Leadership Brief: Forward Synagogue Guide, marketing webinar, and more

The monthly newsletter for Reconstructionist Leadership

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Increasing your Community's Visibility

The Forward is compiling a guide to American synagogues that includes size, service length, women's roles, accessibility, dress code, and more. It's a great way to increase your community's visibility. To be included, fill out this Forward survey.

For more information, read the article here

Important Dates

Nov. 15–18
Reconstructionist Convention

Community Marketing Webinar

Learn graphic design and photo editing essentials for your membership acquisition and retention projects in a free Community Marketing Webinar for affiliated communities on Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. EST. This one hour webinar will cover how to design an attractive and practical flyer or newsletter using free online programs, including Canva, Google Drive and Pixlr.

Click here to sign up for the webinar.

Register now for new Reconstructionist Learning Networks

You and members of your community are invited to explore the crucial questions of Jewish life that just can’t be Googled. Reconstructionist Learning Networks are free to members and staff of communities affiliated with Reconstructing Judaism and members of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association (RRA). New networks include:

New this fall: Network Immersions offer a deeper exploration of a topic, including coursework (reading and/or writing), for a fee. Reconstructionist members, staff of Reconstructionist affiliates and Network subscribers receive a 10% discount.

Ingredients of Prayer: Writing Contemporary Liturgy
Forgiveness and Spirituality for Therapists (continuing education credits available)

Discover more and register here. For more details, contact Shosh Lovett-Graff or call 215.576.0800, ext. 124.

New Resources

The following articles may be relevant to your work and the work of the other leaders of your community:

Stay connected to the Reconstructionist movement

Encourage your members to stay connected to the greater Reconstructionist community by subscribing to our email newsletters through this link: http://bit.ly/ReconEmail.

If you missed an issue of Leadership Brief or Reconstructing Judaism Today, visit ReconstructingJudaism.org/newsletters to see the archive of past issues.

Podcasts From Our Studio

Hashivenu: Jewish Teachings on Resilience

Missed a previous episode of Hashivenu? Highlights include:

Shabbat, featuring Rabbi Jacob Staub, Ph.D., RRC '77.
Activism, featuring Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum, RRC '90.
Mindfulness, featuring Rabbi Jordan Bendat-Appell, RRC '08.

Click here to view all previous episodes.

#Trending Jewish: A Jewish Podcast about Everything

Episode 20: Rabbi Deborah Waxman and Rabbi Nathan Kamesar, RRC '18, associate rabbi of Society Hill Synagogue in Philadelphia, discuss the opportunities and challenges technology brings to Judaism.

Click here to listen to Episode 20 or read Rabbi Waxman and Rabbi Kamesar's essay on technology in Evolve: Groundbreaking Jewish Conversations.

Reconstructionist Communities and Leaders in the News

How Have Female Clergy Transformed Jewish Life, Ritual and Practice? (Moment) — featuring Rabbi Sandy Sasso, RRC '74, Rabbi Avis Miller, RRC '86 and Rabbi Deborah Waxman, RRC '99.

The Pastoral Chaplaincy (CONTACT)

Sowing the Seeds of Constructive Evolution (eJewish Philanthropy)

Master Builders: Shaping the Call to Build (Bayit Builders Blog)

Philly region gets its first all-kosher supermarket (Philadelphia Inquirer)

Jewish Ethics, #MeToo and Crowd-Sourced Responsa (eJewish Philanthropy)

A Reconstructionist Shul Grows in West Philly (Philadelphia Jewish Exponent)

Public Positions on Current Matters

Reconstructing Judaism endorses and co-sponsors numerous petitions, public letters and statements from aligned organizations and also issues its own public statements. Here are the statements we have issued or signed onto in the last month, either alone or jointly with the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association:

Response to Murder of Ari Fuld
Statement on October 7th Terrorist Attack

All of our positions are available at ReconstructingJudaism.org/positions, catalogued by date and by topic.

How to Reach Us:

Tresa Grauer
Assistant Vice President for Affiliate Support
tgrauer@reconstructingjudaism.org
215.576.0800, ext. 144

Taryn Wyron
Tikkun Olam Specialist and Project Director for Reset
twyron@reconstructingjudaism.org
215.576.0800, ext. 107

Rabbi Joel Alpert
Director of Rabbinic Placement
jalpert@reconplacement.org
215.576.0800, ext. 304

Jacob Weinberg
Affiliate Support Assistant
jweinberg@reconstructingjudaism.org
215.576.0800, ext. 131

Rabbi Maurice Harris
Associate Director of Affiliate Support
mharris@reconstructingjudaism.org
215.576.0800, ext. 118

Cyd Weissman
Assistant Vice President for Innovation and Impact
cweissman@reconstructingjudaism.org
215.576.0800, ext. 257

Jackie Land
Associate Director of Affiliate Support
land@reconstructingjudaism.org
302.500.0863

Rosa Cohen
E-Newsletter Editor
rcohen@reconstructingjudaism.org
215.576.0800, ext. 120

Our business hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. EST; Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. EST

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