ENGAGING FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN IN JEWISH LIFE

A Guide for Synagogues Winter 2013

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“ This period beginning with the birth or adoption of a child through initial enrollment

in an early childhood program is an ideal time to engage in outreach to in married and

intermarried families. It is a window of opportunity of the organized Jewish community that

only opens once.”

Mark Rosen

Jewish Engagement from Birth:

A Blueprint to Outreach to First-Time Parents

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Welcome Letter .........................................................................................................................................................4

II. Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................................6

III. Who Are Today’s Families with Young Children (FwYC)? ........................................................................8

IV. Successful Strategies to Engage Families with Young Children in Synagogue Life ..................... 10

1. Develop a Partnership between Staff and Lay Leadership

2. Foster a Partnership between Early Childhood Centers (ECC) and

Synagogue FwYC Initiatives

3. Dedicate Staff Time

4. Create Volunteer Support Opportunities

5. Confirm Clergy Leadership and Support

6. Develop a Marketing and Social Media Plan

7. Be Welcoming and Inclusive in your Outreach Efforts

8. Create Welcoming Spaces for Families with Young Children

9. Start with an Engaging, Age-Appropriate Shabbat Experience

10. Create FwYC Experiences beyond Shabbat: Jewish Holidays, Music, Learning,

Social Action and more!

11. Offer “Parents-Only” Programming and Social Opportunities

12. Track Participants, Assess Programs and Follow-up

V. Case Examples

1. Lay Leadership Driven FwYC Experiences: Temple Beth Elohim, Wellesley ............................. 18

2. Collaboration Between ECC and Synagogue Initiatives : Temple Emunah, Lexington .........22

3. Shabbat Experience: Temple Isaiah, Lexington ................................................................................... 26

4. Neighborhood Community Building: Temple Israel, Boston ...........................................................30

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March 2013

Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) is deeply committed to the engagement of families

with young children in Jewish life as well as supporting synagogues in their efforts to create a

vibrant Jewish future. CJP’s vision includes significantly increasing opportunities for families with

young children to connect with each other and engage with the Jewish community – the rich

fabric of people, the values, meaningful Jewish programs and learning, synagogue life and other

communal institutions. Furthermore, we want to ensure that all parents with young children are

made aware of, and invited to engage with, relevant programs and opportunities in the Jewish

community.

CJP launched the Families with Young Children (FwYC) initiative in 2009. In the past three

years, we have:

• designed a Welcome Baby! program

• funded low barrier and easy access programs, playgroups and parenting workshops

• funded community outreach and hub connectors in community regions

• launched new synagogue partnerships to professionalize the field of young family

engagement within and beyond synagogue walls

• provided Innovation Grants for synagogue programs.

In 2012, we conducted a synagogue survey to capture the current efforts our local synagogues

are making to engage families with young children in Jewish life. We learned there are some

great programs and strategies, along with lots of great ideas that will continue evolving over

the years. At the same time, there are struggles for necessary resources (staffing, funding, and

programming), support of synagogue professionals and lay leadership, and marketing expertise

needed to raise awareness of these programs. This guide was developed so that you, our

synagogue leaders and educators, can join in conversations, continue to learn from each other,

and successfully engage families with young children in your community.

Additionally, CJP continues to work with all our organization and synagogue partners to deepen

outreach to interfaith families – and recognize that these families are critical to the rich fabric of

the Jewish community.

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This guide captures where our synagogue community is at, in this point in time with regard to

engaging families with young children. When this goes to print many of you will have developed

new programs, models and success factors that were not captured here. Thus, the intent is to

learn and engage in a conversation with each other and to instill in us an ongoing desire to

meaningfully engage more families with young children in Jewish life. We see this as a beginning

and look forward to hearing and learning from you as we continue this exciting work.

We would like to thank Kimberlee Schumacher, who initiated this project, as well as the following

synagogues that are highlighted as case study examples:

• Temple Israel, Boston

• Temple Isaiah, Lexington

• Temple Beth Elohim, Wellesley

• Temple Emunah, Lexington

Jodi Jarvis

CJP’s Director of Families with Young Children

and Interfaith Engagement

Laura Shulman Brochstein

CJP’s Families with Young Children Specialist

and Interfaith Ambassador

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

There are approximately 12,000 young children in Jewish households in the Greater Boston

Jewish community. Parents are looking for fun, low cost, high-quality activities to do together

as a family, parenting advice, and informal, easy opportunities to make connections and friends.

While they can easily find these opportunities in the secular world, there is also opportunity in

the Jewish community. Focusing on the needs of these families is crucial because when parents

form positive connections to Jewish organizations and other new parents, they are much more

likely to make Jewish choices for their children as they grow. National research shows that many

parents who form connections through Jewish playgroups will often choose the same Jewish

preschools, day schools, camps and Israel experiences as their new friends. Since the majority of

young children in the Jewish community today have one parent born into a religion other than

Judaism, it is critically important that we strengthen our community’s efforts to engage these

interfaith families.

The Greater Boston Jewish community is now faced with the significant and exciting challenge

of identifying, connecting and engaging families with young children (FwYC) to grow and

sustain ourselves for the future. CJP has identified the following key success factors that will

help synagogues meet this three-pronged challenge.

1. Speak their languageOutreach efforts to identify families with young children need to be current and wide-spread.

We are in the technology age of the Internet, smart phones, social media and more. Parents of

young children are savvy media clients. They are seeking high quality, interesting opportunities

for themselves and their families to learn and to connect with peers. Be sure that your website

is up-to-date, includes information about FwYC programs and events, links to social media and

more. Make your calendar of events “download friendly”, like with Google Calendar, so parents

can keep it handy on their phones. Use local Jewish and secular listservs to promote programs

and events. Start your own listserv and database to manage participating and interested

families. Use local online resources like Patch.com to share events. Create a Facebook page to

post your events and invite “friends” to join you. “Tweet” about your events with Twitter. Use

meetup.com and pinterest.com to post programs and invite FwYC to join your group.

2. Be welcoming and inclusive with no pressureReach and meet families where they are at and speak to them in a way that makes them feel

welcome. With more than 50% of new marriages being interfaith, successful FwYC engagement

requires consideration for the language we use. Engagement means welcoming single parents,

same sex couples, bi-racial families, children being raised by grandparents, and those with

disabilities. All of us want to feel comfortable walking into a Jewish environment. We want to

feel that there’s something for us and we don’t want to feel pressure. Take it slow and don’t

pressure families to join. If you meet FWYC where they are at now, they will want to be part of

the community and contribute through membership in the future.

