Strategic Planning
Looking forward
A Thriving Future
Strategic Planning Committee Update (posted July 1, 2024)
It’s been a while since our last update, but please rest assured that we have been diligently working and are nearing the completion of our strategic planning process. Since our last communication, we organized an orientation in January for our Task Force participants to outline their roles and responsibilities. As a reminder, our six Task Forces are focused on: Ritual and Spirituality; Education; Membership, Engagement and Belonging; Leadership and Volunteerism; Finance, Building, and Philanthropy; and Marketing and Communication.
Each Task Force was made up of a diverse and highly engaged group representing various stakeholders, including staff, clergy, committee representatives, and congregants from different backgrounds. The following individuals participated in our Task Forces:
Jill Akre
Patti Barasch
Rob Baron
Pam Barroway
Sandra Berger
Eric Blazar
Paul Chernin
Stefanie Cohen
Cecilia Connor
Gail Donner
Ellen Feist
Catherine Fischer
Mark Friedenthal
Steve Friedman
Leslie Greenspan
Sharon Halperin
Richard Harris
Sara Honovich
Eric Hurwitz
Liz Levine
Steven Lubetkin
Wendi Lyons
Natalie Madanick
Hank Maurer
Ira Miller
Debbie Mitchell
David Olinsky
Susan Olinsky
Mark Pinzur
Jennifer Plevinsky
Lauren Rardin
Stephanie Riviello
Sara Rosenson
Heather Rozencwaig
Robin Schwartz
Bob Singer
Mara Steele
Jason Turner
Monica Watson
Steve Weichert
David Weinberg
Eileen Winter
Marc Witte
Stephanie Zinn
and staff/clergy:
Rabbi Frenkel
Rabbi Milan-Polisar
Cantor Schnitzer
Jennifer Stofman
Ruth Scott
Sheri Greenblatt
Laura Hoffman
As part of their work, the Task Forces reviewed all of the 2023 Community Conversations, conducted SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analyses, reviewed internal and external data, and interviewed congregants, staff, and other leaders. In just three months, the co-chairs facilitated meetings and exercises to achieve the following deliverables: Situation/Background Summary, Task Force Vision, a bold strategic purpose, and ultimately recommended actions.
In late May, all the Task Force Co-Chairs conducted a debrief of their teams’ work and participated in exercises that helped with prioritization and uncovered many common themes. We cannot thank all these members enough for their commitment to the future of Congregation Kol Ami and their efforts to bring our vision to life. They were bold in their approaches, often breaking away from traditional methods.
We will compile our findings into a formal strategy and celebrate the efforts of those involved, sharing this wonderful work with the entire congregation. If you have any questions or wish to learn more, please do not hesitate to reach out to either of us. It has been an honor working with so many dedicated congregants, staff, and clergy.
Jessica Manelis and Allison Snyder
Strategic Planning Co-Chairs
Strategic Planning Committee Update (posted December 17, 2023)
We are excited to provide you with an update on our ongoing Strategic Visioning and Planning journey. Through the analysis of our committee’s SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) findings and the invaluable insights gathered from the “Voice of the Congregant” during our Community Conversations, we’ve identified six key themes that will guide our focus in the coming months. To make this process more efficient, we’ve organized six Task Forces to delve into these themes and help shape our future direction.
Let’s first break down the difference between a committee and a task force:
Task Forces, characterized by their short, defined period of operation (approximately three months), will examine the insights gathered, and provide recommendations for the committee’s overarching vision and strategies spanning the next three to five years. These recommendations will align with Congregation Kol Ami’s established vision. To ensure a comprehensive understanding, the Task Forces will engage in conversations with Committee members and leaders. The composition of each task force will embody a blend of core leaders with proven experience and non-core participants, fostering a diversity of thought. The intensity of a task force is magnified due to its focused and time-bound nature.
On the other hand, our committees, designed for handling ongoing or recurring responsibilities, encompass a broader spectrum of functions, from policy development to oversight and decision-making. Committees operate within a more formal and structured framework, featuring core leaders with extensive synagogue experience. Their plans are executed with the collaborative support of staff and lay leaders.
Now, let’s introduce the Six Task Forces that will shape our collective future:
- Ritual and Spirituality
- Education
- Membership, Engagement, and Belonging
- Leadership and Volunteerism
- Finance, Building, and Philanthropy
- Marketing and Communication
Each Task Force will be led by Co-Chairs, supported by staff, and comprised of three to five dedicated members. We are eager to keep you updated on the progress and insights generated by these Task Forces in our upcoming articles.
Thank you for being an integral part of this transformative journey. Together, we are charting a course towards a vibrant and meaningful future for Congregation Kol Ami.
