Beth+El+Sudbury-+Moving+forward

**Team Presentation – Moving Forward with //BaDerech//**


 * __Overview__**

Through //BaDerech//, we hope to be able to ask all congregants: · Where are you on your Jewish journey? · Where would you like to be on your Jewish journey? · How can we, as a community, help you along your Jewish journey? · How can you take a role in supporting the Jewish growth of others in our community? And then, we want to respond to these questions with programmatic pathways, guides, and roadmaps that will help congregants move forward on their Jewish journeys.

We will achieve these goals by transforming the way we approach learning at Beth El. The //BaDerech// approach to congregational education provides a framework for lay leaders and professionals to systemically and systematically address congregants’ responses to these questions with: · Identification of **Crossroads** · Development of **Pathways** · Training and Nurturing of **Guides** · Provision of **Roadmaps**

In Years 1 & 2 of the grant cycle, we will model for the congregation how the //BaDerech// process works by engaging the congregation in an exploration of their ritual and spiritual crossroads. Simultaneously, we will be developing the mechanisms and leadership needed to enable the //BaDerech// model to reach its boldest, and most dynamic level – that of the congregants identifying their own crossroads and collaboratively working to support one another through the process of Jewish growth. This phase of //BaDerech// will be supported by communal organizing techniques and one-on-one conversations. We are entitling this intentional, self-reflective, dialogic process **//Ayekah//**//.//


 * __Next Steps__**


 * Year 1 – Our Ritual Journeys**

Crossroads Pathways
 * Seeking a deeper connection w/Shabbat and Holiday rituals.
 * Seeking to connect with other families through Shabbat and Holiday rituals.
 * Preschool //BaDerech//
 * //Rosh HaShanah// & //Succot// concluding programs
 * Guided Havurot
 * //Havurot// supported by congregant guides and curricular support materials for Shabbat and holidays.
 * Shabbat Programming for Families w/Young Children
 * Friday night family programming – focus on Shabbat family ritual practices
 * Shabbat morning youth programming
 * Havdallah community building programs
 * Sunday morning “how to” ritual seminars & Shabbat seminar
 * Interfaith Families
 * Work toward a more welcoming ritual atmosphere for Interfaith families.
 * Staff & lay leader education regarding Interfaith families
 * Congregational Shabbaton
 * Intergeneration communal opportunities for exploring ritual journeys.

Guides
 * Guides for //Havurot//.
 * Leaders for family Shabbat programs.
 * Consultants for Interfaith issues

Roadmaps
 * Shabbat & Holiday lending library
 * Monthly “how to” emails focusing on aspects of ritual
 * Interfaith resources in library

//Ayekah// - Leadership Phase
 * Engage in relational meetings with congregational leadership to determine where they are in their Jewish journeys.
 * Train key leaders in community organizing techniques to conduct future conversations across the entire membership.


 * Year 2 – Our Spiritual Journeys**

Crossroads
 * Seeking to deepen one’s spiritual growth.
 * Seeking to foster a family environment supportive of spiritual growth.
 * Seeking to engage in dialogue with others about one’s spiritual journey and challenges.

Pathways
 * Martin Buber’s __The__ __Way of Man__
 * Shabbat afternoon class exploring personal spiritual journey through the lens of Buber’s text.
 * //V’taher Libenu//
 * Implement Jewish Spirituality Institute curriculum.
 * Interfaith Discussion Group
 * Increase understanding and awareness of differences and similarities between various faith traditions and Judaism.
 * Address challenges of raising a Jewish child in Interfaith family where there are different spiritual beliefs shared by parents.
 * Interfaith Teacher Training
 * Raising teachers’ awareness of how to discuss differing belief systems with their students and how to support the needs of Interfaith families within a Jewish learning environment.
 * Shabbat Family Programming
 * Focus on God talk and discussing God and spirituality with children.
 * Guided //Havurot//
 * Explore topic of God talk.
 * Preschool //BaDerech// Cohort 2
 * Implement with revised & improved curriculum.
 * Address spiritual needs of participant families (especially interfaith families) w/new support materials
 * Congregational Shabbaton
 * Intergeneration communal opportunities for exploring spiritual journeys.

Guides
 * Peer guides for //Ayekah// //BaDerech//
 * Interfaith group facilitators
 * Preschool //BaDerech// Guides
 * //Havurah// guides

Roadmaps
 * //V’taher Libenu// curriculum
 * Buber’s __The__ __Way of Man__
 * God Talk resources in library

//Ayekah// – Relational Meeting Phase
 * Begin the process of one-on-one conversations among congregants to ask the question, “Where are you?”
 * Compile responses to identify congregant crossroads in their Jewish journeys.
 * Elicit congregant commitment to taking leadership roles in pursuing pathways to address these crossroads.
 * Leadership will be an outgrowth of some people’s Jewish yearning.


 * Year 3 – Our Communal Journeys**

Crossroads
 * Congregation’s readiness to define its own crossroad.
 * Process of defining the crossroad will emerge from //Ayekah// in years 1 & 2
 * Possible crossroads to address include:
 * Congregational crossroad of readiness to move forward in building a stronger sense of community.
 * Congregational crossroad of readiness to move forward with leadership growth.
 * Congregational crossroad of readiness to assess and revise strategic plan.

Pathways
 * Ongoing //BaDerech// Programming
 * Preschool //BaDerech// Cohort 2
 * Guided //Havurot//
 * //V’Taher Libenu// (year 2)
 * //Ayekah// Communal Conversations
 * Shabbat Retreat
 * Shared communal Shabbat experience
 * Leadership Development
 * Create infrastructure to move congregation & //BaDerech// framework forward.

Guides
 * TBD

Roadmaps
 * TBD


 * __Making //BaDerech// More Systemic__**

Broadening our understanding of crossroads Engage in Interfaith training
 * Recognize the centrality of choice in modern self definition and its impact on Jewish growth.
 * Respond to the needs Jewish learners by creating broader, learner-directed crossroads
 * Address crossroads through PATHWAYS rather than Orientation Programs
 * Pathways provide thematically connected, diversified entry points
 * Ritual Journey – Year 1
 * Spiritual Journey – Year 2
 * Communal Journey – Year 3
 * Recognition of the impact of a non-Jewish partner on a family’s Jewish journey and how it impacts how all crossroads are addressed.
 * Interfaith awareness training will help us acknowledge the diversity of all congregants and better guide them along their Jewish journeys.


 * __Major Challenges Facing //BaDerech//__**

Increased Lay Involvement & Ownership of //BaDerech// Scaling
 * Need leadership development
 * Continual feature of every year through consultation and leadership development programs.
 * Part of the crossroads Beth El is facing in terms of its strategic plan, vision, and growth.
 * //BaDerech// crosses over current leadership VP structure boundaries and therefore easily falls through the lay leadership cracks.
 * Possibly need to reexamine leadership structure to take a more integrated approach to addressing the Jewish journeys of congregants and the ways the congregation does business.
 * We are currently reaching 25% of families with children ages 3-5
 * We want to reach a greater percentage of this population of congregants with young children.
 * We want to reach congregants beyond this limited population.
 * We need to build the capacity for expansion of //BaDerech//.
 * Increase guide resources
 * Increase leadership resources
 * Make strategic decisions regarding allocation of staff time

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