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3. Focus on parents first Whether it’s tot Shabbat or holiday programs, don’t forget that your primary target is the

parents. They are not only looking for ways to expose their kids to Jewish traditions, but they are

also looking for things to do with their children on a Friday night or a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Perhaps most important, they are looking to make their own connections to Jewish community.

So, make sure that programs are fun for both parents and kids. Leave time for socializing,

provide food, and consider how kid-friendly the environment is. Parents will be forever grateful

when they can have a conversation with another parent while their child is happily engaged in

singing a Jewish song, creating a simple arts and crafts project, etc.

4. Get leadership involved and on board

Clergy and lay leadership set the tone and priorities for synagogue life. In order to have a

thriving FwYC effort, you need to have professional leadership that not only understands the

value of engaging this cohort, but is willing to commit time and resources. Additionally, the

Board needs to fully back FwYC engagement efforts in order to assure long-term support.

Engage clergy and Board leadership in various programs. This demonstrates to participants how

much the synagogue values their participation and gives Board members and clergy a chance to

play with our adorable children!

5. Dedicate resources

With the multiple demands on synagogue staff, asking volunteers to take the lead or to add the

responsibility to an already busy educator may seem like the easiest solution. Our experience

indicates that without dedicated staff time, you risk FwYC programming falling to the bottom of

the list. Dedicated staff time and budget indicates a priority focus that makes it easier to integrate

it into the strategy of the synagogue. This is a labor of love so find someone who has the energy

and passion to make something happen and demonstrates a warm, welcoming charisma.

6. Create easy, manageable volunteer opportunities

Put the ‘social’ in social networking by engaging a few core parents who will help to do the

outreach with you. Identify a parent volunteer (one in each surrounding town) that can help

spread the word about programs and bring friends with them. Young parents often have large

networks of friends through social media, work, and more. They also know the best and newest

online and off line places for promotion. Let them post on your Facebook page and blog about

activities.

7. Understand that Families with Young Children are one piece of the engagement strategy puzzle

Families with young children engagement efforts are only one piece of a bigger family

engagement strategy. Families don’t think about themselves as separate demographics – adults,

children under 5, school age children, etc. A family with a 2 year old and a 7 year old will come to

the synagogue looking for experiences that connect them together, that bridge early childhood

to school age activities. Work together with your synagogue preschool and supplementary

education program to create a common experience. Find ways to integrate what parents and

their small children are learning. Most importantly, remember that the community you create for

families during early childhood is the community that you will have several years later.

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WHO ARE TODAY’S FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN (FwYC)?

We learned from CJP’s 2008 Strategic Plan that social isolation, the lessening of connection

to traditional institutions, and widespread mobility are factors that define many aspects of life

for today’s American families. While all of this may be true, we also know that individuals and

family units, especially FwYC, are searching for connections and for community. It is at this very

moment in their lives, when they are new parents, that they are most eager to reach out and

connect with those in similar life circumstances. But we also know that there are numerous ways

to do this, especially in urban centers with a wide range of sophisticated offerings catering to

new parents.

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Our synagogue communities have the potential to be the ideal place for families to turn to for

a wide range of services, whether they are searching for social, educational, or religious/spiritual

programming. In order to best serve their needs, we need to know some basic characteristics

of this group:

• The largest demographic shift affecting the Jewish community today is the rate of

intermarriage, with approximately half of all new marriages being between a Jew and

someone of another faith/background.

• Today’s families often look very different from those of 50 years ago. No longer are the

vast majority of families made up of a mother, father and biological children. Often you will

encounter single parent, interfaith, multiracial and LGBT families. It is common for families

to include adoptive children, children of color, and children with special needs.

• Families are looking for high quality programming that meets their specific needs. The

sense of obligation to “join” a synagogue is less prevalent among today’s families.

• More often than not, families are made up of two working parents or a single working

parent.

• FwYC tend to travel no more than 20 minutes away from home for child care and family

activities.

• Many FwYC do not live near their own parents and are not necessarily looking to them for

advice or input on raising their families. Often they are looking at up-to-date resources and

peer networking for this information.

• Fathers are very active participants in parenting, sometimes as stay-at-home dads. For

those who work full-time, it is important to be involved in programming with their children

on weekends.

As we consider how to attract this demographic, we must take into account the behavior of this

group and integrate this into our planning.

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SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES TO ENGAGE FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN IN SYNAGOGUE LIFE

No matter what your vision is for your synagogue, it is vital to develop a strategy to engage

Families with Young Children. This demographic is the primary source of long-term sustainability

for any Jewish community, no matter the denomination or location. The parents are the future

leadership; the children are the future students, B’nai Mitzvot and youth group members.

These families are not only the future membership of our institutions and students in our

schools; they are the next generation of Jewish life. In an era of declining institutional affiliation,

synagogue professionals and lay leadership need to heighten their awareness of the particular

characteristics, needs and desires of this group and continually reflect on how institutions can

meet their needs. This does not mean straying from the core principles upon which unique

institutions were built, but adapting programming, outreach and support to meet the needs of

the current generation of FwYC.

Today’s parents are looking for high quality, meaningful experiences for their families across

the board and they expect the same from Jewish institutions. Making programs accessible for

today’s FwYC does not mean taking substance out of educational programs. On the contrary, it

means assuring that the content is appropriate and engaging for both children and parents. It

also means that content is delivered in an intentional and meaningful manner that will resonate

for families, long after they leave the program experience. On the following pages you will find

suggested successful strategies for engaging Families with Young Children in synagogue life.

See what you may be already doing, and decide if you are doing it well. Think about what you

can do easily, and which ones will require more support. Employing as many of these strategies

as you can in unison will provide the most effective results.

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1. Develop a Partnership between Staff and Lay LeadershipAn effort to actively engage FwYC will ideally start with a shared organizational vision created

out of a strong partnership between synagogue staff (clergy and congregational learning), lay

leadership, and early childhood education/preschool staff where relevant. On the staff side, this

includes clergy, professional, administrative and facilities staff. On the lay side, this may include

the synagogue Board and any committees that deal with membership, outreach or any kind of

programming that is relevant to FwYC. While it is possible to create high quality programming

and to do some outreach to families without a broad spectrum of support from the institution,

the more buy-in and coordination you can get from the start, the better. Dedication to a larger

vision of FwYC engagement on the part of synagogue leadership and staff will build in support

for new initiatives from the start, resulting in a more streamlined, collaborative process.

