CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM

BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA

REPORT OF THE

LONG RANGE PLANNING COMMITTEE

MAY 2001

INTRODUCTION

Like any other organization, Beth Shalom has gone through growth and change over the past decade. Ten years ago, we were concerned about space issues, and built our last addition. Five years ago, we were in the midst of searching for a full-time rabbi. This past year, with our space and rabbinical needs met, we turned to our organizational needs and looked at the issue of long-range planning for the Jewish community of Bloomington.

In May 2000, the Board voted favorable for the creation of a long-range planning committee, with Sue Swartz serving as chair. The committee members – representing a wide range of ages, religious practices, and experiences - were Amy Applegate, Julie Bloom, Jeff Harlig, Mark Hoffman, Marshall Jacobs, Judith Rose, and Lenny Weiser.

In its meetings, the long-range planning committee found itself using four words over and over again: community, accessibility, flexibility, and diversity. We suggest that these four words both describe our congregation and what our congregational goals should be.

The Process

The committee’s primary focus was to find out “who we are” as a congregation and to create a benchmark in terms of congregational demographics, wants, and needs.

To accomplish this, the committee created a survey covering religious practice, use of synagogue facilities, and members’ relations to the synagogue and each other. We received an excellent response to our questions: the survey was answered by just under 2/3 of our adult members. In addition, our committee conducted two formal focus-group sessions and held informal meetings with congregants. The survey data, comments, and small group feedback provide the basis for this report and for our recommendations. Our thoughts were also informed by meetings and correspondence with Rabbi Lane Steinger, our UAHC regional representative, and research on recent studies of contemporary congregational trends in America such as Finding a Spiritual Home by Sidney Schwarz.

The report covers the following topics:

1. General Demographics

2. Membership

3. Atmosphere

4. Communications and Accessibility

5. Involvement And Participation

6. Finances

7. Programming

8. Religious School

9. Prayer/Religious Practice

Each topic is divided into three sections: “what the congregation told us” (information gathered from the survey and meetings with members), “what we know”, (information gathered from additional research), and “recommendations”. Where appropriate, we also included “items for discussion”, topics that are appropriate for Board discussion and possible involvement of this committee over the next year.

The Future

Many of the congregational characteristics revealed by the survey are common to congregations throughout America. Beth Shalom’s issues of an aging congregation, differences in worship styles and degree of observance, and diversity of motivations for synagogue membership reflect the state of Judaism in the United States today. So, while there are many things the Board may want to consider to address the findings in our report, it is important to realize there is no reason to act precipitously in the belief that extreme measures must be taken to “fix” something “wrong” with either our membership or our synagogue.

We suggest that the Board use the recommendations as a starting point for positive change: digest the information, adopt overall goals, prioritize areas of involvement, create a rough timeline, and use committee, staff, and Board members to oversee implementation of specific plans. Build on this document. Be creative.

Our underlying principle for our work was simple: our congregation wants to maintain a membership base of a size that will allow it to be self-sufficient with members paying “reasonable” dues. There are many other important and more controversial issues that we chose not to investigate at this time. Just three of these are:

(1) How big (or small) can or should the congregation safely get, and what are the benefits and drawbacks that result from larger (smaller) size? Even if we continue to grow in the modest way that we have been over the last several years, what impact does this growth have on our staffing levels, finances, and sense of community?

(2) What additional services and facilities could the synagogue offer with more funding at its disposal? How do we balance this against how higher dues could restrict access to membership for some members of Bloomington’s Jewish community?

(3) Does the existence of multiple types of services, multiple service leadership, and wide-ranging levels of observance in one building mean that we are one congregation or actually several sharing one physical structure? What would be the fallout from a possible future decision to change today’s status quo?

Questions like these – as well as implementation and assessment of more practical recommendations - lead us to feel that it would be advantageous for a Long-Range Planning Committee to continue its work for at least another year in tandem with the Board and professional staff.

Report of the Beth Shalom Long-Range Planning Committee

2000-2001

In its meetings, the long-range planning committee found itself using four words over and over again: community, accessibility, flexibility, and diversity. We suggest that these four words describe our congregation and also what our congregational goals should be.

