Dat+Minyan



The Family Beit Midrash is a new paradigm for synagogue adult and child education focusing on family-oriented, //Beit Midrash// style learning, engaging individuals in serious Torah study. The mission of the Family Beit Midrash Program is to create an engaged community of lifelong learners and teachers in East Denver.

__**Publicity/marketing materials:**__
 * website: @http://www.FamilyBeitMidrash.org (and @http://www.FamilyBeitMidrash.com)
 * SHAWL (Shabbat Women's Learning Group) email list: @http://www.denverjewish.com/mailman/listinfo/shawl
 * SHAWL interactive Google calendar:  @http://tinyurl.com/DATwomenslearning
 * Marketing flyer 1
 * Marketing flyer 2
 * Press release
 * Bookplates
 * Bookmarks
 * SHAWL 10-week Megillah series
 * Facebook group
 * SHAWL Megillah series Bookplates for Megillot
 * Family Beit Midrash Shabbat of Song flyer

__**Educational materials:**__
 * Achievement award certificates for children completing full Masechet of Mishnayot
 * Women's (Multimedia) Learning Resource page for Megillat Esther Series

__**Examples of teacher/learner materials from shared archive:**__
 * Example 1: Historical Timeline of First Exile and construction of Second Temple through the Termination of Prophecy 3338-3448 (in Word format)
 * [|Example 2]: Fact and source sheet on Megilat Rut (in pdf format)
 * Example 3: Abarbanel on Parshat Vayetzei, original text in Hebrew (in pdf format)
 * Example 4: Chapter 4 from Talmudic Terminology, "Tannatic Disputes" (in pdf format)

__**Materials developed relating to systemic congregational change**__ __**:**__
 * invitation to join Speakers Bureau
 * Summary of Consulting Plan with Daniel Bennett
 * Speaker's Bureau section of FBM website

__**Results of Program Evaluation Survey**__

Link to actual survey

Who responded:
 * 29% of those requested to fill out the survey responded to it.
 * 82% of respondents are married with children.
 * Respondents represented participants in all 7 current FBM classes.
 * 80% of respondents were female, 20% were male.

Relationship of respondents to Judaism:
 * 43% of respondents attend the DAT Minyan at least on a weekly basis (or more).
 * 100% of the respondents engage in Jewish learning minimally several times a year outside of FBM.
 * 68% of respondents engage in Jewish learning on a weekly basis or more often, outside of FBM.
 * *95% of the respondents who are parents have a child who is engaged in Jewish learning minimally several times a year, outside of FBM.
 * *85% of the respondents who are parents have a child engaged in Jewish learning on a weekly basis or more often, outside of FBM.
 * 100% of respondents consider being part of a synagogue community at least “somewhat important.”
 * 71% of respondents consider being part of a synagogue community “extremely important.”
 * *62% of respondents who are parents say that their participation in Jewish practice or synagogue life is “mostly motivated by personal needs.”
 * *62% of respondents who are parents say that their participation in Jewish practice or synagogue life is “somewhat motivated by their parenting.
 * 100% of respondents felt that their Jewish identity was (minimally) “important” to them. Of those, 96% felt their Jewish identity was “extremely important to them.

Success of program:
 * 70% of respondents say that the FBM has encouraged them to engage in more Jewish learning.
 * *77% of respondents who are parents say that the FBM has encouraged their child to engage in more Jewish text learning
 * Nearly 40% of respondents are both participants and have a child who is a participant in the FBM (which speaks to the success of the family model).

*For this question, we filtered out all non-parents responses; all of these respondents are parents.