2. Foster a Partnership between Early Childhood Centers and Synagogue FwYC InitiativesFor synagogues with an Early Childhood Center (ECC), there are many opportunities for

coordination and communication between ECCs and synagogue FwYC initiatives. In some

instances, the ECC director is the staff person overseeing all FwYC initiatives within the

congregation. This can be a perfect way to provide age-appropriate, innovative programming

for FwYC in the congregation, but the ECC director must understand that the FwYC cohort

extends beyond preschool families and engagement should start before the child enters an early

childhood program. For a variety of reasons, FwYC families do not always send their children

to their synagogue’s preschool. However, these families still desire to be engaged in synagogue

life. In instances where the ECE director works with a lay committee or synagogue staff member,

there should be regular communication and well-planned coordination regarding logistics and

programming. This will maximize families’ involvement in synagogue programming, regardless of

their ECC choices.

3. Dedicate Staff TimeHaving a clearly visible staff person with dedicated time (full or part-time) to an FwYC agenda

is key to any outreach strategy. Ideally, this staff person would work closely with clergy,

educational staff and potentially a group of actively-involved and committed lay leaders. While

lay leaders can be enormously successful starting new programming on their own, without the

consistent support and leadership from key synagogue staff (whether clergy or educators), it

will be a challenge to integrate this agenda into the larger vision of the synagogue.

4. Create Volunteer Support Opportunities (including a Committee or Task Force)An initiative to reach out to a new demographic often has multiple parts. Developing easy,

manageable volunteer tasks is a good initial start. This can include outreach support,

(i.e. parents inviting and reaching out to peers and friends) marketing support (i.e. posting

physical flyers, or updating social media event invites), program support (i.e. shopping for

materials, preparing food, setting up, cleaning up), or design and evaluation support of overall

FwYC initiatives (working with staff and lay leadership to ensure synagogue vision and needs of

FwYC are aligned).

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Working with a lay committee can help spread out the tasks and engage volunteers in

meaningful work that utilizes their skills sets, all the while creating a core group dedicated to this

new initiative. Consider creating your own lay committee when starting a new initiative made up

of individuals you know to be committed to engaging more FwYC in the life of the synagogue.

You can include volunteer representatives from the Families with Young Children demographic

itself, but also consider other congregant volunteers as well, such as empty-nesters, Sisterhood

or Brotherhood members, school-aged families, teen community, etc. that may have more

flexibility or availability to offer their time in support of FwYC programs. It is also important

that this committee report to the synagogue Board and that there are Board members who are

themselves parents of young children who can serve as advocates for an FwYC agenda.

5. Confirm Clergy Leadership and SupportThe leadership of clergy is crucial for creating a broad vision and strategy for FwYC engagement

initiatives. Given clergy’s influence, relationships and perspective, it is important that they

champion/lead in initial efforts to engage FwYC. At the programmatic level, the presence of

clergy (especially senior clergy) always makes a strong impression during any synagogue

activity, whether they lead confirmation classes, lifecycle ceremonies or attend holiday

gatherings. Their participation lets the participants know that they are a priority within the

synagogue and they are deserving of the clergy’s valuable time. Clergy should be considered an

active part of any initiative to engage FwYC, but especially Shabbat and holiday services and

programs. This demonstrates how central participants are to the life of the congregation.

6. Develop a Marketing and Social Media PlanPlanning a comprehensive marketing strategy is a key ingredient for attracting FwYC in your

area. This is often one of the areas that is most challenging for synagogues, as staff and clergy

are not necessarily experts in the latest social media or are not part of the FwYC demographic

they are trying to attract. Continuous, aggressive marketing of your programming is a time-

consuming effort. You may consider enlisting a core group of lay leaders and a designated staff

person who is well-versed in the latest technologies to oversee this aspect of your initiative. Also

consider consulting with a few parents in your FwYC cohort to see what are the current “hot”

communication tools.

Staying up to date on the latest in online marketing will help you connect more easily with

today’s parents of young children. More often than not, they are using social media, websites

and online news sources for information about community programs. Consider posting all

programming on JewishBoston.com as a first step. All programs you post on JewishBoston.com

will be included in CJP’s Family Connections e-newsletter for parents of young children. Second,

ensure that your website is friendly and easy to navigate for families with young children.

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They should be able to quickly locate appropriate offerings and a contact person. Check out

whether a “Families with Young Children” inquiry in your search engine shows them current,

accurate program listings. Remember that people often only spend a few seconds navigating a

webpage. Finally, keep in mind that parents are often searching for programs and information

with their smart phones. Be sure to check out how attractive and accessible your marketing and

communications materials are when viewed this way. You may also want to consider having your

calendars available in downloadable form to smart phones, i.e. Google Calendars.

Some current resources:

• JewishBoston.com

• Interfaithfamily.com

• BostonCentral.com

• Facebook

• Google Calendars

• Meetup.com

• Patch.com

• Pinterest.com

• Twitter

Other good resources include local parenting listservs like JP Moms or Brookline Moms (both

can be found easily on search engines such as Google) and your own synagogue listservs that

include member and non-member families who have attended past events. When creating your

own listserv, be sure to develop the database behind it with the data you want to have about

families, including name, email, zip code and children’s birthdays, to name a few.

Finally, we believe strongly in the power of one-to-one communication. The more personal

contact you and/or your committee members can have with parents, whether through phone

calls or conversations in person, the better luck you’ll have at understanding what is important to

the families you are hoping to engage and creating long-term relationships. Often these families

will invite their friends to join them as well, further extending the reach of your relationship.

Being personally asked to join a committee or attend an event is significantly more compelling

than receiving an email or seeing a flyer.

7. Be Welcoming and Inclusive in your Outreach EffortsSensitivity to the diverse nature of today’s families is a crucial factor when developing marketing

and membership materials for programming. As noted earlier, many of today’s families are

interfaith, LGBT, single parents, culturally or racially diverse and/or include adoptive children.

In order for all families to feel enthusiastically welcomed into a community, they must feel

recognized and part of the community. Increasingly, family make up does not reflect that of

even 20 years ago. Outreach to interfaith families is critical given the reality that at least half

of children being raised Jewish have one parent who was not born Jewish. Clergy, staff and lay

leadership must constantly be in check of their assumptions and biases as efforts are increased

to reach out to a new generation of families with young children.

