Strategic Planning

Temple Emanuel Strategic Planning Process

The summary of the goals of the Strategic Planning Process below was presented to the Board of Trustees on June 18, 2001. This articulation evolved primarily from the research of the five working groups whose work covered the areas of

• Education
• Governance, Finance, and Administration
• Membership
• Religious Affairs
• Sub-communities

We are very grateful to the respective chairs, Henry Berman, Cyril Mazansky, Nancy Mann, Beverly Weinfeld, Paul Gilman and Ruth Tepper and to the members of the committees who met diligently for more than a year to gather the data and discuss their findings. Their extensive and thorough work was recorded in final reports, copies of which are available in the Rabbi Marshall Lifson Library at the Temple.

Our ongoing activities and progress in working towards these goals is reported below. If you have an interest or expertise in any of these undertakings and would like to offer your help, please contact any of the listed chairs or Cheryl Learner, Vice President of Strategic Planning, through the Temple office (617-558-8100).

Our Vision

To be a warm and accessible community, actively engaged in learning and tikkun olam, dedicated to spiritual growth and ritual observance, according to the tenets of Conservative Judaism.

Primary Goals

Foster Community -- Enhance opportunities for congregants to connect with one another

• Proactive outreach to new members
• One-on-one calls inviting participation in activities
• Encourage increased personal focus by all groups

Promote Personal Growth -- Enrich our knowledge and spirituality through understanding of Jewish texts and ritual and stimulate our practice of mitzvoth

• Increase opportunities to learn
• Share ways to integrate Conservative Jewish values in our daily lives
• Expand participation in hands-on social action activities

Ensure Solvency -- Provide for a debt-free future with dues and fees that do not strap our future membership

• New approaches to fundraising
• Fiscally sound budgeting
• Cost-effective administrative practices

Facilitating Goals

Attain a self-supporting membership base --Sustain our level of operations, participate in our diverse activities and demographically ensure our future

• Personal outreach to new and outlying members
• Improve membership retention through more peer group programming

Coordinate activities -- Manage cooperative scheduling of non-competing events and

• Encourage more synergetic planning among sub-communities
• Promote jointly run programs

Improve Communication -- Inform members and the community about our programs, events and news in a manner that is effective, timely and cost-efficient

• More targeted mailings
• Phone squads
• Develop use of email
• Develop a cohesive publicity campaign
• Utilize internet websites

Broaden Governance -- Involve congregants in decision-making processes and keep them informed

• Clarify processes
• Facilitate feedback mechanisms

Enhance Education -- Establish Temple Emanuel as a place of learning for all ages that acknowledges our diverse backgrounds and different interests

• Review Religious School, including classes and ancillary programs
• Broaden and strengthen participation in adult education