Hotchkiss and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2016-01-14 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Governance and Ministry has proven to be an indispensable guide for leaders and clergy on how to work together to lead congregations. In this second edition, veteran congregational consultant and minister Dan Hotchkiss updates the book to reflect today’s church and synagogue landscape and shares practical insights based on his work with readers of the first edition. Governance and Ministry highlights the importance of reaching the right governance model for a congregation to fulfill its mission—to achieve both the outward results and the inward quality of life to which it is called. Hotchkiss draws on governance research from business, non-profits, and churches, as well as deep experience in a variety of denominations and congregations to help readers determine the governance model that best fits their needs. The second edition has been streamlined and reorganized to better help readers think through leadership models and the process of change. The book features new material on the implications of congregation size, the process of governance change, policy choices, and the lay-clergy relationship. It also features two appendices with resources often requested by Hotchkiss’s consulting clients: a style guide for policy-makers and a unified example of a board policy book. Written with energy and humor, and offering plenty of practical examples, the second edition of this helpful resource is ideal for anyone involved in church leadership to assist in framing critical questions, creating a vision, and implementing a plan.

New Membership & Financial Alternatives for the American Synagogue

Author : Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky
Publisher : Turner Publishing Company
ISBN 13 : 1580238289
Total Pages : 154 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (82 download)

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Book Synopsis New Membership & Financial Alternatives for the American Synagogue by : Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky

Download or read book New Membership & Financial Alternatives for the American Synagogue written by Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky and published by Turner Publishing Company. This book was released on 2015-02-06 with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Open wide your mind and your community to fresh concepts of synagogue financial and spiritual success. "[A] welcome addition.... Replete with examples of synagogues, independent minyanim and spiritual communities that have developed creative and sometimes surprising strategies ... that ameliorate what many observers believe are obstacles to recruiting and engaging Jews into their spiritual communities." from the Foreword by Dr. Ron Wolfson The concept of the "dues-based membership model" in synagogues was once an innovation. Now that model is in decline and sweeping change is required in order to reverse the downward trend in synagogue participation. This groundbreaking book provides synagogue and communal leaders with a useful process and the ingredients necessary to consider important changes in the synagogue, including: Thoughtful new models for membership and synagogue finance Examples from successful synagogues, bolstered by illustrations from the private sector Practical steps for change and implementation With checklists for exploring and adopting alternative models from nationally recognized congregational consultant Debbie Joseph.

Tough Questions Jews Ask 2/e

Author : Edward Feinstein
Publisher : Jewish Lights Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1580234542
Total Pages : 162 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (82 download)

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Book Synopsis Tough Questions Jews Ask 2/e by : Edward Feinstein

Download or read book Tough Questions Jews Ask 2/e written by Edward Feinstein and published by Jewish Lights Publishing. This book was released on 2011-10 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With honesty, humour and respect, Rabbi Edward Feinstein tackles topics as diverse as: 'Why does God let terrible things happen?', 'What is God anyway?', and 'If I pray for something, will I get it?'.

The Synagogues of New York's Lower East Side:

Author : Gerard R. Wolfe
Publisher : Fordham Univ Press
ISBN 13 : 0823250008
Total Pages : 233 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (232 download)

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Book Synopsis The Synagogues of New York's Lower East Side: by : Gerard R. Wolfe

Download or read book The Synagogues of New York's Lower East Side: written by Gerard R. Wolfe and published by Fordham Univ Press. This book was released on 2013 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The classic book on the Lower East Side's synagogues and their congregations, past and present-now back in print in a completely revised and expanded edition

Finding a Spiritual Home

Author : Rabbi Sidney Schwarz, PhD
Publisher : Turner Publishing Company
ISBN 13 : 158023657X
Total Pages : 432 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (82 download)

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Book Synopsis Finding a Spiritual Home by : Rabbi Sidney Schwarz, PhD

Download or read book Finding a Spiritual Home written by Rabbi Sidney Schwarz, PhD and published by Turner Publishing Company. This book was released on 2012-07-12 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Jewish community has lost some of the most sensitive spiritual souls of this generation. They are Jews who were looking for God and found spiritual homes outside of Judaism. Their journeys traversed the Jewish community, but nothing there beckoned them. The creation of synagogue-communities in which the voices of seekers can be heard and their questions can be asked will challenge many loyalist Jews. It will upset and enrage them. But it would also enrich them. —from Chapter 18 In this fresh look at the spiritual possibilities of American Jewish life, Rabbi Sidney Schwarz presents the framework for a new synagogue model—the synagogue community—and its promise to transform our understanding of the synagogue and its potential for modern Judaism. Schwarz profiles four innovative synagogues—one from each of the major movements of Judaism—that have had extraordinary success with their approach to congregational life and presents practical ways to replicate their success. Includes a discussion guide for study groups and book clubs as well as a new afterword by the author describing developments in synagogue change projects since the book was first published.

Beyond Jewish Identity

Author : Jon A. Levisohn
Publisher : Academic Studies PRess
ISBN 13 : 1644691183
Total Pages : 414 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (446 download)

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Book Synopsis Beyond Jewish Identity by : Jon A. Levisohn

Download or read book Beyond Jewish Identity written by Jon A. Levisohn and published by Academic Studies PRess. This book was released on 2019-12-31 with total page 414 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is something deeply problematic about the ways that Jews, particularly in America, talk about “Jewish identity” as a desired outcome of Jewish education. For many, the idea that the purpose of Jewish education is to strengthen Jewish identity is so obvious that it hardly seems worth disputing—and the only important question is which kinds of Jewish education do that work more effectively or more efficiently. But what does it mean to “strengthen Jewish identity”? Why do Jewish educators, policy-makers and philanthropists talk that way? What do they assume, about Jewish education or about Jewish identity, when they use formulations like “strengthen Jewish identity”? And what are the costs of doing so? This volume, the first collection to examine critically the relationship between Jewish education and Jewish identity, makes two important interventions. First, it offers a critical assessment of the relationship between education and identity, arguing that the reification of identity has hampered much educational creativity in the pursuit of this goal, and that the nearly ubiquitous employment of the term obscures significant questions about what Jewish education is and ought to be. Second, this volume offers thoughtful responses that are not merely synonymous replacements for “identity,” suggesting new possibilities for how to think about the purposes and desired outcomes of Jewish education, potentially contributing to any number of new conversations about the relationship between Jewish education and Jewish life.

