Beth+Israel+(Owings+Mills)-+Handout


 * Beth Israel Congregation,** **Owings Mills****,** **Maryland**
 * //Team Presentation//**

We would like to both increase and intensify family engagement on Shabbat and holidays in ways that bring people together with a common purpose and mission in addition to the sense of curricular obligation which is the general motivation for most of our families currently. Through this new initiative “Project Chesed: Creating a Caring Community” we hope that families will begin to feel more connected to one another while learning together around the common theme of __chesed__, which, by its very nature, encourages reaching out to others. In turn, this can strengthen family ties to the congregation and also instill a sense of mission among the participants – the mission of translating the value of __chesed__ into real action. We believe that Shabbat and holiday engagement on this theme should and can bring people to newer heights and understandings that ultimately can have a profound effect on our lives – on how we relate to others and how we define ourselves as a community.
 * 1.** **Description of proposal**

This proposal seeks to expand deepen our current Shabbat family engagement by adding the new component of the study and exploration of the value of chesed in our lives in the following ways:
 * At each of the grade level family Shabbat and holiday experiences in Junior Congregation, and at our weekly Tot Shabbat program, families will also explore an aspect of chesed appropriate to families as well as to the age of the students, through the Torah portion, other Jewish texts, current events and mitzvot. Parents will also have opportunities to learn both on Shabbat and at other times on an adult level.
 * The family Shabbat experiences will be extended to include monthly Shabbatonim (extended afternoons) which will include Shabbat Kiddush lunch, joint parent-child activities and adult study on the themes of chesed, while the children engage in age appropriate activities. Some extended Shabbatonim will continue through Havdalah, based on the age of the children in participating families.
 * Educational material will be developed so that conversations begun at the synagogue on Shabbat can continue at home. These materials will connect our families to the weekly Torah portion, to Jewish living, and to our theme of chesed.

In addition to the family learning experiences on Shabbat and holidays, emphasis will also be given to hands-on Jewish practice, on both a congregational level and a family level. The following will be initiatives that will be undertaken in order to integrate learning with practice:
 * The formation of a joint Chesed/Social action committee made up of lay and professional leaders who will delineate specific chesed/social action goals and projects in which our school and congregation, families and children, can be involved. This committee will have representation from both the pre-school and religious school in order to facilitate communications and ensure the involvement of the school families.
 * A Yom Iyun lay/professional day of study will be held for training and exploration of ways to integrate chesed and social action throughout the fabric of our community, inviting representatives from all arms of the congregation.
 * Families will “adopt a chesed value” and explore all of the aspects of it. A “Chesed Fair” will be held where families will display their value, teach about it and share personal hands-on experiences that exemplify the value in action, including their personal reactions to the “chesed” experience.

a. By creating one umbrella committee that will include representation from all the arms of the congregation. This will become our new Chesed/Social Action committee. Under this structure will be brought both new and existing committees that already deal with some elements of chesed and social action. b. By coordinating the planning of the activities and their execution among the arms of the congregation and the diverse populations within the congregation, as a way to broaden the stake-holders.
 * 2.** **Two ways in which our approach could be made systemic:**

a. The current stake-holders (current committees) who may not want to change how they are doing things (i.e., the Sisterhood leaders who bake casseroles each week for a shelter.) b. The busy lives of congregants who may feel that increased engagement is more than they can handle.
 * 3.** **Two major challenges in implementing the project:**

We will try to address these challenges by planning for buy-in by these populations and helping them become stake-holders in the project. Although the project is initially being driven from the top down (professional staff) it will eventually have to become driven from the bottom up in order for it to be systemic.

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