OU ANNOUNCES SERIES OF THREE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT SEMINARS TO STRENGTHEN SYNAGOGUES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES
As part of an ongoing effort of strengthening and empowering communities and their synagogue leadership, the Orthodox Union Department of Community Services has planned a three-part series of professional development workshops. Admission to all sessions is free. Funding has been provided by UJA-Federation of New York.
The sessions, on Thursday, November 15, Monday, December 17 and Monday, January 21, will be held at OU headquarters, 11 Broadway, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Advance registration is required. An optional pre-program buffet at 5:30 p.m. is available at a cost of $10.
The program is intended for lay and professional synagogue leadership, including current and potential officers, committee chairs, rabbis, and professional staff. Participants can benefit from any one workshop, but the greatest impact will come from attending all three.
The program will be archived on the web at www.ouradio.org.
According to Frank Buchweitz, OU National Director of Community Services and Special Projects, “The OU regards the development of synagogue leadership as an extremely important means of enhancing shuls and their communities. The three sessions will provide concrete suggestions that leadership can take home with them to prepare the way for the infusion of new ideas into the operation of their shuls, always with an eye on the future. We are grateful to UJA-Federation of New York for providing the funding to make this program possible.”
Robert Leventhal, a management consultant, Jewish educator and lay leader who is affiliated with the Alban Institute, will lead the sessions. The Institute, based in the Washington D.C suburb of Herndon, VA, was founded in 1974 as a major resource for American congregations facing the challenges of a changing society. Besides his work as a marketing executive and management consultant, Mr. Leventhal was a Jewish communal leader in Dayton, Ohio for more than 15 years.
The sessions will be as follows:
• Thursday, November 15: Membership Ideas that Matter – Learn recruitment and retention strategies, discover how to involve all aspects of the synagogue in membership development, and take home dozens of practical ideas to enhance your membership efforts.
• Monday, December 17: Help Wanted! Getting the Right Volunteers for the Right Jobs – Explore the 10 keys to successful volunteer development, including strategies to identify members’ talents and skills, to “make the match,” and to effectively support valuable volunteer efforts.
• Monday, January 21: Board Meetings that Really Work – Identify key board responsibilities, ways to motivate and engage board members and practical tips to improve board functioning – from setting agendas and making decisions to healthy conversation and ongoing learning.
For further information, contact vogelj@ou.org or 212-613-8225.