Strategic thinking

Strategy

As Chair, it's helpful to familiarise yourself with the United Synagogue's Vision and Mission and to reflect these in your own Community’s long-term plans.

At the same time, every US Community is different and this diversity is one of our strengths. Your Community's strategy should reflect its own character, needs and aspirations, developed by you working with your Rabbinic team and your Executive.

In this context, strategy means looking beyond day-to-day operations and programming, and thinking about the long-term direction of your Community. It involves considering the Community's potential and shaping a clear and ambitious (but realistic) picture of its future. The next section, Vision, considers this in more detail.

You may wish to prepare a public document outlining your strategy before or while you are Chair. This can be developed in collaboration with Rabbinic Staff or members of the Executive and Synagogue Council, even before they’ve been appointed or employed. It can also incorporate feedback from recent consultations with your members. This kind of document can help you communicate your ideas clearly and build shared understanding across the Community.

Vision

Developing a vision begins with understanding WHY people are members of your Community? What do they value? What kind of Jewish growth might they achieve - individually, as households and together as a Community.

This is different from simply asking which events or programming they want. Events are tools for delivering your vision; they are not the vision itself.

To shape a clear and meaningful vision, you might seek input from members through:

focus groups
listening exercises
written, online or doorstep surveys
‘town hall meetings’
consultative votes or similar activities

After gathering views, you should feel confident to adopt or update your Community's vision so it reflects both member aspirations and realistic opportunities for growth.

Your vision should provide direction to your strategy and the specific goals you set. For example:

Programming: ‘Holding services over Shabbat’. This describes activity but not purpose.
Vision-aligned goal: ‘Making Shabbat a spiritual opportunity which is accessible to everyone regardless of Hebrew literacy, so that the whole community can enjoy the holiest day of the week together’.

This type of goal is realistic but ambitious. It may lead to practical developments like women's Kabbalat Shabbat services, education programmes or the purchase of new siddurim, each of which becomes a measurable step towards achieving the vision.

Your Community Partner can help with this process - please just reach out to us.