The Business of the High Holidays

By Yoram Samets, co-founder Jvillage Network

Everyday I wake up, I have this internal struggle between my personal Judaism and my desire to make my synagogue a successful home for our Jewish community. In some ways, this is the conflict between heart and head.  At this time of year, it is much harder to get into my head and look at the ways the High Holidays can be used to gain greater engagement, greater relationship with our community, but this is exactly the time to be thinking about engagement opportunities -- that lead to new relationships for the coming year.

For most of our synagogues, this will be the largest audience we draw for the year. What can we be doing during this time period that invites congregants to connect with us just one more time during the year?

How about:

• Posting  an oversized calendar of upcoming events for the next quarter on bulletin boards.

• Posting the schedule for year around shabbat children's services near the area where families drop off their children. Or better yet, hand a flyer to parents and guardians when they pick up their children after services.

• Asking board members to mingle and welcome everyone; they should be the synagogue's Relationship Building Ambassadors.
  
  
• Asking the president of the congregation to acknowledge key lay leadership during her/his speech.

• Asking the Rabbi to create sermons that bring people together. To move from telling to asking to relationships.

• Asking the Rabbi to use language and ideas young people can relate to.

• Sending congregants a special post-holiday email with the Rabbi's sermon. And invite them back.

• Making sure everyone knows about our website, Facebook page, etc. -- and inviting them to connect online.

Has your congregation tried other strategies that have been effective at keeping the post-High Holiday momentum going? Tell us about them.