GENERAL DEMOGRAPHICS

What the Congregation Told Us

Three-quarters of our adult members are age 40 and above. Just over a quarter are age 50 to 59, and just under a quarter are 60 and over.

A majority of our member households (53%) have no children living at home.

An overwhelming majority live within 10 miles of Beth Shalom.

Our overall approach to Jewish life is varied. Cultural and educational emphases each garnered 57%, while a spiritual approach was chosen a bit more (66%), and social action a bit less (50%). As individuals could indicate more than one choice, there are clearly many for whom a multiple focus is important.

For both those in the their 30s and 40s, the spiritual approach was more frequently mentioned.

What We Know

National data indicates that the Jewish community is getting older. One formula for calculating the “age” of a congregation is the ratio of households to children attending religious school. In our case the ratio is approximately 2:1, placing us in the younger end of the middle range (nationally).

National data also suggests that synagogues are increasingly becoming associations of special interest groups, i.e., self-defined in terms of demographics and Jewish practice (particularly true in communities with only one congregation).

RECOMMENDATIONS

Goal: Provide a multiplicity of approaches to Judaism that match our congregants’ needs.

1. All four frameworks – cultural, educational, social action, and spiritual – need to be integrated into Beth Shalom.

2. Determine the needs of households without children; and those with individuals over 60.

3. Ensure that people remain involved as they continue to age. Explore alternatives to synagogue-based programming that reach out to senior citizens.

Items for Discussion: Are households without children – and possibly with more free time - an under-used volunteer base? If people are increasingly empty nesters, what does this do, over time, to our Religious School enrollment and finances?

MEMBERSHIP

What the Congregation Told Us:

55% have belonged to Beth Shalom for 11 years or more; a quarter of those for over 20 years. About 1 out of 5 (19%) became members in the last 2 years.

People first join Beth Shalom most often on their own (54%), primarily because joining a congregation is what they consider normative. Fifteen percent joined because of religious school, and a comparable amount because of spouses. Small percentages (under 5%) joined because of a contact from Beth Shalom, programming, or the Rabbi.

Individuals have multiple reasons for staying. Overwhelmingly, they stay to “be part of the community” and because of “the Rabbi”. Additionally, over half stay because they like other members or to attend services. About a third said they continue to belong because “this is the only congregation in town,’ “to support the Jewish community,” or “because of Religious School.”

What We Know:

Bloomington is a somewhat transient community. It is likely that our congregation will gain and lose members, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, because of IU hiring and tenure processes. It is impossible to really know what sort of members/families will be coming through the “age ranks” in the coming years, since the families now in Bloomington may not be the ones who will stay. In such a community, retention of those members who stay in Bloomington is crucial.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Recruitment

Goal: Make Beth Shalom easy to find.

1. Reach out through the use of our web site, introductory literature, free media, and the like.

2. Capture the full range of our membership, programming, and religious practices in written materials and verbal descriptions aimed at recruitment.

3. Limit the amount of time the Rabbi spends in active recruitment in the community (as indications are that people will join on their own, when they’re ready, and not in response to recruiting).

4. Provide a welcoming atmosphere for those individuals and families who are considering Beth Shalom.

Item for discussion: how do we want to define our congregation to the broader community? What descriptive language best describes us? How can we publicize our strengths?

Retention

Goal: Retain our membership over time by providing a broad umbrella to the Jewish community

1. Build the Beth Shalom community, both as a whole and for its constituent groups. Use what people indicated keeps them coming back: a sense of Jewish community, a strong rabbinic presence, access to other members, religious services that work for people, and the like.

2. Integrate new members into the community. Provide a number of ways to lessen the sense of “newness,”including a new member handbook, new member group orientation (perhaps through the Beit Midrash), on-going mentoring by more established members, and regular group activities for new/recent members.

3. The membership committee must be actively chaired, fully functional, and supported by the Board. Its primary focus must extend to new/recently joined members, as well as outreach to non-members.

4. The Rabbi is an essential component to retention. Working with, and reaching out to, new members should be a continued focus of the Rabbi's time. Additionally, the Rabbi would be a useful addition to the membership committee.