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Language in all print and online materials, as well as in conversation and sermons, must reflect

the strongest messages of welcoming and inclusion. A best practice is for the synagogue to

have a mission statement that includes specific populations you seek to include. Research shows

that unless materials clearly state: “Interfaith families are welcome” many interfaith families do

not know that, in fact, they are welcome in the synagogue and at its programs. You may ask

a number of individuals from a diverse range of families to review your materials as a way to

best ensure inclusivity. It is also a good idea to avoid using Hebrew language in the names of

programs geared towards this demographic. Some examples of current inclusive language are:

• CJP welcomes the participation of interfaith couples and families and people of all abilities,

backgrounds and sexual orientations.

• This program is open to babies, toddlers and grown-ups too!

• Our Families with Young Children programs are open to all families raising Jewish children.

We encourage the participation of interfaith, LGBT, and single parent families as well as

individuals with special needs.

8. Create Welcoming Spaces for Families with Young ChildrenCreating spaces — physical, spiritual and emotional — where FwYC can feel comfortable within

the synagogue will go a long way towards increased recruitment and retention. Parents need

a space where they can come and feel relaxed with babies and toddlers, where they feel

welcomed and cared for. This could include a dedicated play space with toys and equipment

for very young children, nursing chairs and couches. Even if dedicated space for FwYC is

not a reality in your synagogue, a basket of toys and books that can be borrowed for use in

the library or lobby can go a long way towards engaging young children and making families

feel comfortable.

Food at events should be healthy, varied and with options for both parents and young children,

especially for those with food allergies and sensitivities. Changing areas are great ideas for

either bathrooms or lounge spaces, so both mothers and fathers have access. A staff person’s

office could include a variety of toys and books for infants and toddlers, along with couches

and space to simply chat with parents while their children play. By making an attractive space

for young children and parents to spend time, many more opportunities will arise for staff to

connect directly with parents. This face-to-face time provides the kind of personal attention

that generally leads to greater connection between staff and parents, often resulting in greater

participation in synagogue life.

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9. Start with an Engaging Age-Appropriate Shabbat experienceMost local synagogues offer “Tot Shabbat” programming throughout the year, recognizing

the centrality of Shabbat in Jewish life and as an initial way to engage FwYC. Tot Shabbats and

other Shabbat-related events can take any number of forms but there are some best practices

to keep in mind:

• Friday night Shabbat experiences should begin as early as possible, taking early bedtimes

into account, as well as realistic expectations for working parents to arrive. Encourage

kids to wear pajamas to make it easier on parents later in the evening. Saturday morning

experiences should be timed around meals and early enough to offer families enough

“Shabbat time” to enjoy the rest of the day.

• Food provided at dinners should be healthy and tasty for both adults and children, with

accommodations for common allergies (i.e. gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, etc.)

• Have play spaces available for very young children in the same area that programming is

being offered.

• Use different mediums that speak to young children including: puppets, plays, books,

interactive activities, music, and arts and crafts.

• Create learning opportunities for both adults and children within a program. Sesame Street

is a good model to follow: the bulk of information is child-friendly but snippets and brief

facts of adult learning data can be shared and woven into dialogue. This can be as easy as

a few simple facts within a story pointed out to adults with a quick “Grown-ups, did you

know that…..”

• As families get older, consider expanding service options for school-age children with

younger siblings. This allows whole families to participate in programming together and

to share a community Shabbat dinner, while engaging every family member at an

appropriate level.

• Our third case provides a good example of a successful Tot Shabbat family service that

was expanded and refined over three years, more than tripling the attendance.

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10. Create FwYC Experiences beyond Shabbat: Jewish Holidays, Music, Learning, Social Action, Community Building and more!Once you have a core Shabbat experience established, you can create many other program

experiences to meet the needs of your Families with Young Children.

• Consider experiences for a variety of audiences: whole families, Mommy and Me or Daddy

and Me, Children only and Parents only (see next section). You can create a program that

offers time for children and parents to learn separately, and then an opportunity to join

together.

• Think about programs that are geared for specific age groups: babies, toddlers, preschool-

aged, new parents, etc.

• Develop programs around Jewish Holidays, Music, Learning (Torah (Bible), Values and

Mitzvot (Commandments)), Social Action, and community building/social opportunities,

like meet-ups at playgrounds, libraries, secular events and locations, etc.

• Support and encourage home celebrations by providing Shabbat and holiday how-to

resources and/or ritual items project kits. Encourage families to join and invite each other

as well.

• Consider hosting some experiences outside of the synagogue, at a playground, local

library, meeting space in a local restaurant. These kinds of opportunities break down the

barrier of entering the synagogue space as well as teach families that Judaism happens

outside the synagogue in our everyday places and spaces.

11. Offer “Parents-Only” Programming and Social OpportunitiesThere may be times when FwYC parents want opportunities to study, worship or socialize with

each other, in adult-focused programming. This is an important aspect of community building

and something to encourage. Consider creating these opportunities while also offering childcare

and taking meals and bedtimes into account (for children and parents!).

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12. Track Participants, Assess Programs and Follow-UpGood follow-up is a necessity. Create a system for you and your committee to track attendance

at programs through consistent collection of participant data at each event. Consider creating

a database, listserv and mailing list made up of past participants and those with potential

interest. Assign committee members to follow up with participants soon after a program to learn

about their experience and to record any feedback about the event. Giving parents a chance

to evaluate programming and provide input engages them in the process and helps create

programming that addresses participants’ interests and needs. Other ways to assess FwYC

initiatives include online surveys and also in-person focus groups. A focus group can provide

an easy, safe and open forum for people to share ideas, concerns, suggestions and personal

experiences. To host a successful focus group, consider the following information and tasks:

• Invite a core group of parents to participate that is representative of the demographic.

• Offer childcare.

• Create groups small enough so that people can have time to speak and be heard.

• Communicate the importance of confidentiality, the purpose of the group and what you

plan to do with the information gathered.

• Don’t promise anything that you can’t deliver.

• Invite clergy and/or lay leaders help to lead the focus group or act as note-takers. This

gives them hands-on experience and information. Write a summary or report of the

findings and determine next steps.

• Share the results with the participants.

In order for our synagogues to maintain their vibrancy, we must continually reflect upon and

evaluate how we serve and engage our community. Any initiative to engage FwYC must have

a built-in, dynamic review and reflection process. As families grow, age out and move from and

to the community, needs amongst your cohort will inevitably change. So will their programming

needs and interests. By building in regular review and evaluation processes, you and your

committee will understand the cohort’s needs and be better equipped to address the necessary

changes to programming experiences offered to families with young children.

