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41
Spirituality
NA'AMAT - Greater Detroit Council
will hold their
•
44#1\Donor/Spiritual Adoption Luncheon
at
Adat Shalom Synagogue
29901 Middlebelt Road, Farmington Hills
Synagogue Reform
Thursday, October 8th
at Noon
New rabbinic group presses for
change at United Synagogue
of Conservative Judaism.
Cantor Daniel Gross
will present a program of
Yiddish, Hebrew and popular music.
Stewart Ain
New York Jewish Week
Adele Staler
Chairperson of the day
Minimum contribution $36.00
There is a charge for the luncheon
Guests are welcome!
F
For more information, please call the NA'AMAT office 248-967-4750.
1541170
10% Off
all trays
through
• Fruit trays
• Veggie trays
• Uptown nibbler trays
• Dessert trays
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20
October 1 • 2009
JN
Bonim announced the creation of
a committee to consider forming an
entity that would assist congregations
New York
with membership, fundraising, leader-
ship development and programming.
aced with declining numbers
The group said it has raised more than
of affiliates and a $1.3 million $50,000 to explore the idea and, if there
budget deficit, the synagogue is sufficient interest, the entity would be
arm of the Conservative movement
launched by the first of the year.
recently adopted a sweeping reorgani-
"At a time when other national orga-
zation plan.
nizations are undertaking wholesale
But it remains unclear whether the
restructuring in order to meet the
plan, approved Sept. 13 by the board of
needs of their constituency today, the
the United Synagogue of Conservative
USCJ is tinkering around the edges —
Judaism, will be enough to satisfy con-
focused on preservation rather than
gregational leaders who long have com- delivering value to their members:' the
plained that the organization doesn't
statement said.
provide enough bang
One of the
"Synagogues
for the buck.
group's found-
"A decade ago,
ers, David
want
we had 800 con-
Sacks of Silver
gregations; we had
Spring, Md.,
strengthening.
700 congregations
believes that
in the fiscal year
at least 20
They want
that ended June
congrega-
30. And today, we
tions in the
meaningful
have 667 congrega-
Washington,
tions," said Rabbi
D.C., area alone
relationships with our would
Steven Wernick, the
join the
United Synagogue's sta and a reinvestment new entity.
new executive vice
"There are
president and CEO.
synagogues
in our you th
"The dropoff of 33
that are in
congregations is the departmen t."
trouble and
most significant sin-
nothing they
Rabbi Wernick [USCJ] are
gle-year decline the
United Synagogue
saying is about
has ever experienced:'
synagogues — it's only about them-
Wernick said 19 of the 33 congrega-
selves," Sacks said. "They just don't get
it. We want to provide synagogues with
tions "decided not to affiliate because
they were not satisfied with what they what we think USCJ should be provid-
ing, and it clearly is not their focus:'
were getting for their dollars."
The United Synagogue board
Another Bonim leader, Diana Lerner
adopted what Wernick called a "trans-
of Poway, Calif., said in a statement,
formation plan that will assure a more
"The group seeks to offer congrega-
equitable distribution of resources no
tions a choice between the ineffective
policies of an expensive institution
matter where the congregations are
geographically."
and a new, more agile synagogue asso-
As a result, Wernick hopes to convince ciation that begins with a mantra of
the 19 to renew their membership.
client services."
iN
Cool Response
But Bonim ("Builders" in Hebrew),
a group of Conservative lay lead-
ers from across the country, issued
a statement Sept. 15 saying that the
actions by United Synagogue are "too
little, too late."
Some Support
But Rabbi Michael Siegel of Chicago, a
leader of the Hayom ("Today") Coalition
that represents 25 of the largest United
Synagogue institutions that had lob-
bied United Synagogue for change, was
impressed by Wernick's actions.