* "Basic research and ongoing
program evaluation" to learn
what is effective in enhancing
Jewish identity.
* "Sharing knowledge and re-
sources more effectively" * "Fo-
cusing more intently on the needs
and growth paths of individual
Jews, rather than on institution-
al needs and accustomed ways of
doing business."
Whatever effect the report may
eventually have, the unusual
grouping of religious and com-
munal leaders in one commission
has already yielded some positive
results, according to participants.
Rabbi David Teutsch, presi-
dent of the Reconstructionist
Rabbinical College, has begun
talking with a federation direc-
tor about placing rabbinical stu-
dents with an interest in
community organizing and out-
reach with the federation as in-
terns.
"Such ideas have become much
more acceptable as a result of the
attention this issue has gotten,"
said Rabbi Teutsch.
"One of the things this means
is places like RRC purposely
training rabbis who will serve far
beyond the boundaries of the Re-
constructionist movement, and
entering partnerships with in-
stitutions far beyond those
boundaries," he added.
And the United Synagogue for
Conservative Judaism is taking
seriously the discussions about
keeping teens involved in Jewish
life.
"I've learned from the com-
mission that this is an important
time in people's lives that we're
not capturing enough," said Unit-
ed Synagogue Executive Vice
President Rabbi Jerome Epstein,
who serves on the commission.
"We're going into a new ven-
ture to try to bridge formal and
informal education, particular-
ly around the bar mitzvah area
of time," he said.
One thing that commission
members are clear about is that
"we are not presenting a cure-all,"
in the words of Ronne Hess, a
CJF board member from Birm-
ingham, Ala.
"This is not a problem which
you solve," said Mr. Woocher.
"It's not as if you can work
three years, stop intermarriage
and turn your attention to other
issues. This is part of the fabric
of a mature Jewish community
in an open American society."
The draft report presented last
month is the first product of the
national commission, which was
announced in November 1992,
but took nearly a year to convene
its first meeting.
It was convened by CJF, which
assigned two senior staff mem-
bers to work with the commis-
sion. Most of the staff work for
the commission was undertaken
by Woocher oft) ESNA, which is
located in CJF's offices.
But CJF insisted that it did not

"own" the commission, which in-
stead belonged to the entire corn-
munity.
Half in and half out, CJF was
criticized by some commissioners
as dominating the panel, and by
others for not taking an active
enough role.
CJF is now considering start-
ing its own implementation com-
mittee to begin acting on the
commission's recommendations.
Like the commission, the new
body would also include repre-
sentatives of the synagogue
movements.
Meanwhile, the national effort
is being mirrored on the local lev-
el by more than 40 federations,
which have launched similar lo-
cal committees to plan continu-
ity and identity initiatives.
"In every community in North
America there's action taking
place," said CJF Executive Vice
President Martin Kraar.
"Some is good action, some I
think is flawed, and we need
some national activity so we don't
invest our energy and dollars do-
ing the wrong thing. We have fed-
erations going in a variety of
directions, and CJF has not ad-
dressed the effort except to do
some networking of heads of lo-
cal continuity commissions," he
said.
Where the commission itself
goes from here has not yet been
determined. Commission mem-
bers agree that even when their
draft report is polished up, there
is plenty of work to be done.
But already, one chair of the
commission — former CJF Pres-
ident Shoshana Cardin — has
announced her resignation, cit-
ing other responsibilities, and
the other, former UJA national
chairman Marvin Lender, is
nearing the end of his two-year
commitment to the post. A new
chair is expected to be announced
in a few weeks, according to Mr.
Woocher.
Mr. Lender is bringing to-
gether a subset of the commission
to discuss future directions for
the commission.
"It could be monitoring imple-
mentation, continuing as a think
tank — there are a variety of pos-
sibilities," said Mr. Woocher.

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