CASE EXAMPLESCJP is grateful to all of the synagogues that shared their information and programmatic

experiences. We especially want to thank the four synagogues, Temple Beth Elohim, Temple

Emunah, Temple Isaiah and Temple Israel, who worked with us to capture the cases on the

following pages so that others could learn from their successes and challenges.

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LAY LEADERSHIP DRIVEN FwYC EXPERIENCES:

TEMPLE BETH ELOHIM, WELLESLEY

BACKGROUNDTemple Beth Elohim’s dynamic FwYC lay leadership team oversees and plans all events, offering

a point to connect to synagogue life almost every week of the year. The team is supported by a

network of friends as well as staff and clergy, one of whom is present at each event. Programs

vary from music and dance, services, play groups, parents’ groups, adult learning, social action

and more. Their goal is to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere where all members of the

family can engage in a hands-on, interactive manner.

For many years, Temple Beth Elohim’s preschool and Tot Shabbat program provided the bulk

of programming geared to FwYC. The preschool program provided community and connection

for the families affiliated with the preschool and generally did not extend beyond this cohort.

The Tot Shabbat program was clergy-led and engaged about 7-10 families for the once-a-

month program. In 2007, the temple hired an early childhood educator (ECE) who focused on

infant and toddler programming as well as programming that welcomed new families. It was

through these initial FwYC programs that members of the future FwYC lay leadership committee

met. When the ECE left the temple in 2008, the funding for that position was reallocated. Tot

Shabbat continued as clergy-led, but the new FwYC programming ended with the departure of

the staff person.

PROGRAM DESIGNA FwYC committee was started by core families who were inspired to create a more traditional

Shabbat program for young children. These core families all came with deep ties to the temple

and to the community. The founding member joined the temple five years ago when her son

was in the preschool. She started a social action program for FwYC called “Mishpacha Mitzvah

Missions.” She saw the need for more programming for FwYC and mobilized friends to create

the committee that exists today. Another committee member grew up at the temple and has

been deeply involved with the preschool, serving as chair of the parent committee and working

on fundraising for the school. She is now a member of the temple board. A third member also

grew up at the temple. When she moved her son to a different preschool, she was looking for

ways to stay connected to Temple Beth Elohim and chose to participate in this committee as a

way of maintaining her connection to the community. A fourth member moved with her family

up the street from the temple and was looking to get more involved. As a working mom, she

was looking for ways to be involved in FwYC and stay connected. She went on to create the

enormously successful working mom’s group. The fifth member was friendly with the group,

a former chair of the parent committee at the preschool, and understood the larger vision for

FwYC engagement beyond the preschool community.

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One mother had heard about a music and movement program at another local synagogue that

incorporated music, dance and prayer for young children during the regular Shabbat services.

After visiting the program with another temple member, they decided they wanted to bring a

similar program to Temple Beth Elohim. While there was some initial debate about what balance

of prayer, music and dance would work for their community, they eventually agreed on Shir

Shabbat, a Shabbat morning song and dance experience for families with young children.

The clergy agreed to the proposed concept and four families agreed to financially sponsor the

pilot program. By sharing the costs of the program through designated gifts to the synagogue,

they were able to provide this opportunity for the entire synagogue community as well as non-

members, jumpstarting a larger vision of FwYC engagement at Temple Beth Elohim.

In a meeting to discuss the progress and development of the Shir Shabbat program, the

FwYC committee began to think more broadly, throwing new ideas onto a white board in an

open-ended brainstorming session. It was in this moment that they recognized themselves

as a volunteer group and that they would each take on projects or programs that resonated

personally with them. The assistant rabbi was present at this meeting in a general support

and advisory role. However, the team was led by a temple member who assumed the initial

leadership of the group.

When the new Temple Beth Elohim building opened in January 2011, many more FwYC joined

the temple, dramatically increasing the total number of families in this demographic. Their

database now includes well over 300 member and non-member families with children ages

zero-eight years old. In the fall of 2011, the FwYC lay leadership committee received funding from

the temple to support FwYC programming. They also began discussions with the senior rabbi

and Jewish Living staff person about hiring a staff person to oversee a comprehensive FwYC

agenda. In the winter of 2012, the core lay leadership team worked to enlarge the committee by

50%, primarily through personal outreach. By the spring, they formally received a budget from

the temple to support staffing and programming, representing a significant investment of temple

resources towards supporting the FwYC demographic.

Currently, Temple Beth Elohim has a staff person dedicating about one third of her time – 12-15

hours per week – to work on the FwYC agenda and to help support the volunteer leaders during

the year. In addition to supporting the staff person, the temple has increased funding allocations

from the operating budget to support FwYC programming.

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RESULTSProgramming has been successful and well-attended for a number of reasons. The committee

works hard to listen to the needs of the community through surveys, individual conversations

and reflecting on what is more and less effective and engaging. They’ve also been successful

with outreach to members of the larger community and non-temple members by emphasizing

the openness of programming, creating welcoming environments and offering free programs.

CHALLENGESAs the committee began to grow and their programming expanded, it became increasingly

unclear where the FwYC agenda fit in the overall temple structure. They were not part of the

preschool or until recently, part of the original “pillars of the congregation”, i.e. T’fila (worship),

Caring Community and Education. The committee did not have sufficient staff support, guidance

or connection for a long time. Eventually, they started meeting with the Executive Director of

Jewish Living, which is ultimately where the group fits in the temple’s organizational structure.

They quickly increased their programming from one core event to a number of options and it

was a challenge to do this without professional programming, marketing or logistical support.

In addition, leadership for FwYC programming ages out quickly so there is a continual need to

recruit and engage new lay leadership that has the same level of commitment as the founders.

NEXT STEPSThe current FwYC leadership team is in the process of reaching out to new members as they

continue to grow and strengthen their programming. Future plans include expanding the

target demographic to include five to eight year olds. Along with increased programming, they

continue to advocate for an increase in dedicated staff time and a sustained budget to support

their broad agenda. In addition to staff support, it is important to them to have representatives

from their committee on the temple Board and other significant lay committees in order to

maximize leadership support for FwYC engagement. The hope is that these additions will

streamline implementation of their programming, leaving more lay time to focus on engagement

of participant families and prospective temple members.

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CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS• A highly capable, dedicated group of lay leaders with a strong vision for FwYC

engagement.

• The FwYC leadership team has developed strong relationships with the professional

temple leadership, which helps them understand how to navigate temple processes and

helps the professional staff understand the value of FwYC engagement.

