Beth+Israel

= Congregation Beth Israel = 1630 Bancroft Way Berkeley, CA 94703 (510) 843-5246 [|Congregation Beth Israel Berkeley, CA]

CBI Mission Statement
More than a shul, Beth Israel is a spiritual home, a //bayit//, for members of all ages, backgrounds, and levels of observance.  As a community, we are committed to: These commitments guide the varied services, events, and educational programs that we offer.
 * Leading lives enriched and informed by mitzvot and // Talmud Torah // (the study of Torah)
 * Cultivating spirituality and ethical sensitivity that is integrated into both religious practice and worldly pursuits // (Avodat HaShem) //
 * Promoting //Ahavat Yisrael// (love of the Jewish people) and deep commitment to //Medinat Yisrael// (the State of Israel)
 * Enhancing the role of women in religious life within the bounds of //Halakha// (Jewish Law)
 * Affirming our responsibility to improve and mend the world // (Tikkun Olam) //

=** Shabbat Shalem (A Complete Shabbat) **= Shabbat Shalem focuses on redefining CBI’s approach to educational programming and seeks to enhance communal engagement on Shabbat within the CBI community. It incorporates the events that the Adult Education Committee, Youth Education Committee, Ritual Committee, Social Action Committee, the Gan Shalom pre-school, Board, and Rabbi, have planned and organizes them around a central annual theme (such as prayer, Shabbat, Tikkun Olam). Shabbat Shalem is celebrated eight times per year. This innovative approach will include family services, learner’s services, communal text studies (led by members), scholars-in-residence, children’s musical //havdalahs//, //melaveh malkahs//, and community-wide Shabbat lunches and dinners. During its first full year, the community will focus specifically on reorienting board and committees around the Shabbat Shalem vision, developing curriculum for pre-school families, promoting a culture of sustainable learning among synagogue members.

=Publicity and Promotional Materials =

Flier for Shabbat Shalem November, 2008
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Flier for Shabbat Shalem December, 2008
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=Educational Materials = (Best viewed in Microsoft Word 2007)

Shabbat Accross Beth Israel
Beth Israel is blessed with a membership spanning all ages and phases of life. Shabbat Shalem affords us the opportunity and challenge of determining how to present monthly Shabbat themes in ways that are educationally appropriate for our various constituencies. The following documents present our Shabbat Shalem curricula. This includes the approaches, guidelines, and texts used to expose our two youth groups and the main congregation to each Shabbat related theme. The Shabbat Across Beth Israel documents are published in Beth Israel's bulletin and components of the programs are periodically emailed to congregants. = Talmud Torah (Shabbat Shalem 2009-2010) =

Perspectives on Talmud Torah


=Shabbat (Shabbat Shalem 2008-2009)=

Chagim Accross Beth Israel
= Chag Shalem = Jewish holidays afford Beth Israel additional opportunities for community learning on all levels.
 * Y Sukkah Shleimah - Engaging Succot Creatively **

[[file:Chanukah Obstacle Course..doc]]
http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/40664/unorthodox-spot-for-a-slam-berkeleys-beth-israel-hosting-night-of-spoken-wo

Board Meeting Text Study
Board meetings at Congregation Beth Israel traditionally commenced with a Board member presenting brief Torah insights. As part of CBI’s systemic change driven by the vision of ‘lilmod ulelamed’ – we are all learners and teachers – meetings now commence with a text study for all Board members. Texts pertain to upcoming Shabbat Shalem themes and include guided questions. During this time, Board members focus on ways to both learn and teach these texts which they then share with those sitting around them at Shabbat Shalem luncheons.

Gan Shalem - Bring it Home Cards
The Gan Shalem Innovation Program seeks to spread the Shabbat Shalem spirit of community education to the broader Beth Israel family. Beth Israel partners with its preschool Gan Shalom to create family programming centered around Shabbat Shalem themes on Shabbat and Holidays. This partnership is known as Gan Shalem, and it has been a meaningful means of empowering families to bring Jewish practices home, as well as involving Gan families that do not regularly attend Beth Israel services and programs.

