Engagement Methodologies The Conservative Movement · Engagement Jews Lower levels of Jewish...
Transcript of Engagement Methodologies The Conservative Movement · Engagement Jews Lower levels of Jewish...
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Engagement Methodologies &
The Conservative Movement
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The Sources
► Developed by the Penn Center for Jewish Engagement
► The Jewish Renaissance Project
► Hillel’s Schusterman International Center
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Why Engagement?
► There is a huge gap between the top 15% of Jews who are involved and the other 85%
► We are not dealing with one Jewish People ► They don’t
§ talk the same language § need the same things § seek to be like one another
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What is Engagement?
► This is not about ideology – it’s about methodology and execution
► How do we do our work better? ► How do we shift our focus from building
institutions to building Jews! ► The Rule of Epidemics (Tipping Point)
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Divide and Conquer
► We need different approaches for different groups
§ Engagement
§ Empowerment
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Empowerment Jews
► High degree of Jewish affiliation ► High degree of Jewish self-direction ► They come to you b/c they want things ► They know what they like and don’t like ► They can express their Jewish needs
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Engagement Jews
► Lower levels of Jewish affiliation ► Lower levels of Jewish self-direction ► They come to you b/c they need things ► They care about Judaism in ways that we
don’t recognize – guilt and pride ► They often cannot express their Jewish
needs
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The Premise
► We spend 85% of our time and resources on 15% of our Movement
► We need to build organizations that have
two different tracks that operate with two different methodologies
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What Engagement is Not
► It’s not about institutions or membership
► It’s not about getting people to call themselves Conservative!
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What Engagement Is
► It’s about building Jewish Renaissance
► It’s about meeting people where they are at
§ It’s about personal meaning
§ It’s about micro-communities
► It’s about relationships
► It’s about getting resources to the people
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4 Pieces of Theory
1) 3 Models of Community Development 2) Matrix of Jewish Identity Vs. Spectrum 3) Asset-Based Community Development 4) Peer-to-peer Methodology
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Three Models of Community Development
► Club Model ► Outreach Model ► Open Book Model
Developed by Simon Amiel for Hillel’s JCSC Fellowship
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The “Club” Model
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The “Open Book” Model
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This is about recognizing the truth
► Open Book is not about making your community look this way
► It’s about recognizing that it does look this way
► Once we see it for real, we can then address community needs more effectively
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The Matrix – Not the Spectrum
► Problems with the spectrum § It is inherently judgmental
► Be more like us ► You’re less Jewish than you should be
§ It ignores the complexity of Jewish identity and people’s individual choices
§ It stunts our ability to be strategic
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What is the Matrix?
► How do you talk about the complexity of Jewish identity § Accurate Reflection of Diversity § Non-Hierarchical
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Jewish Identification Matrix High Don’t say I’m
Jewish, but have lots of
Jewish friends
Chinese-food-on-Christmas
Jews
Institutional Jews
Low “I’m not really Jewish” Jews
High Holiday Jews
Do-it-yourself Jews
None Assimilated Invisible Jews Actively rejectionist
Jews None Low High
Jewish Self-Direction
Jew
ish
Affi
liatio
n
Jewish Self-Direction: This is an indicator of the degree to which an individual displays a sense of investment and/or choice in the nature of her Jewish life. In including decisions, it goes beyond a traditional measure of Jewish Identity.
JEWISH AFFILIATION: This is an indicator of the degree to which an individual spends time with other Jews regularly in either formal or informal settings. It is not a measure of denominational nor Jewish communal nor institutional affiliation in a traditional sense.
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Asset-Based Community Development
► From the research of John Kretzmann and John McKnight
► Asset-Based Community Development Institute at Northwestern University
► A Path Toward Finding and Mobilizing a
Community’s Assets 3 of 4
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Deficiency Based Community Building
► Endless list of what’s wrong ► Goal: Survival ► Allocates resources to institutions, experts
and services – not individuals ► Creates clients – not partners ► Cuts inter-personal relationships
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Asset-Based Community Development
► Map community for resources § Social – Connectors (Tipping Point) § Skills § Geographic § Financial
► Goal is transformation not survival ► Creates relationships and communities instead of clients ► Deploys resources and skills to people where they are at ► Organization becomes relationship driven instead of
focused on programs or events ► The core value becomes personal growth and community
development, not institutional growth
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Peer-to-Peer
► Rabbi cannot do it all § Not enough time § Not enough range – You cannot connect with
everyone ► Intellectually ► Personally ► Spiritually
► Rabbi is catalyst not key
4 of 4
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Classic Model
► Sunday parsha class w/Rabbi - 30 people § New Marketing § Strong out-reach § Class grows to 60 people
► Is this a success?
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Deeper Questions
► Are these the same people that come to other things?
► Have you tapped new resources? ► Do they represent different matrix profiles? ► Do they represent different social networks? ► Have you done anything to deepen the
reach or impact of your educational program?
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The Engagement Method
► Keep the parsha class w/60 people ► Create 15 person fellowship
§ Find the connectors § Give them incentives § Make it exclusive § Empower them
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Make it Peer-2-Peer
► The 15 Fellows learn with the Rabbi on Tuesday
► They each host a Torah study for their social networks on Sunday morning
► Only 10 people come to each ► That’s 150 more people studying Torah
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Why does it work?
§ Connectors ► Being in their group is desirable
§ Lowered boundaries ► Geographic ► Social
§ Maximized Resources ► 15 Fellows can do more than one Rabbi
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So what about the Shul?
► Does this help membership? ► Does this improve the synagogue?
Who cares… it’s about Judaism not about institutions.
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It’ll help anyway
► This will build your organization even though that’s not our central value § Vibrancy § Cutting-edge § Meaning
Everyone wants to be on the winning team
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Practical Measures
► How do you get this done? § Teach lay leaders the theory § Map Your Community § Choose Target Populations § Make decisions about resources
► Set aside time ► Set aside money ► Hire staff ► Raise money!
§ Track and evaluate your impact!
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The Proof
► During the 2008-2009 academic year § Created 138 new leadership positions § Generated 302 events § Total Attendance – 7,280 Engagement Students
► We raised $315,000 in new gifts § Past givers gave more § New people came to the table
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JRP Tracking Data
► Quantity ► Impact ► What we’re not doing