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COLLABORATION BETWEEN ECC AND SYNAGOGUE INITIATIVES:

TEMPLE EMUNAH, LEXINGTON

BACKGROUND

The Rabbi Emeritus and President of Temple Emunah were the visionaries for bringing an

FwYC focus to synagogue programming. Believing that a preschool was the “life-blood” of a

congregation, the Rabbi Emeritus and President worked together to formulate a lay-led planning

committee that helped to create the Billy Dalwin Preschool, which is housed in and affiliated

with Temple Emunah. The Rabbi Emeritus was continually a strong supporter of the preschool

and was the force behind expanded collaboration between the synagogue and the preschool.

After the Rabbi Emeritus’ retirement, a new rabbi was hired who enrolled his three-year-old

daughter in the preschool immediately after arriving in the community. Having the rabbi as a

preschool parent was very special. He understood the needs of FwYC (from a personal and

professional lens) and took the Rabbi Emeritus’ vision to the next level, expanding FwYC

programming beyond the preschool community and engaging the staff in thinking more globally

about FwYC engagement.

PROGRAM DESIGN

In their efforts to create engaging, user-friendly, meaningful and joyful programming for

FwYC, Temple Emunah engages a wide range of its professional staff in program design and

implementation. This team includes the head and assistant rabbis, the program director, the

preschool director and lay leadership from both the synagogue and preschool.

For example:

• Family friendly holiday services geared for FwYC, the New Baby Shabbat program and

the Sh’ma PJ Party programs are all collaborative efforts of the professional staff and lay

leadership.

•Tot Shabbat is lay lead with consultation from the preschool director.

• Torah Time Family Festival, a CJP Innovation Grant funded program, is a program open

to preschool families from Temple Emunah, Temple Isaiah and unaffiliated families from

the local community. This program engages the whole family in learning the weekly

Torah portion using educational resources that meet the needs of young children as well

as parents. The planning of this program was a joint effort of the preschool staff, alumni

parents and current parents.

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• Parenting Through a Jewish Lens (PTJL),* formally called Ikkarim (Hebrew for roots), has

been an important part of Temple Emunah’s outreach to FwYC in the greater Lexington

Jewish community and the synagogue has benefitted from the program as much as the

participants. Participants in PTJL have often deepened their Jewish commitment and their

involvement in Temple-based activities.

The rabbi recognized that he had a lead role in engaging FwYC for both the future of the pre-

school and synagogue. He helped to create a special Shabbat morning service for preschoolers

and their families that connected them to the Shabbat experience in the synagogue and

played a central role in celebrating the anniversary of the preschool. As collaboration between

preschool and temple staff increased on FwYC programming, the preschool director’s role in

helping to develop and lead this work increased as well. More and more often, the preschool

director was fielding questions regarding programming for FwYC from synagogue members and

non-members, so it made sense for her to take a leadership role in the preschool/synagogue

collaboration along with rabbinical leadership.

Another major staffing addition that has further encouraged collaboration on FwYC

programming was the addition of a Temple Emunah program director whose responsibilities

include programming for preschool families as well as FwYC in the synagogue community. The

preschool director and program director work closely together on planning FwYC programming,

preparing resources for families and publicizing events inside and outside the synagogue.

* Parenting Through a Jewish Lens is a 10-week parenting class sponsored in partnership with Hebrew College and CJP.

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RESULTSThe primary source for Temple Emunah’s success in engaging FwYC is in the shared vision and

priorities created by the preschool and temple. Whenever program planning takes place, staff

and lay leadership always keep their shared goals in mind.

Programming must:

• Be engaging and user-friendly for FwYC

• Contain meaningful and joyful Jewish content

• Offer equal access to entry-level as well as more Jewishly literate parents

• Create a sense of comfort with, and interest in, Jewish learning

• Build a foundation for continued Jewish learning

When planning programming, the Temple Emunah team is extremely mindful of the audience

and particular goals. They realize that some programs are meant to build community within

the preschool community, while other programs are meant to engage the entire synagogue

community. Then there are additional programs meant to welcome the larger community to the

temple community as a whole.

CHALLENGESAs many synagogues report, there never seems to be enough resources (whether staff, funding

or time) to develop the breadth and depth of programming they dream of creating. In addition,

they would like to expand their use of social media but would need support in order to do so.

Another major challenge in working with FwYC is the life stresses for this demographic in terms

of time, travel and other limitations. The temple staff struggles with ways to engage the largest

audience in current programming, especially when so many staff and lay leadership resources

are expended on this type of programming. They also struggle to develop ways to meaningfully

measure success.

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NEXT STEPSIn the short term, Temple Emunah would like to make the adult resources created for preschool

parents available to all through the synagogue website. This includes their Shabbat and Holiday

Family Resources packets, CDs and songbooks. They would also like to create a community-wide

program that connects topics of interest on child development to Torah and contemporary texts.

In the long term, they plan to create a strategic plan for the next 10 years. The plan will include

refining the community’s vision and goals for FwYC, identifying specific groups they want to

reach, implementing more sophisticated evaluation and increasing their use of social marketing

and online resources in general.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS• The clergy has been the source of visionary leadership for engaging FwYC. The preschool

has a strong rabbinic presence throughout the school year. Both rabbis understand

the interests and needs of young children and together, they share responsibilities for

providing ongoing programming for tefillah (worship), holidays and Shabbat. Having

clergy present at these events enables them to connect with students and their parents in

a warm and informal way.

• The preschool director understands the value of working toward FwYC engagement

outside of the preschool community, collaborates with temple staff, and actively supports

programming beyond the preschool.

• Weekly meetings of the Temple Emunah executive staff include the preschool director.

When they plan programming for the Temple community, from newborns to seniors, all of

the executive staff shares input.

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SHABBAT EXPERIENCE:

TEMPLE ISAIAH, LEXINGTON

BACKGROUNDHistorically, Temple Isaiah clergy was primarily responsible for the creation and implementation

of the TOT Shabbat services. The membership committee took responsibility for a pizza

dinner that followed one service a year. Typically the service attracted 10-12 families

(40-50 people total.)

In 2008, the temple elected to allocate staff time to programming for FwYC. Initially 10 hours

a week was given to a kindergarten teacher to focus on this demographic, but over time she

was given 20 hours and then 30 hours. It did not take long for the temple to realize the value

of a dedicated staff person serving this population. The temple eventually created a full time

position, Director of Early Childhood and Family Life. The creation of this position affected all

programming geared to FwYC at Temple Isaiah, but had an especially strong impact on TOT

Shabbat. There was a long-standing commitment to this particular program and while it surely

would have continued in some fashion without the addition of dedicated FwYC staff time, it

would not likely have changed much over the years or become the enormous success that it

is today. Including a staff person with expertise in early childhood education was crucial in

expanding the impact of the service. For example, she understood that for very young children,

interactive puppets are better for dramatic stories than just reading or reciting a story. She could

also point out that sitting on the bimah is a more engaging experience than sitting in chairs or

pews out in the sanctuary. These are just a few small modifications that had a big impact.