__**Presentation to other program participants**__

Powerpoint presentation, 3-8-11

DAT Minyan, 6825 E Alameda Avenue, Denver, CO 80224 303.281.8999 ∙ info@DATMinyan.org ∙ www.DATMinyan.org Rabbi Daniel Alter ∙ Scott Friedman, President


 * The DAT Minyan's mission: we are a dynamic and friendly Modern Orthodox synagogue dedicated to meaningful prayer and Torah education for all ages, youth and adult participation, religious Zionism, community growth and support and personal spiritual development. **

===//In April, 2009, Newsweek named the DAT Minyan as one of the Top 25 Most Vibrant Congregations in America. "Denver is now home to one of the most dynamic young traditional congregations in the West." //===

** Dynamic ∙ Friendly ∙ Modern Orthodox ∙ Meaningful prayer ∙ Torah education for all ages ∙ ** ** Youth and adult participation ∙ Religious Zionism ∙ Community Growth and Support ∙ Personal spiritual development ** ** Dynamic ** ** Friendly ** ** Modern Orthodox ** ** Meaningful prayer ** **Torah education for all ages** **Youth and adult participation** **Religious Zionism** **Community Growth and Support**
 * We strive to create an excitement and energy that pulsates through the walls of our Shul. Energy and vibrancy characterize the aura that permeates our Shul community.
 * Another aspect of our dynamism relates to the fact that modern man lives in a rapidly changing world. We recognize that Shuls have changed dramatically over the ages in areas of culture, governance and operations. Our Shul strives to create an environment where constant self evaluation, movement and positive halachically guided change is supported and encouraged. Incorporating best practices learned from other Shuls, not-for-profits, and other areas of life from which we can learn is critical to our dynamism.
 * Walking into our minyan, expect to be greeted and welcomed by many of our regulars. (Note that if you are not greeted during davening, it is because our minyan discourages any talking during davening.) As a community that is proud of what we have created, we want to share our strengths with visitors and newcomers.
 * The strength of any community is shaped by the strength of the relationships that exist within that community. The formation of strong relationships is a priority of our minyan. One of the challenges of strong personal relationships within a community is ensuring that new participants and visitors are not neglected and are welcomed into the web of relationships in the community. Our community, through our //chesed// committee, strives to integrate all Shul participants into the DAT community.
 * Consisting of participants with a wide variety of philosophical perspectives, we support a broad perspective on the meaning of Modern Orthodoxy, and encourage debate and dialogue in appropriate fashion on issues related to Modern Orthodoxy. In the words of Rabbi Walter Wurzberger, the adjective "modern" is treated as an attribute and not as a modifier.) As Modern Orthodox Jews, we are firmly committed to //halacha// and are also firmly committed to embracing and confronting modernity, using Torah as our guiding principle. We see no conflict in embracing these two values. Quite the opposite; we see our embrace of aspects of modernity as strengthening our faith and values.
 * Discussion of philosophical issues is always encouraged, even when those issues can be somewhat controversial. In practice, however, we feel that ideology, when used in a zealous fashion, can be quiet harmful. Because of our strong emphasis on the value of community, we are cautious about movement in any direction that will significantly alienate various constituencies in our community. We try, as much as possible, to ensure that the DAT Minyan is a place that we can all call home.
 * We recognize that one of mankind’s main portals of spirituality and connection to Hashem is through conversation. For Jews, this conversation takes on a specific and unique form called //tefillah//. //Tefillah// must be approached with both a sense of awe and joy ; awe regarding the idea of finite man approaching the Divine Being in conversation, and joy over the fact that Hashem has allowed us to converse with Him on a regular basis.
 * Tefillah is a profoundly personal experience, where each individual creates their own relationship to God. At the same time, in its ideal form, it is experienced as part of a community, joining together in unity, caring for each other, and feeling the needs and struggles of others in our community.
 * These principles guide the DAT Minyan. Shul participants enter the minyan with a sense of purpose and desire to communicate with Hashem. Out of respect for our desire to create a spiritual space devoted to conversation with Hashem, we ask all participants to completely refrain from conversation with others.
 * The //shaliach tzibur//, acts as both the representative of the community, as well as the individual who sets the tone for the nature of that tefillah. Communal singing during tefillah is encouraged. While the nature of our minyan is participatory and democratic, we recognize that some //ba’alei tefilla// are more successful than others in aiding the //tzibur// to reach higher levels of spirituality in their tefillah. As such, keeping the goals of tefillah in mind, our gabbaim will often turn to individuals who were given a special talent by Hashem to inspire and elevate us in our tefillah, and ask them to lead the davening.
