Engagement Methodologies The Conservative Movement · Engagement Jews Lower levels of Jewish affiliation Lower levels of Jewish self-direction They come to you b/c they need things

Prepared by Rabbi Mike Uram - [email protected]

Engagement Methodologies &

The Conservative Movement


The Sources

► Developed by the Penn Center for Jewish Engagement

► The Jewish Renaissance Project

► Hillel’s Schusterman International Center


Why Engagement?

► There is a huge gap between the top 15% of Jews who are involved and the other 85%

► We are not dealing with one Jewish People ► They don’t

§  talk the same language §  need the same things §  seek to be like one another


What is Engagement?

► This is not about ideology – it’s about methodology and execution

► How do we do our work better? ► How do we shift our focus from building

institutions to building Jews! ► The Rule of Epidemics (Tipping Point)


Divide and Conquer

► We need different approaches for different groups

§  Engagement

§  Empowerment


Empowerment Jews

► High degree of Jewish affiliation ► High degree of Jewish self-direction ► They come to you b/c they want things ► They know what they like and don’t like ► They can express their Jewish needs


Engagement Jews

► Lower levels of Jewish affiliation ► Lower levels of Jewish self-direction ► They come to you b/c they need things ► They care about Judaism in ways that we

don’t recognize – guilt and pride ► They often cannot express their Jewish

needs


The Premise

► We spend 85% of our time and resources on 15% of our Movement

► We need to build organizations that have

two different tracks that operate with two different methodologies


What Engagement is Not

► It’s not about institutions or membership

► It’s not about getting people to call themselves Conservative!


What Engagement Is

► It’s about building Jewish Renaissance

► It’s about meeting people where they are at

§  It’s about personal meaning

§  It’s about micro-communities

► It’s about relationships

► It’s about getting resources to the people


4 Pieces of Theory

1)  3 Models of Community Development 2)  Matrix of Jewish Identity Vs. Spectrum 3)  Asset-Based Community Development 4)  Peer-to-peer Methodology


Three Models of Community Development

► Club Model ► Outreach Model ► Open Book Model

Developed by Simon Amiel for Hillel’s JCSC Fellowship

1 of 4


The “Club” Model


Outreach Model

Branded Jewish Institution


The “Open Book” Model


This is about recognizing the truth

► Open Book is not about making your community look this way

► It’s about recognizing that it does look this way

► Once we see it for real, we can then address community needs more effectively


The Matrix – Not the Spectrum

► Problems with the spectrum §  It is inherently judgmental

► Be more like us ► You’re less Jewish than you should be

§  It ignores the complexity of Jewish identity and people’s individual choices

§  It stunts our ability to be strategic

2 of 4


What is the Matrix?

► How do you talk about the complexity of Jewish identity §  Accurate Reflection of Diversity §  Non-Hierarchical


Jewish Identification Matrix High Don’t say I’m

Jewish, but have lots of

Jewish friends

Chinese-food-on-Christmas

Jews

Institutional Jews

Low “I’m not really Jewish” Jews

High Holiday Jews

Do-it-yourself Jews

None Assimilated Invisible Jews Actively rejectionist

Jews None Low High

Jewish Self-Direction

Jew

ish

Affi

liatio

n

Jewish Self-Direction: This is an indicator of the degree to which an individual displays a sense of investment and/or choice in the nature of her Jewish life. In including decisions, it goes beyond a traditional measure of Jewish Identity.

JEWISH AFFILIATION: This is an indicator of the degree to which an individual spends time with other Jews regularly in either formal or informal settings. It is not a measure of denominational nor Jewish communal nor institutional affiliation in a traditional sense.


Asset-Based Community Development

► From the research of John Kretzmann and John McKnight

► Asset-Based Community Development Institute at Northwestern University

► A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing a

Community’s Assets 3 of 4


Deficiency Based Community Building

► Endless list of what’s wrong ► Goal: Survival ► Allocates resources to institutions, experts

and services – not individuals ► Creates clients – not partners ► Cuts inter-personal relationships


Asset-Based Community Development

►  Map community for resources §  Social – Connectors (Tipping Point) §  Skills §  Geographic §  Financial

►  Goal is transformation not survival ►  Creates relationships and communities instead of clients ►  Deploys resources and skills to people where they are at ►  Organization becomes relationship driven instead of

focused on programs or events ►  The core value becomes personal growth and community

development, not institutional growth


Peer-to-Peer

► Rabbi cannot do it all §  Not enough time §  Not enough range – You cannot connect with

everyone ► Intellectually ► Personally ► Spiritually

► Rabbi is catalyst not key

4 of 4


Classic Model

► Sunday parsha class w/Rabbi - 30 people §  New Marketing §  Strong out-reach §  Class grows to 60 people

► Is this a success?


Deeper Questions

► Are these the same people that come to other things?

► Have you tapped new resources? ► Do they represent different matrix profiles? ► Do they represent different social networks? ► Have you done anything to deepen the

reach or impact of your educational program?


The Engagement Method

► Keep the parsha class w/60 people ► Create 15 person fellowship

§  Find the connectors §  Give them incentives § Make it exclusive §  Empower them


Make it Peer-2-Peer

► The 15 Fellows learn with the Rabbi on Tuesday

► They each host a Torah study for their social networks on Sunday morning

► Only 10 people come to each ► That’s 150 more people studying Torah


Why does it work?

§  Connectors ► Being in their group is desirable

§  Lowered boundaries ► Geographic ► Social

§ Maximized Resources ► 15 Fellows can do more than one Rabbi


So what about the Shul?

► Does this help membership? ► Does this improve the synagogue?

Who cares… it’s about Judaism not about institutions.


It’ll help anyway

► This will build your organization even though that’s not our central value §  Vibrancy §  Cutting-edge § Meaning

Everyone wants to be on the winning team


Practical Measures

► How do you get this done? §  Teach lay leaders the theory § Map Your Community §  Choose Target Populations § Make decisions about resources

► Set aside time ► Set aside money ► Hire staff ► Raise money!

§  Track and evaluate your impact!


The Proof

► During the 2008-2009 academic year §  Created 138 new leadership positions §  Generated 302 events §  Total Attendance – 7,280 Engagement Students

► We raised $315,000 in new gifts §  Past givers gave more §  New people came to the table


JRP Tracking Data

► Quantity ► Impact ► What we’re not doing

Documents

Engagement Methodologies The Conservative Movement · Engagement Jews Lower levels of Jewish affiliation Lower levels of Jewish self-direction They come to you b/c they need things