PROGRAM DESIGN

TOT Shabbat services are family-friendly Shabbat services for FwYC and are led by clergy and

the Director of Early Childhood and Family Life.

TOT Shabbat family services:

• are held once a month on Friday evenings at 5:45 p.m. and last about 30 minutes.

• are appropriate for families and children ages 0-6, with an option for older siblings up to

age 10.

• are held in the main sanctuary with families sitting on the bimah, and the rabbis, cantor

and educators present from the main seating area.

• include candle lighting, giving tzedakah, an age-appropriate service, singing and a story

with the puppets Molly Mitzvah, Tommy Torah, and Ilana Ivrit. Themes vary from Jewish

holidays, Shabbat, Torah stories, mitzvot (commandments) and more.

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• involve interactive programming, with dramatic play and arts and crafts, engaging not

only the very young participants, but their parents as well. Temple Isaiah staff members

take a Sesame Street approach to TOT Shabbat, meaning that there are fun learning

opportunities for both children and adults. This program is meant to engage

all participants no matter their background and includes parents of other faiths/cultures

as well.

• are easy to follow no matter a participant’s level of comfort, including a visual Powerpoint

presentation method that provides words to prayer, blessings and songs (includes Hebrew,

transliteration and English where applicable.

For FwYC that also have children ages 7 and up, there are separate age-appropriate activities

run by an education staff member during the TOT Shabbat service. This allows families with

older siblings the opportunity to attend a Shabbat service together, especially for their youngest

children. Additionally, there is dedicated playspace in the social hall with mats, toys and books

for children 0-3 years old to play, crawl and rest after the service. By providing options for

multiple age groups, families with children from birth to 8 years are able to enjoy a Shabbat

experience together.

After the service, the entire community comes together to say the blessings over the wine and

challah (bread) and to share a festive, healthy kid and adult-friendly Shabbat dinner. Dinner is

coordinated by a staff person and prepared with the assistance of volunteers from within the

congregation. The dinner menu includes a variety of options for adults and children, taking into

consideration common allergies. The Shabbat meal is a crucial part of the experience because

this is where much of the community building occurs. The meal frees busy families at the end of

the week from preparing their own dinner, while allowing for a substantive Shabbat experience

beyond the half hour service.

Part of what has made TOT Shabbat Family Services such a huge success is that they are

welcoming and open to both temple members and non-members (those seeking a Jewish

community). They are designed to be inclusive of interfaith families as well. In addition, no RSVP

is required. The Temple Isaiah staff has worked especially hard to promote TOT Shabbat through

its FwYC listserv, JewishBoston.com, Facebook page for FwYC, Meetup.com, InterfaithFamily.

com and local parent-oriented listservs.

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RESULTSInvesting in the development of Temple Isaiah’s TOT Shabbat Family Service has resulted in more

than tripling the number of people who attend the monthly event, with an average attendance

of 125 – 150 people. At every TOT Shabbat there are new families participating, whether they

were invited by friends or found the event through social media or listservs. This program now

serves as an entry point into the temple’s school and into other FwYC experiences that Isaiah

offers members and non-member families. Overall, it has been hugely successful in generating

more participation in synagogue life. There is a growing cohort of volunteers committed to

preparing and serving the meals, especially from empty nesters and grandparents, and also from

Board of Trustee members who particularly enjoy the interaction with young children. Temple

Isaiah staff has found it difficult for families within the FwYC cohort to commit to volunteering.

Having other congregants’ help offers value in both directions – congregants get to see the

vibrancy, influx and potential membership growth from helping with and attending TOT Shabbat.

At the same time, FwYC get to see that temple life is a life-long opportunity, beyond the stage

their family is in now.

Perhaps one of the biggest successes that came from the development of TOT Shabbat was

the creation of a true partnership between the clergy, professional staff and lay leadership.

This has continued to serve as a model for all FwYC programming. Participants feel special and

know that they are a priority when they see the senior clergy leading TOT Shabbat. The clergy

and Director of Early Childhood and Family Life work together to create a significantly stronger

product than either could do separately. The early childhood specialist brings her expertise

in engaging young children and the clergy brings their skills in leading prayer and sharing

Torah lessons. Both contribute to ideas for building community. The volunteers are crucial in

integrating the FwYC demographic into the larger temple community, making participants feel

part of a larger community.

There is also great support for the FwYC agenda from the temple Board of Trustees. The

Director of Early Childhood and Family Life offered to make a presentation to the Board early

in the year. At this presentation she was able to share the variety of FwYC experiences that the

temple is able to offer, as well as share her ideas, goals and concerns. She was also able to make

the case for offering these experiences as a way to increase temple membership and have a

significant impact for current and potential FwYC temple members. When asked by the director

to attend some FwYC events as a volunteer, many Board members appreciated the opportunity

to take part, feel the energy and see the excitement for themselves. The Board continues to

support FwYC experiences, both personally and via their lay leadership role in meeting the

needs and vision of the temple and the Jewish community.

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CHALLENGESThe primary challenge Temple Isaiah has with TOT Shabbat today is one that most synagogues

enjoy having: too many people attending an event. They are constantly re-evaluating the TOT

Shabbat experience to be sure that it meets the needs of the ever-changing demographic and

size of population that they serve. This takes a significant amount of staff time, in addition to the

time that it takes to appropriately market and promote the experience in so many venues.

NEXT STEPS• Temple Isaiah is exploring whether to offer TOT Shabbat at alternative times, like Shabbat

morning or an occasional Havdalah experience on Shabbat afternoon or evening. This

could meet the needs of families for whom Friday evening is not a good option.

• Temple staff and volunteers are beginning to explore development of opportunities for

families who begin to age out of the TOT Shabbat demographic in order to keep them

equally engaged.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS• Clergy and lay leadership support and involvement.

• Commitment to a dedicated, professional early childhood/FwYC staff person with

excellent welcoming and engagement skills, early childhood programming experience,

marketing and outreach knowledge. Having a skilled, dedicated staff person provides a

consistent point of contact for participants, inquiries and all internal temple staff as well.