Synagogues in a Time of Change

Author : Zachary I. Heller
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1566996430
Total Pages : 277 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (669 download)

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Book Synopsis Synagogues in a Time of Change by : Zachary I. Heller

Download or read book Synagogues in a Time of Change written by Zachary I. Heller and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2009-06-22 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The synagogue remains a central institution in Jewish life as a place of study, worship, and assembly, but each day brings word of a new challenging development within each of the larger movements to which synagogues belong—Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist. Jewish religious communities today share a number of challenges, from the increase in secular or unaffiliated Jews to emerging Jewish spiritual communities forming outside the synagogue. There has never been a more compelling need for a wide-ranging discussion of the diverse issues facing American Judaism. Brought together by Zachary I. Heller, associate director of the National Center for Jewish Policy Studies, and an editorial team which included Rabbis David Gordis, Hayim Herring, and Sanford Seltzer, twenty of the leading Jewish thinkers—rabbis, scholars, authors, professors, activists, and experts in the study of the American synagogue—have contributed to this comprehensive collection of essays. Each writer brings unique expertise and perspective in describing the development of contemporary religious movements (denominations) in American Judaism, their interrelationships and tensions, and their prospects for the future. Their combined voices create a timely discussion of the many urgent issues bearing down on American synagogues. Contributors to Synagogues in a Time of Change take on the changing dynamics of synagogue life, its organization into movements, and the organic changes taking place that are causing those movements to lose their coherence and strength, both internally and as an attractive force for seekers of Jewish religious tradition and expression. They address the current fiscal issues that face the movement organizations and the broader questions of their future stability as well as their significance and continued relevance to individual congregations. Ultimately, the book is a catalyst for personal reflection and public discussion on the past, present and future of the American synagogue. The issues faced by Judaism in America are not unique to Jewish religious movements. Many of the issues facing synagogues will be familiar to those of all faiths. Indeed, the book includes an essay by Rodney L. Petersen of the Boston Theological Institute on denominationalism, nondenominationalism, and postdenominationalism in American Christian communities that helps us see these parallels. Religious groups of all kinds will find reflections of common struggles that can provide a vehicle for constructive conversations about their own pressing issues.

The New Jewish Baby Book

Author : Anita Diamant
Publisher : Jewish Lights Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1580232515
Total Pages : 322 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (82 download)

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Book Synopsis The New Jewish Baby Book by : Anita Diamant

Download or read book The New Jewish Baby Book written by Anita Diamant and published by Jewish Lights Publishing. This book was released on 2005 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The practical, inspiring guide for all Jewish people expecting a baby. Expanded, updated, and revised. A complete resource to the traditions and rituals for welcoming a new child to the world and into the Jewish community, and for commemorating this joyous event in family life--whatever your family constellation. Provides ceremonies you can copy for handouts so that guests are an even greater part of the experience. Special section for interfaith families helps make the celebrations inclusive, comfortable, and joyous for all. Ceremonies for girls, as well as for boys. "Drawn from the wealth of mythic, historic, religious, culinary, and literary traditions that surround the arrival of a new Jewish baby, and informed by contemporary insight and practice, The New Jewish Baby Book describes the many ways that new parents can celebrate the arrival of a child, the newest member of your extended families, and a unique and precious chapter in the on-going saga of the Jewish people." --from the Introduction

More Than Managing

Author : Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD
Publisher : Turner Publishing Company
ISBN 13 : 1683366816
Total Pages : 294 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (833 download)

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Book Synopsis More Than Managing by : Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD

Download or read book More Than Managing written by Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, PhD and published by Turner Publishing Company. This book was released on 2016-11-29 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jewish organizational life is inundated with publications on organizational change and effective leadership, but from mutually exclusive sources: business and organizational studies, on the one hand; and Jewish studies, on the other. One addresses leadership but not the religious soul. The other speaks from its Jewish soul but is only secondarily engaged in the study of leadership. More Than Managing thoughtfully combines both to be immediately applicable to Jewish organizational life.Inspired by thirty years of pioneering work by retail giant Leslie Wexner’s philanthropic focus on Jewish leadership, More Than Managing brings together diverse and remarkable thinkers to address challenges facing communal life and the skills and strategies demanded by them. Contributors include professors at Harvard University’s Center for Public Leadership and The Harvard Business School who have worked over the past three decades with Israel’s rising leadership in the public sector. These internationally known voices are matched by alumni and faculty of The Wexner Foundation’s professional and volunteer programs, who lead and advise Jewish communities throughout North America and Israel. The book features diverse strategies for twenty-first-century leadership, critical lessons for organizational and communal success, and the questions vital to our changing and challenging times. Questions include how leaders may overcome the mediocrity of bureaucratic organizations; how organizations can harness volunteer leadership for transformative change; and how professionals can sustain core values in the midst of daily routine. Its diverse array of writers with international reputations in their fields makes it the only book of its kind. Potential readers include leaders of any religious not-for-profits—not just Jewish. The almost 50 contributors, including Leslie Wexner, combine secular insights on leadership with innovative insights drawn from Judaism’s spiritual heritage.