2007 - United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

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GOLD CONGREGATION HAR SHALOM Over 900 Potomac, MD Submitted by Michael L. Simmons 301-299-7087 www.harshalom.org The current Har Shalom website is the third version of our website since it’s inception in the mid-1990’s. The immediate past president, Debbie Schapiro, reorganized all synagogue communications, including the website, under one communications chairperson. This lay reorganization paved the way for the communications chair to edit and improve content of text submitted by lay committees. Although the website had grown and provided online access for a plethora of congregational activities and information, more needed to be done. In the spring of 2006, Jodi Susser assumed the presidency of the congregation. One of her initial priorities was to update the website, keep it current and enhance the website as needed. The congregation Har Shalom website is now updated on an ongoing basis, usually about three times per week. The website has become a resource for congregants to look up upcoming activities of the congregation, check candle lighting times, sign up for activities, sell their hametz, and link to many worthwhile local and national organizations. Additionally, Congregation Har Shalom is proud to offer our congregants and the general community: the ability to access a donation form on line, the ability to access an up to the second synagogue calendar, the ability to access our library’s online catalog, and the ability to view synagogue events through the online photo gallery. Moreover, the synagogue website provides everything from prospective member information and application forms to important Jewish communal announcements. Reflecting Congregation Har Shalom’s strong connection with the Conservative movement, there is a link at the bottom of the homepage for access to the United Synagogue website as well as a link to the United Synagogue listing of conservative organizations. Additionally, in an effort to provide easy access for congregants to donate funds for Israel, a link is also provided for local Federation donations. GOLD THE EMANUEL SYNAGOGUE 500-900 West Hartford, CT Submitted by Francene Weingast 860-236-1275 The Emanuel Synagogue website redesign is part of a broad ongoing effort to use the Internet and information technology to enhance our membership experience and to introduce the Emanuel community to site visitors. Designed to reflect the vision and priorities of The Emanuel, the website is organized in terms of our four communities: Chesed (Caring), Tikun Olam (Social Justice), Talmud Torah (Lifelong Learning), and Tefilah (Participatory Prayer). The new look and feel of the site, and especially the incorporation of photos of real congregants having real experiences at The Emanuel, reflects a sense of the atmosphere of the synagogue being a place of serenity and warmth apart from the pressures of suburban life. We use The Emanuel website to facilitate connections between the synagogue and our congregants in the following ways: • Providing current information about events and happenings on a timely basis • Providing pages for groups and committees that have a specific community, for example members of USY (United Synagogue Youth) and Ozreinu (a group for parents of children with special needs) • Improving knowledge about and access to synagogue resources • Streamlining the cumbersome aspects of interacting with the synagogue Tangible ways that the website is presently being used include the following: • Schedule for daily minyan and Shabbat services • Membership inquiries • Finding up to the minute information of lifecycle events • Posting information on Bar/Bat Mitzvah tikun olam projects. • Weather related closings
• Assistant rabbi candidates let us know that they found our website warm and inviting, impressive in the way it expresses our mission and values, and that it enticed them to want to interview with us • Up to date information on up coming events • Print out donation forms • Volunteers for committees SILVER CONGREGATION BETH EMETH 250-500 Herndon, VA Submitted by Susan Berger 703-860-4515 The first sentence of our President’s brief statement on the home page sets the tone for our entire Website: “What’s different about Congregation Beth Emeth? YOU. Members are active participants and leaders in worship, learning, celebration, social action, mutual support and fun.” The CBEweb, found at www.hethemeth.or, has as its mission to make it easy for congregants to be informed and engaged in the many and varied activities and services provided by the congregation, and to be extremely inviting to non-members considering joining our community. The site was re-launched with a new design just before Rosh Hashana 5767 (September 2006), and was designed and implemented — and is updated at least weekly — by congregation members who are not Web professionals. As with most synagogue Websites, providing information about upcoming religious, learning and social events — and opportunities to participate and contribute — in an attractive and appealing manner is the backbone of the site. Feedback from congregants, new members and visitors indicates that our site provides these elements quite well. In addition, several more interactive and/or dynamic innovations have received wide use in the community: • Torah portions online — “You can practice your Torah readings directly from an image of the Torah you’ll be using!” We encourage members to learn to chant and thus have some who are less than comfortable when they go up to the bema. Busy schedules and long commutes in the DC suburbs can make it difficult to review portions in the Torah at shul. Therefore, we provide digital photographs of the readings in our own Torahs on the Website so that readers do not have to worry about differences from the Tikkun when they arrive at the bema. This is also very useful for preparation when out-of-town relatives are invited to chant at bar/bat mitzvah services . • Babysitting List — Our Sisterhood and BEECC (Early Childhood Center) Parents Association have joined to sponsor a list of babysitters who are affiliated with the congregation and available for babysitting in the area. An online signup/information form is provided for babysitters to join. The list itself is accessible online via a secure page, with the password provided to parents upon request and verification of membership. • Networking Resources — When our area experienced a major downturn in the early 2000s, several job-seeking congregants founded the Beth Emeth Networking CHavurah (BENCH). A BENCH section of the Website was created, including meeting schedule, contacts, useful job-search links, a form for congregants to send job postings to the group and a section featuring online resumés (the resumé list is now inactive due to members having become re-employed!) . • Religious School Working Group — We recently conducted a task-force-led process to re-examine our religious school model. This has been a contentious issue, and it was important to invite congregation feedback through a series of forums, and also to share the results and plans with the congregation at each step. This communication was carried out almost entirely on the Website. • Online Activity Registration — While we do not at this time have e-commerce available due to cost, for many activities we provide online registration, with online form entries going both to the activity coordinator(s) and to the office where the cost is added to members’ statements. Non-members are asked to call with a credit card number or to download a form to send with a check. Our Website is complemented by approximately 25 different e-mail lists, which are provided via Yahoo Groups. These include lists for weekly (and emergency) announcements, for each of the schools and groups such as Sisterhood and Men’s Club, for each youth group, each committee, and others as requested. We have both announcement lists (limited access to post) and discussion lists where any member can post a message. These lists, too, are maintained by volunteers. The draft of the weekly announcement message (prepared in the office) is used as the
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THE UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF CONSERVATIV
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THE UNITED SYNAGOGUE OF CONSERVATIV
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Temple Beth El Allentown, PA Gold 2
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KADIMA USY North Suburban Synagogue
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The Emanuel Synagogue West Hartford
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Network/Steinhardt Foundation and t
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etreat in the spring of 2008. This
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ather than Chinese-American, and of
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100-250 San Leandro, CA Submitted b
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mornings after Minyan. Teachers for
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Members rely on The Bulletin as the
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nourishment to feed the minds of it
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advertisements for the Jewish Theol
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HONORABLE MENTION COMMACK JEWISH CE
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While serving as a marketing device
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isolated Jewish community. We striv
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100-250 Jacksonville, FL 904-268-04
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3. Establishing an Endowment for Ed
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Friday Night Live, all the programs
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SILVER CONGREGATION B’NAI SHOLOM
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in program entitled, “A Walk Thro
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Learning is a journey and a process
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Our school provides learning and po
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continually stressing Jewish values
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Over 900 Roslyn Heights, NY Submitt
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Living Facility with which the syna
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provide experiential, educational,
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I. The idea of parents and children
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Tech, Lifecycle University, and Kal
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250-500 Schenectady, NY Submitted b
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Submitted by Rance Block 610-435-35
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The cookbook has garnered critical
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twice yearly. Each year an award is
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Education Group, Holocaust Survivor
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The Congregation Beth David Mission
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2007 - United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

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