As part of its family education programming, Gan Shalem offers a series of educational holiday greeting cards. These cards contain songs, activities, and wisdom appropriate for families seeking to explore or celebrate the Jewish holidays. Parents are instructed in the use of the cards during special Gan Shalem training sessions. Below is an example of the 2008 Rosh Hashanah greeting card, mailed prior to the holiday to all members of the Beth Israel and Gan Shalom communities, and used during Shabbat Shalem and Gan Shalem.

Y Gan Shalem Curriculum Chart, Bring-it-Home Cards, and Followup Letter
= = = = = Systemic Change = Efforts to create systemic change in the operations of the Beth Israel Board have led to the creation of portfoliod positions; teams dedicated to the fulfillment of specific shul operations from budgetary concerns to special Shabbat Shalem programming. Teams are responsible for working with each other to achieve their respective goals, and each team presents a progress report at Board meetings. A special intergenerational team is responsible for determining how best to match teams with less involved congregants who might be willing to assist with particular tasks as needed.

Shabbat Shalem as a Model for Sustainable Community
The following diagram was presented to CBI's incoming Board during its first meeting of the year by the Shabbat Shalem Innovation Team. As each Board member began their tenure as leaders in the community, they were challenged to focus on the ways in which their unique portfolios were impacted by the Shabbat Shalem Innovation Program.

The Shabbat Shalem Wiki Project
The Shabbat Shalem Innovation Team has initiated the Shabbat Shalem Wiki Project. The Wiki Project seeks to incorporate CBI's various Teams online with the goal of deepening communication and cooperation between them while keeping a record of all past actions. At present, the Wiki Project includes a log of all Shabbat Shalem "Touch Base" weekly conference calls, as well as links for Shabbat Shalem Contacts, the Gan Shalem Innovation Team, the Social Justice Team, the Community Building Team, and the Avodah Initiative (a new approach to community engagement, created in response to Shabbat Shalem during the Legacy Heritage Shabbat Shalem Board Retreat.) A link is found below (we are happy to provide a password for those interested in a virtual tour.) http://trac.po2.com/cbi/wiki/TouchBase

The Shabbat Shalem Google Spreadsheet Initiative: Spreading Sustainability
CBI's Ultimate Community Calendar: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AkNd16T0VCCcdENCLWRpZzg0eEZJUkFwN2ZqWHB5YlE&hl=en Ritual Team: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AkNd16T0VCCccjhFSU1CbVZ1VVVER1dIS3R5Mm91WkE&hl=en Social Action Team: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0ArTHUINkSvLocDV5UWd1VmtaWDVWSzZQWFFOZFdrWUE&hl=en

Board Training
Debbie Ward of Ward and Associates led a five-hour autumn Board training retreat to help Board members focus on their respective team roles and ways of conducting efficient, productive committee meetings. Ms. Ward also helped the Board explore methods of sharing leadership opportunities with a broader section of the congregation by engaging the vast untapped potential energy amongst congregants merely waiting for an invitation to action.

Y Images of the Board Training Retreat November 2008
[|DSC09914[1.JPG]] [|DSC09923[2.JPG]] [|DSC09916[1.JPG]] [|DSC09931[1.JPG]] ** Y Board Training Retreat March 2009** The fall 2008 Board training retreat was followed by a five hour follow-up spring retreat led by Debbie Ward. This retreat enabled Board members to examine their successes and challenges as individual workers and as teams. It also afforded teams an opportunity to discuss present goals and future steps, as well as to simulate networking necessary to the efficient operations of Shabbat Shalem.

Congregational Buy-In
One critical aspect of systemic change is obtaining congregational buy-in; enthusiastic acceptance of programs by participants. This entails obtaining feedback from participants as well as making sure that volunteers are adequately recognized for their efforts. The Beth Israel Board actively seeks feedback following events as a means of improving programming, but to communicate to participants the degree of grassroots efforts necessary to sustain programs and the need for additional support.

Letter from Rabbi Cohen to congregation following a Shabbat Shalem weekend
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