New Membership and Financial Alternatives for the American Synagogue : From Traditional Dues to Fair Share to Gifts from the Heart

Open wide your mind―and your community―to fresh concepts of synagogue financial and spiritual success.

"[A] welcome addition.... Replete with examples of synagogues, independent minyanim and spiritual communities that have developed creative and sometimes surprising strategies ... that ameliorate what many observers believe are obstacles to recruiting and engaging Jews into their spiritual communities."
―from the Foreword by Dr. Ron Wolfson

The concept of the "dues-based membership model" in synagogues was once an innovation. Now that model is in decline and sweeping change is required in order to reverse the downward trend in synagogue participation. This groundbreaking book provides synagogue and communal leaders with a useful process and the ingredients necessary to consider important changes in the synagogue, including:

• Thoughtful new models for membership and synagogue finance
• Examples from successful synagogues, bolstered by illustrations from the private sector
• Practical steps for change and implementation

With checklists for exploring and adopting alternative models from nationally recognized congregational consultant Debbie Joseph.

Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky, named one of the fifty leading rabbis in North America by Newsweek, is well known for his inspiring books that bring the Jewish wisdom tradition into everyday life. He is executive director of Big Tent Judaism, formerly Jewish Outreach Institute, and is author of many books on Jewish spirituality, healing and Jewish religious practice, including Making a Successful Jewish Interfaith Marriage: The Big Tent Judaism Guide to Opportunities, Challenges and Resources; Introducing My Faith and My Community: The Jewish Outreach Institute Guide for a Christian in a Jewish Interfaith Relationship; Jewish Paths toward Healing and Wholeness: A Personal Guide to Dealing with Suffering; Grief in Our Seasons: A Mourner's Kaddish Companion; Twelve Jewish Steps to Recovery: A Personal Guide to Turning from Alcoholism & Other Addictions―Drugs, Food, Gambling, Sex...; Facing Cancer as a Family; Life's Daily Blessings: Inspiring Reflections on Gratitude for Every Day, Based on Jewish Wisdom; 100 Blessings Every Day: Daily Twelve Step Recovery Affirmations, Exercises for Personal Growth and Renewal Reflecting Seasons of the Jewish Year and Recovery from Codependance: A Jewish Twelve Step Guide to Healing Your Soul. He is also coauthor of Grandparenting Interfaith Grandchildren; Jewish Holidays: A Brief Introduction for Christians; Jewish Ritual: A Brief Introduction for Christians; Renewed Each Day, Vol. One―Genesis and Exodus: Daily Twelve Step Recovery Meditations; Renewed Each Day, Vol. Two―Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy: Daily Twelve Step Recovery Meditations Based on the Bible and coeditor of The Rituals and Practices of a Jewish Life: A Handbook for Personal Spiritual Renewal (all Jewish Lights).

Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky is available to speak on the following topics:

• The Jewish Twelve Step Path to Healing and Recovery
• Sparks Beneath the Surface: A Spiritual Read on the Torah
• Welcoming the Stranger in Our Midst
• How to Nurture Jewish Grandchildren Being Raised in an Interfaith Family
• Optimism for a Jewish Future

Click here to contact the author.

Rabbi Avi S. Olitzky is spiritual leader at Beth El Synagogue, St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

Dr. Ron Wolfson, visionary educator and inspirational speaker, is Fingerhut Professor of Education at American Jewish University in Los Angeles and a cofounder of Synagogue 3000. He is author of Relational Judaism: Using the Power of Relationships to Transform the Jewish Community; The Seven Questions You're Asked in Heaven: Reviewing and Renewing Your Life on Earth; Be Like God: God's To-Do List for Kids; God's To-Do List: 103 Ways to Be an Angel and Do God's Work on Earth; Hanukkah, Passover and Shabbat, all Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs Art of Jewish Living family guides to spiritual celebrations; The Spirituality of Welcoming: How to Transform Your Congregation into a Sacred Community; A Time to Mourn, a Time to Comfort: A Guide to Jewish Bereavement and Comfort and, with Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, What You Will See Inside a Synagogue (all Jewish Lights), a book for children ages 6 and up. He contributed to May God Remember: Memory and Memorializing in Judaism―Yizkor, Who by Fire, Who by Water―Un'taneh Tokef, All These Vows―Kol Nidre and We Have Sinned: Sin and Confession in Judaism―Ashamnu and Al Chet (all Jewish Lights).

Rabbi Daniel Judson, spiritual leader of Temple Beth David of the South Shore in Canton, Massachusetts, is coeditor of The Rituals and Practices of a Jewish Life: A Handbook for Personal Spiritual Renewal and coauthor of The Jewish Pregnancy Book: A Resource for the Soul, Body and Mind during Pregnancy, Birth and the First Three Months (both Jewish Lights). He is a frequent guest speaker at both Jewish and Christian congregations.