Synagogue programming and development will be the theme as the Orthodox Union’s West Coast Region presents “The Stern Family Annual Synagogue and Community Leadership Seminar,” on Sunday, April 18, to take place from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. The free event, held at OU-NCSY headquarters, 9831 West Pico Boulevard, will feature Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn, an expert in the field of synagogue programming.
The seminar is for rabbis, presidents, executive directors, youth directors, and officers and board members of OU member synagogues and yeshiva day schools.
The event is being held in memory of Emanuel Stern, a”h, the former president of Congregation Beth Jacob of Beverly Hills.
Rabbi Alan Kalinsky, Director of the OU’s West Coast Region, declared, “This the fourth year that the OU is holding the seminar in memory of Mr. Stern, who was a true visionary in recognizing the importance of a community in the synagogue. This event is essential because the synagogue of today is very different than the one of twenty or twenty-five years ago, and individuals are seeking not only spiritual nourishment but for the synagogue to be a hub of activity and a place of excitement.”
“The seminar will feature Rabbi Shlomo Einhorn, and is a homecoming of sorts as he grew up in Los Angeles and still has family here. He is on the cutting edge of synagogue development and programming, and is one of the most exciting and innovative young Orthodox rabbis today. I’m certain that those in attendance at the seminar will come away with many ideas for implementing programming to excite and invigorate their shuls’ congregants.”
Rabbi Einhorn is the spiritual leader of New York City’s West Side Institutional Synagogue, and helped its membership increase by over seventy percent. He is also the creator and director of WINGS, a division of the OU that provides consulting services to synagogues around the country.
The seminar will feature two programmatic key sessions, “Storm-winds: Program Ideas That Will Blow Your Mind,” in which participants will learn how to run highly effective programming that is outside the box to change the trajectory of a synagogue’s momentum; and “On Fire: Sparking Immediate Shul Growth,” which will provide participants with the most modern marketing strategies to help their synagogues and day schools grow rapidly and significantly.
Pre-registration for the event is required. To register and for more information, contact Westcoast@ou.org or 310-229-9000, ext. 200.