Jessica Manelis and Allison Snyder
Strategic Planning Co-Chairs
Strategic Planning Committee Update (August 14, 2023)
Did you know we have some of the most passionate, thoughtful, and optimistic congregants that are truly invested in the future of Kol Ami? The facilitators of our Community Conversations experienced this with all 17 sessions conducted this summer (in person and via Zoom). The conversations began with discussion around what had engaged our participants in congregational life in their past to collectively uncover how we can create those same feelings and/or experiences in our future. The data we collected is thought provoking (some simple concepts, and others creative) that will inform our next steps in Strategic Planning. Some of the themes that we heard:
• “Inclusion and Belonging” and being intentional about opportunities for personal connections.
• Jewish life and the balance of tradition with innovation.
• The importance of our community (for both good and challenging times)
We want to thank all who had an opportunity to participate in our sessions. We also want to thank our wonderful facilitators: Julie Schwartz, Morra Molotsky, David Weinberg, Ira Miller, Gail Donner, Eileen Winter, Stefanie Cohen, Steve Lubetkin, Barbara Abrams, Mindy Kaufer, Catherine Fischer, and Dan Gottlieb. If you did not have an opportunity to join us for a Community Conversation, we will have many more opportunities to get involved. In addition, you can always contact us directly.
What’s next? We are going to review the themes of the conversations along with internal and external data to move to our next phase which will be our task forces. The task forces will be an opportunity to use our congregants’ ideas, feelings, experiences to inform our future. Naturally, we will be looking for volunteers to help with this next phase that will take place after the High Holy Days. More to come on our website and in our weekly emails.
If you have any questions, ideas, suggestions and/or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.
Jessica Manelis & Allison Snyder
Co-chairs, Strategic Planning Steering Committee
Strategic Planning Committee Update (posted May 30, 2023)
In last month’s Connections newsletter (see page 4), we shared the formation of a Strategic Planning Committee (SPSC). Our committee will be sending regular communications to keep you up to date on our progress and most importantly notifying you of opportunities where we could use your support.
In April, the SPSC begin work on a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats) analysis and is ready to move on to the next phase of our process, Community Conversations.
- What are Community Conversations?
Community Conversations are facilitated small group meetings made up of a cross section of the congregation. Every congregant will have an opportunity to sign-up to attend one of the in-person or Zoom meetings.
- What is the purpose of these Conversations?
It is an opportunity for those leading the meetings (members of the SPSC as well as additional volunteers) to gather information about what energizes you and gets you engaged in synagogue life. It will also help us identify what barriers, if any there may be.
- When will the Community Conversation be held?
We have set up a selection of days and times during the month of June and July for people to participate. Be sure to check your email or CLICK HERE for dates and times and to register.
- What happens to the information you collect during the Community Conversations?
Once we have completed all our Conversations, the information will be compiled, organized, and then brought back to the SPSC. The committee will review the information gathered and identify all the areas we would like to work on first. This will help drive our next phase of the Strategic Planning process, forming a taskforce for each area of concentration.
The Committee is excited to be working on this next phase of our Strategic Planning process and we look forward to working with you as we help lay the groundwork for the future of Kol Ami. If you have any questions about getting involved, please do not hesitate to reach out to one of us. We look forward to seeing you at Kol Ami.
Jessica Manelis & Allison Snyder
Co-chairs, Strategic Planning Steering Committee
Introduction of Strategic Planning Committee (posted April 12, 2023)
In just one year, we had received congregational approval to unify and have successfully transitioned into day-to-day life as Congregation Kol Ami. It is time to move to our next step in our journey as we vision and plan for our future. To take this step forward, we are embarking on a strategic plan. A steering committee has been formed that will spend the next year helping us look forward and plan for a thriving future for our congregation. Working together with Rabbi Jennifer Frenkel, we have recruited a diverse group of volunteer congregants who will coordinate the work of this strategic planning process along with our Executive Director, Jennifer Stofman.
enOver the coming year there will be a variety of opportunities for members of the congregation to participate in the development of the plan and provide substantial input. These will include task forces, interviews, and community conversations. We are working with an external consultant, Robert Leventhal who has tested this process with hundreds of congregations over recent years.
What’s Next?
The steering committee is doing some foundational work to learn and grow together as a team, set up shared goals/expectations of our roles and ensure we are prepared to ask the right questions and learn from our congregants the following:
- Areas where the congregation is currently thriving and explore what is driving this
- Areas where the congregation feels stuck and explore what is getting in the way
- Unexplored areas where we could potentially thrive
- Ideas, resources, and partners that will help our leaders thrive
Ultimately the steering committee will create a recommendation of a strategic plan for our Board of Trustees to implement over the following 1-3 years.
We look forwarding to hearing from every congregant over the next year to ensure Congregation Kol Ami will have a thriving future!
Jessica Manelis and Allison Snyder
Co-Chairs of CKA Strategic Planning Steering Committee
Strategic Planning Steering Committee
Jessica Manelis, Co-Chair
Allison Snyder, Co-Chair
Catherine Fischer
Rabbi Jennifer Frenkel
Eric Hurwitz
Steven Lubetkin
Julie Schwartz
Jennifer Stofman
David Weinberg
David Zalcmann