5. Utilize the Religious School as a focus for recruitment and retention activities.

Items for discussion: how should we present ourselves to new members? What do we emphasize?

What defines a new member? What does it take for someone to no longer feel like a new member?

Continue to track this question in the future: will Rabbi’s influence and programming have an impact on people’s reasons for joining over the long term?

ATMOSPHERE

What the Congregation Told Us

Almost three-quarters (74%) find Beth Shalom to be warm and friendly.

Members also find the congregation inclusive (59%) and engaging (47%).

Less than half identified us as flexible (41%).

Less than 10% of respondents indicated they found the congregation to be cool and distant, exclusive, or formal/serious.

Comments were overwhelmingly positive about Beth Shalom, its atmosphere and vibrancy. Of particular note was Rabbi Mira.

Several individuals commented that it is difficult to be a newcomer in the congregation.

What We Know

Beth Shalom has a diverse membership. We run the gamut on age, background, religious practice, self-identification (reform, secular, traditional, etc.), ways in which we “are Jewish,” knowledge of ritual and history, and desired level of involvement. Many members do not know each other. Some members feel that they don’t fit in.

Experience of congregations in the UAHC (the organization of Reform congregations) points to increased comfort level on the part of members when we get away from labels – “conservative,” “orthodox,” “reform,” “reconstructionist,” “renewal” – and find ways to describe these various paths (and more) without pigeon-holing.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Goal: Provide a communal space that is welcoming to all its diverse constituents.

1. Send a clear signal - from both lay and rabbinic leadership - that there is more than one way to be Jewish, and that there is more than one way to be a member of Beth Shalom. Make it acceptable for people to pick and choose what they want to participate in.

2. Pair this message with an emphasis on Jewish education for adults and children. This will enable people to make informed choices about practice, ritual, and involvement.

3. Bring together people from “across” different groups whenever possible.

4. Promote a friendly and personal atmosphere. Consider “greeters” at all events and services, nametags, phone trees and increased personal contact, Board contact with all members on a regular basis, personal sharing in public spaces (for example: the “simcha moment,” where members share good news), a bulletin board with pictures of members and events, or lunches with Board members or the Rabbi in small groups.

5. Food is a great bond – use it wherever possible.

6. Explore the creation of havurot as a mechanism for allowing groups of people to really connect with others who share a similar interest or demography.

7. Continue to emphasize personal interaction, particularly in times of need. Ensure the continuation of the Mitzvah Committee.

Item for discussion: Examine “flexibility,” the attribute less than half our respondents chose to describe Beth Shalom. Perhaps utilize this question in a focus group setting.

COMMUNICATIONS AND ACCESSIBILITY

What the Congregation Told Us

An overwhelming number of members read the monthly Bulletin: 72% always read it, and 25% sometimes do.

The most useful parts of the Bulletin are the calendar, listing of activities and news, and the Rabbi’s column.

Of those who receive the weekly e-mails, more than 8 out of 10 read them.

Additional ideas for the Bulletin included columns by members, discussion of community issues, guest editorials, information about members, and information about Jewish rituals and practice.

Of those who answered the question about access, 87% said they had access to personnel, the building, and Board members when they needed it; an additional 14% usually had their needs met.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Goal: Maximize the lines of communication with and between members.

1. Keep doing what we’ve been doing. People like it.

2. Include columns in the Bulletin that help build community and participation, such as “Have you ever been to….?”, describing what goes on in services, holiday celebrations, or programs so that people will know what to expect and not select themselves out from lack of knowledge.

3. Try out different Bulletin features (such as suggested above) and provide ways to get member feedback about what works and doesn’t work.

4. Utilize e-mail whenever possible to increase participation and interest. This would work quite well to publicize the specifics of upcoming events.

INVOLVEMENT AND PARTICIPATION

What the Congregation Told Us

Almost 2/3 of our members (63%) have been asked to serve on a committee or the Board.

The least-asked group are those in their 30s; also the group with the highest percentage of new members.

Two-thirds of those who responded said they need to be asked to do something; i.e., they are not motivated to do committee work on their own.

Several comments focused on the high level of congregant participation

What We Know

According to recent Gallup polls, greater numbers of people are volunteering than ever before, but for fewer hours per week. People want finite tasks and short-term projects.

