The Making Connections Mentorship Program empowers synagogues to explore, develop and implement institutional changes in their approach to outreach and affiliation.

Over an eighteen month period, Making Connections Mentors who are specifically chosen for each participating synagogue guide a team of lay and staff professionals through a process of systemic change designed to enhance outreach, affiliation and member retention practices. Program structure which consists of an introductory meeting attended by all participating synagogues, three individual team meetings and interim consultations with the program Mentor allow each synagogue the opportunity to benefit from the collective experience of the group and to individualize program content to meet the needs of the congregation.

The Mentorship Program is currently being offered in its pilot form to four synagogues in the Philadelphia region: Germantown Jewish Centre, Old York Road Temple-Beth Am, Or Hadash, A Reconstructionist Congregation and Kesher Israel Congregation in West Chester. The Mentorship Program will be offered again in the fall 2000.

E-mail us at erivel@jopp.org to recieve more information about the Synagogue Mentorship Program or about Making Connections.

Exploring and Creating the 21st Century Synagogue is a four seesion investigation of challenges confronting the contemporary synagogue. Synagogue teams of professionals and volunteers view their synagogue through four critical lenses:

• as a Learning Community
• as a Spiritual Community
• as a Caring Community
• and as a Doing Community

The 21st Century Synagogue Project serves as a basis for study, for discussion, and for practical planning for participating synagogues.
 

Our Jewish Home, an in-home family education program, was made available through Making Connections for the first time in March 2000.

Families with a least one child between the ages of 3 and 6 are eligible to participate in the program which consists of four one-hour interactive and informational home visits by a trained Jewish educator on the subjects of Pesah (spring), Shabbat (summer), Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot (fall) and Jewish Values (winter). Some of the activities used by our family educators to engage participating families include: candle lighting and other religious rituals, challah braiding, storytelling, music and craft. Families from all Jewish backgrounds and levels of observance are welcome and encouraged to participate.

For more information, visit the Our Jewish Home web page.  

Mandell Education Campus
7605 Old York Road
Melrose Park, Pa. 19027

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