Connected Congregations: Launching a Blog Carnival

We are stepping through the threshold of a new age.  Connected, individually empowered, globalized, diverse and personalized.    The technologies of today are far more than digital communication tools – they are transforming society at an increasingly rapid rate, with important implications and opportunities for the Jewish community.

Synagogues in particular are in the spotlight in this moment of transformation.  When communities are self-organizing, and individuals are seeking “anytime, anywhere” involvement, the structures of synagogue business models, programs and culture are often resonating less and less with those we seek to engage.

In partnership with UJA Federation of New York, and inspired by the work of Beth Kanter, Allison Fine, June Holley and many others, Darim Online is launching an initiative to explore what it means for synagogues to function as truly networked nonprofits.  We call them Connected Congregations. Connected Congregations focus on strengthening relationships, building community, and supporting self-organizing and organic leadership.  They are flatter and more nimble, measure their effectiveness in new and more nuanced ways, allocate their resources differently, and use technology in a seamless and integrated way to support their mission and goals.

As we seek to create rich, connected congregations, investing in relationships is the foundation on which everything else is built.  Like fabric that’s made up of individual threads woven together, the strength of the community is dependent on the strength and character of both each individual thread (relationships) and the tightness and pattern of their weave.

But being a weaver and knitting a healthy and vibrant community takes more than good intentions.  It means knocking down ‘fortress walls’ (in the language of The Networked Nonprofit), pivoting our culture, evolving our staffing structure, and remaking our structures of leadership.  It takes real change, and active stewardship of that change over several years. There’s a lot of research and work to come for all of us. 

As we get started, we’re launching a blog carnival on Connected Congregations.  Over the next few months we’ll be handing the microphone of this blog to many smart people both from within and outside of the Jewish community, and some who straddle both worlds.  We’ll be encouraging them to share their ideas, their work, their insights and observations in order to develop a narrative and invite you into a conversation about being – and becoming – a Connected Congregation.

You can follow this series of posts on our blog by searching for #connectedcongs on our site, and following the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #connectedcongs.   Do you have a story or insight to share?  Contact Lisa Colton if you’d like to be considered for participation in the blog carnival.

This post is part of a blog series on Connected Congregations being curated by Darim Online in partnership with UJA Federation of New York.  Through this series, we are exploring what it means for synagogues to function as truly networked nonprofits. Connected Congregations focus on strengthening relationships, building community, and supporting self-organizing and organic leadership.  They are flatter and more nimble, measure their effectiveness in new and more nuanced ways, allocate their resources differently, and use technology in a seamless and integrated way to support their mission and goals.  We hope these posts will be the launching pad for important conversations in our community. Please comment on this post, and read and comment on others in the series to share your perspective, ideas, work and questions. Thanks to UJA Federation of New York for supporting this work.

A Skinny Book. Buy 12 Copies.

tstRabbi Hayim Herring (of STAR: Synagogues Transformation and Renewal) and the visionary behind Synaplex) has recently published a new book: Tomorrow’s Synagogue Today. You should read it, and buy a copy for the senior staff and every board member of your synagogue. Here’s the link. Go take care of business and then come back and keep reading. OK, now that the box is on its way, I’ll explain why you should read — and share — this book. First, Rabbi Herring gets it. He gets the big picture vision, the fundamental changes in society, and the risks that synagogues must take to remain a vital and vibrant center of Jewish life. But he also gets the completely practical details of synagogue change efforts. The dynamics of boards, the technology infrastructures, the values questions, and the training of Rabbis to fulfill the leadership roles. Second, he’s packed tremendous punch into a skinny little book that’s easy to follow. It’s like putting on a pair of glasses that helps you see the world through a different lens. Third, this book helps you develop a vocabulary to think about the future synagogue. And this is why it’s so important to read it together. Using the same terms, and shaping a shared vision will lubricate the discussions about change, helping everyone to move forward on a shared path. In Chapter 1 he addresses head on how the rules have changed:

  • from the age of organizations to toward the age of networks;
  • from credentialed professionals towards avocational experts;
  • from hierarchical control towards individual autonomy;from exclusivity toward inclusivity;
  • from monopolization of knowledge towards democratization of knowledge;
  • from assuming a fee-for-service economy towards expecting a free-for-service economy (at least at a basic level).

What does this mean for synagogues? A lot. While change is hard, it is necessary. We cannot keep our heads in the sand. We are living in a moment where the risk of staying the same is greater than the risk of change. Plain and simple. If we accept the change is necessary, then the question is what do we want, and how do we get there. Tomorrow’s Synagogue Today is a great step on that journey. How are thinking about the changing context of synagogue life, and its implications for your congregation? If you’ve read the book, what stood out for you, and how are taking action? And if you do read this book as a group, please share with us about your process and the discussions it provokes.

Hot off the JTA Press: Synagogues and Social Media

Read all about it: “Synagogues Blogging and Tweeting their Way to New Kinds of Communication,” by Sue Fishkoff on JTA!

The article describes how congregations around the country are taking advantage of resources such as webcasts, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and video. Darim’s Lisa Colton notes that synagogues and religious schools are using social media to foster new models of community participation and engagement.

Props to our Darim Online members and friends – including Ellen Dietrick @cbipreschool; Gabby Volodarsky, Temple Sinai Oakland; Rabbi Alan Lucas and Rabbi Jeni Friedman at Temple Beth Sholom, Roslyn; Rabbi Jonathan Blake, Westchester Reform Temple; @Sixth & I; and, Congregation Ner Tamid – for diving into social media territory and sharing their stories!

How is your synagogue or religious community tapping into social media? Share YOUR stories!

Legacy Heritage Innovation Projects:Grants for Music Integration and Israel Engagement

Attention, creative synagogues (yes, thats YOU!): the Legacy Heritage Fund is sponsoring two exciting new grant programs to support synagogues in North America.

Check out these two grant opportunities of up to $25,000 to selected synagogues for:

  • innovative work in integrating music throughout congregational life
  • innovative work in deepening congregants engagement with the history, culture, and people of the State of Israel

So get your groove on and get your applications in!

Applications are due Monday, May 11, 2009. See the Legacy Heritage site for details!

Note: Congregations may apply for one Legacy Heritage Innovative Project track each year.