According to UAHC research, the more personal the interaction, the more likely the positive response. This holds equally true for volunteering and for attendance at events.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Goal: Involve the broadest range and number of people in the activities of Beth Shalom – this will ultimately build and strengthen our community.

1. Ask people directly and personally to get involved.

2. Create an atmosphere where all members are encouraged and expected to get involved. Begin with the annual membership forms.

3. Recruitment for committees and projects needs to be broad-based, consciously involving members across the age and tenure spectrum.

4. Create a system for coordinating volunteers. Keep lists of volunteers and maximize the number of people asked. Make volunteering more accessible by starting with simple, time-limited tasks. Provide mentoring for new volunteers so that they keep coming back.

5. Create a system for “moving people up” to greater levels of responsibilities. Provide leadership development for those who are inclined to become more involved.

6. Keep files of all events, what it took to make them successful, checklists, attendance sheets – so that new volunteers don’t have to start from square one.

7. Increase communication between committee chairs, between the Board and committees, and between committees and the membership. Use the newsletter, e-mail, Board meetings, and the like.

8. Have a yearly get-together for all those who volunteered during the year – a social event, thank-you, and informational gathering.

FINANCES

What the Congregation Told Us:

Of those who answered the question about finances, 84% stated that financial commitments were not a burden.

The hardest hit groups were those most likely to have children at home – those in their 30s and 40s.

Comments indicated that dues were not felt to be a financial burden because they are adjustable. Additionally, individuals remarked that dues were not a burden (yet), though it was a significant amount of money – and they worried about the impact on other congregants.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Goal: Use finances as a way to build community.

1. Help members to understand what it takes to finance a congregation. Provide information on an annual basis regarding our financial situation.

Items for discussion: How might we use finances, dues, fund-raising, etc. to help build a sense of ownership and community?

How do we discuss “what people get for their money”?

What should be the underlying principles that guide our policies and practices regarding money and finances?

PROGRAMMING

What the Congregation Told Us:

People attend a variety of programs, most often the Goods & Services Auction (60%), the Beit Midrash (38%),

and Holiday programs– the Chanukah party, Purim celebration, and community seder (each at 32-37%).

About 1 out of 5 members attended social action events, most often those in their 40s.

Other popular programs were Rosh Chodesh, Bagel Brunch, and Yom Hashoah (all receiving between 15% and 20%).

All of these programs were attended in equal measure across age groups (with the exception of the 60+ age group; they did not attend holiday celebrations).

Ideas for programs were plentiful, and centered around family programming, Jewish culture, social events for adults, Israel and world Jewry, and outreach to the larger community (including interfaith couples).

Torah study was mentioned several times as a positive addition.

What We Know

Programs do not bring people into the congregation, but they do provide a way for members to interact; and they are one of the ways in which members express their Jewishness.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Goal: Continue to provide a variety of programs that meet membership needs.

1. Use the Beit Midrash – which has been highly successful – as a testing ground and launching pad for new programs.

2. Look at multiple ways of providing programming to increase participant and volunteer interest, minimize “stagnation,” and allow for all the ways our community has of being Jewish. For instance, we might offer a bagel brunch one year, a Sukkot picnic the next, and something else the next.

3. Space out social events. Construct a yearly calendar to prevent “burn out” of participants.

4. Consider only those additional programs that build community, and that we can get volunteers to coordinate.

5. Maintain sign-up sheets at all events. Use for volunteer recruitment, analysis of participation, and recruitment of potential members.

6. Continue to ask members – through surveys or other means – what is working for them and what they would like to see added to our programming.

Items for Discussion: how do we decide which programs to continue and which to either change or end? When is volunteer time not being used efficiently?

RELIGIOUS SCHOOL

What the Congregation Told Us:

The top 3 goals for the Religious School are:

1. developing a strong Jewish identity (#1 by almost 30 percentage points)

2. Jewish history

3. Hebrew reading skills

Developing Jewish friendships, Jewish culture, preparation for Bar/Bat Mitzvah, and prayer and liturgy all received a good-sized minority vote.