 * Tefillah should be an avenue of spirituality that can be accessed by all. As such, while we provide a halachic mechitzah, as determined by our Rabbis, we attempt to ensure the same atmosphere on the women’s side of the mechitzah, and attempt to configure our space in a manner that allows women the highest level of access to the //shlichei tzibur// possible. Women are included on our ritual committee, so that all voices are heard.
 * Our commitment to daily minyan is strong. As such, we encourage all of our Shul partners to attend minyan on a regular basis, thereby strengthening our sense of community, and our understanding of the power of communal tefillah.
 * Torah study is the right, privilege, and responsibility of every Jew. Our minyan provides numerous opportunities for Torah study, as well as promoting a myriad of Torah study opportunities that exist in our wider community. The Rambam begins his discussion of Torah study in the laws of Talmud Torah with the obligation to teach our children. In recognizing the centrality of teaching our children we place a strong emphasis on Torah study for our youth. In addition, we value the special relationship we have created with our sister institution, the Denver Academy of Torah, which educates our children. We attempt, through multiple avenues, to support DAT in teaching Torah to the children of our community.
 * A community is only as strong as the individuals who serve it. We strive to create an environment of volunteerism and participation among all our members. For our community members, giving is more important than receiving.
 * We are privileged to live in an era where Hashem has given us a priceless gift. For two thousand years we dreamed, prayed and yearned for a return to the land of Israel. In 1948 Hashem gave us back our land. We believe that the miracles that occurred in 1948 and 1967, as well as the constant miracles that take place in Israel, are part of the process guiding us towards a messianic era. We strongly support the State of Israel through regular sermons, prayers, fundraising efforts for Israeli causes, support of Pro-Israel institutions, and encouragement to make aliyah.
 * As participants in the Jewish community, we recognize the obligation that each of us has as individuals to serve and support our community. In addition, we recognize that we are all part of various communities and the proportion of our contribution to each community is guided by the ‘proximity to each circle’ (concentric circles).
 * It is this philosophy which has guided us in establishing a unique relationship with the Denver Academy of Torah. We recognize the fundamental role that day schools have played in the renaissance of Jewish communal life, and we recognize the central role that the Denver Academy of Torah plays and will continue to play for the success of the east side Jewish community. We also realize the benefits of Jewish community working closely together, and feel that the fragmentation of Jewish institutions has been detrimental to Jewish life in America.
 * Personal spiritual development
 * Our community begins with the premise that the vast majority of our participants are looking to grow spiritually. The nature and speed of this growth will differ radically for different individuals. For some, this growth may be at its beginning stages, while for others it may be fairly developed. We are only concerned that we all be growing, and not where on the growth spectrum one finds him- or herself. In addition, the direction of growth will differ radically for different individuals. For some this growth may presently be about enhanced //tefillah//, for others about enhanced Talmud torah or //tzedakah//, and for other enhanced //chesed//. We create portals to support personal growth in various arenas.

**Project summary:** The //Family Beit Midrash,// a new paradigm for synagogue adult education focusing on family oriented, //beit midrash-//style learning, engages individuals in serious Torah study on Shabbat afternoon. Small groups of six-eight parents and children, grouped based on age, background and interest, meet with a //madrich///coach before //minchah// Shabbat afternoon; //madrichim// have strong Judaic background and are trained by a program coordinator. //Madrichim// choose subject matter for their group as well as the nature of their group based on their own family situation; the //madrich// is a participant as much as everyone else, and enjoys the same benefit of learning with a family member. Groups place a heavy emphasis on text based learning and enhancement of textual skills and are established based on ability to find a coach for that respective group. The project plans to expand to other family structures beyond parent-child, creating study groups for spouses, for singles, and groups which integrate newly married couples with empty-nesters.