Most respondents to this question (70%) felt that the amount of classroom time per week was appropriate, with about 15% each believing it was either too little or too much.

Assignments were judged to be right about two-thirds of the time. A quarter stated that more assignments were needed and 10% thought there was too much homework.

Approximately 70% of those who responded felt that the amount of money spent for religious school was appropriate. About a quarter felt the amount was too much, and a handful said it was too little.

What We Know

The Religious School is a highly visible component of our congregation. It is also directly responsible for the membership of approximately 15% of our households.

Religious School enrollment has held steady at between 88 and 100 enrolled children for the last 7 years. This looks like it will likely drop over the next several years as the incoming classes are smaller than those moving past Bar/Bat Mitzvah age -- but we have no way of fail-safe prediction due to the uncertainties about newly arriving families in Bloomington.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Goal: The Religious School Committee should follow up on these preliminary survey results, using the information to strengthen the education of our community’s children.

1. Religious School committee should consider gathering additional information on what is working and not working for students and parents, as well as whether we are meeting the top goals of parents and the congregation as a whole.

2. Maximize the ways that parents, particularly newer members, can connect with each other – the Bagel Café is a good example of this.

3. If we continue to allow membership-free attendance at Religious School, there needs to be a serious effort to engage these families and bring them in as full, participating members.

Item for discussion: Can we project our enrollment over the next several years? Do we have to make adjustments in class size, teacher use, and other areas?

PRAYER/RELIGIOUS PRACTICE

What the Congregation Told Us:

About a fifth (21%) said they attended services weekly. Another 62% attend at least 5 times a year.

The most frequently attended services were Friday nights (64%), followed by “traditional” Saturday mornings (41%), festivals (31%) and Jewish renewal (20%).

People attend services most often for a sense of Jewish community and to meet spiritual needs.

The most meaningful aspect of Jewish worship services are the sense of community (79%), spiritual atmosphere (60%), the sermon (60%), singing, and Hebrew liturgy (both at 40%).

Suggestions for improving services centered on more music, making Friday night services a family event, shortening services, increasing accessibility, and exploring alternatives.

There were concerns voiced about how “conservative” Beth Shalom is getting, both in services and in practices of the congregation. There were also comments on the need to connect “ancient” Jewish text/rituals with “modern” Jewish life.

What We Know

National polling in the 1990s (among Jews and non-Jews) reveal that there is great desire among the baby-boom generation – those in their late 30s to mid-50s - for a spiritual path. Yet they often do not find what they are looking for in religious institutions: willingness to re-interpret traditional practice, participation in decision-making, personal support of members, and a clear social justice agenda.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Goal: Create worship experiences and religious practices that increase a sense of community and meet congregants’ spiritual needs.

1. The Religious Observance committee should pursue further some of the questions raised in the survey. What does spirituality mean to people? What do they expect from synagogue membership in this area? How might we further meet a variety of religious-spiritual needs? How do we meet the needs of those who find Beth Shalom “too conservative”?

2. Allow options for observance, while building in time for togetherness. This is the existing practice one Saturday a month – 2 services followed by a joint lunch and Torah study. Experiment with similar combinations, e.g., Friday evening (early) family service, potluck dinner, and later “adult” services, encouraging both groups to attend the dinner as a meeting ground that crosses age/family status boundaries.

3. Maximize accessibility. Where feasible, use transliteration, familiar tunes, use of both Hebrew and English, explanation of the service as it proceeds. Help people know what to expect.

4. Create a learning environment. Consider a learners’ minyan or Beit Midrash class on worship. Institute on-going mechanisms for teaching the elements and music of the services. Use the Bulletin to educate members about worship and spiritual practices – both practical and theological.

5. Explore alternatives for Shabbat and Festival services, such as a variety of service styles, study, meditation, gathering in people’s homes, or family programming.

6. Make services a welcoming place. Increase personal contact, greet all who arrive, encourage informality and interaction. Share good news and congregational developments. Post information on service times, which prayerbook is being used, the Torah portion, and service leaders.

Items for Discussion: Friday night services have the greatest overall number of attendees, while also serving most often as the “entryway” for new or potential members. How do we increase the cohesiveness of this group? How might we allow for greater input into the Friday night experience?