• The strong partnership between the clergy and the FwYC professional with regard to

design, development and implementation.

• Continual re-evaluation of programming and demographics to ensure that individual and

community needs and goals are being met.

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NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY BUILDING:

TEMPLE ISRAEL, BOSTON

BACKGROUNDTemple Israel’s FwYC programming has changed dramatically in the past two programmatic

years. This was due to a strategic decision to move beyond the walls of the congregation as

a way of creating positive connection and association for FwYC with the temple and Jewish

community at large. While Temple Israel serves many communities in the Boston area, three

specific communities were targeted for outreach: Back Bay, Jamaica Plain and South Boston.

For 18 years Temple Israel has run an acclaimed preschool, the Frances Jacobson Early

Childhood Center (FJECC). The Temple has also run family-friendly High Holiday services,

programs and activities for many years along with family friendly Shabbat services.

Lastly, a key to the temple’s success has been their young adult engagement initiative, The

Riverway Project. This program has historically engaged young adults, including FwYC. Over the

years, The Riverway Project has built up a significant following and a database, including families

who have “birthed out”, which has been a significant asset in new efforts to engage FwYC.

A key piece of the Temple Israel FwYC strategy was to hire a part-time staff person, also a

parent of a young child, to coordinate efforts aimed at engaging FwYC outside the temple

building. The FwYC coordinator has been able to borrow a tested model of ‘neighborhood

connections’ from The Riverway Project that is not only comfortable for the leadership at Temple

Israel, but has shown to be a successful model of engagement.

Additionally, another element that played a major role in the success of this endeavor to enhance

FwYC programming, staffing and outreach to catchment communities (targeted communities

surrounding the synagogue with known FwYC populations) was the dedicated support and time

of one of Temple Israel’s full-time rabbis. Having rabbinic support on the front line with regard to

regularly scheduled meetings, brainstorming and developing programming ideas, support to lay

leadership and professional staff has been an integral part of the success of the FwYC growth at

Temple Israel.

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PROGRAM DESIGNThe first step taken by the FwYC coordinator was to update the temple’s website to include

a Families with Young Children tab on the homepage. This tab directs users to an FwYC page

listing all relevant programming and information about how to contact the FwYC coordinator.

Simultaneously, she created a page on Facebook and a Meetup.com group, as well as a Temple

Israel Families with Young Children logo and brochure. She also created a Twitter handle (a

Twitter profile especially for FwYC activities), knowing that parents were likely to use any one of

these options for receiving information about FwYC programming. All of these social media links

are listed on the Temple Israel FwYC page, along with their Facebook and Meetup pages. No

matter where a parent looks, they are able to access the other options as well.

The FwYC coordinator’s next step was to build up the temple’s FwYC listserv. After creating

a blurb about TI’s new FwYC initiative, they posted it in the temple bulletin and on the preschool

website. They also sent an email to current and past Riverway Project participants. The

preschool also sent out an email to all families announcing the new initiative. In this blurb,

they included a link to a survey created through Google Docs. This survey collected information

about families interested in FwYC programming, including their interests, availability and

contact information.

A central piece in creating their neighborhood community-building model was to create a Parent

Advisory Committee. Having a committee of neighborhood connectors is central to:

1. Identifying new FwYC to join the listserv and participate in programming experiences.

2. Finding volunteers to host Meetups (park Meetups being the most popular today).

3. Connecting committee members’ neighborhoods in TI and preschool opportunities.

4. Encouraging friends and acquaintances to join the listserv.

5. Providing valuable insight into what programs they would want to participate in or

programs that the FwYC coordinator should consider offering.

6. Determining the best methods for getting the word out and for outreach in general.

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The current committee consists of parents who have attended past events or are members of

Temple Israel and preschool. Currently the committee has representation from three targeted

neighborhoods: Back Bay, Jamaica Plain and the South End. The ages of their children range

from 4 months to 4 years. Some members are first-time moms and dads and some have two

children. All have expressed interest in being more involved. They provide an extremely valuable

source of information about FwYC interests and ways to expand outreach.

Temple Israel’s FwYC program offers several experiences per month outside of the synagogue.

They rotate through the various communities (Back Bay, JP and South End) and are usually

stroller walks, story times at libraries/bookstores, and park Meetups. Inspiration for the programs

comes primarily from the Parent Advisory Committee. In general, the committee hopes to host

as many programs outdoors as possible during the spring, summer and fall as these types of

events tend to attract more FwYC.

The full-time Rabbi, Executive Director of the FJECC, and the Assistant Director are the

designated staff assigned to meeting regularly with the FwYC Coordinator in order to ensure

that collaboration between the synagogue and preschool efforts are coordinated and consistent.

They meet monthly and are CC’d on every email that goes out to FwYC. Updated program

information is always sent to both the website editors of the Temple and FJECC websites.

Additionally, they work together to add FwYC elements to regular temple and preschool

programming where appropriate. The FJECC opens its Shabbat Sings program to all FwYC and

the FwYC coordinator is working with the preschool staff to collaborate on a weekly Monday

Meetup for the fall.

The FwYC coordinator has also been working closely with TI’s Family Educator to see which

Sunday school programs could include FwYC elements.

RESULTSMuch of their success in recruitment and program participation is due to the strength of their

listserv, both the number of contacts they have built and in the way they use it to consistently

promote programs. Some parents have commented that reminder emails about events like

Thank Goodness It’s Shabbat have strongly encouraged their participation.

An area of programmatic success has been monthly story times, in large part because of the

consistent time it’s offered. There is a core group that often attends the program, strengthening

the community aspects of the program. This also happens to be an easier program for the

temple staff to plan, as it takes place in the library and is run by the Family Educator. The

program runs around an hour with a snack time midway, provided by the FwYC coordinator.

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CHALLENGESLike other synagogues, Temple Israel’s major challenge is around timing of FwYC experiences.

Often programs conflict with naptimes and lessons. The FwYC coordinator is always thinking

about balancing the needs of working, part-time and stay-at-home parents. There simply is no

one perfect time or one program that benefits everyone.

NEXT STEPSTemple Israel’s goals over the coming year or two are to expand their programming through

growth on the grassroots level through their advisory committee as well as through the

expansion of their listserv. They also plan to do this through Facebook, JewishBoston.com

ads and other avenues that will increase their visibility. Programmatically, they plan to expand

what currently exists, while adding more classes focusing on parenting, birthing and Jewish

music and movement.

Ultimately, Temple Israel wants these families to feel comfortable participating and connecting

to the synagogue community. They hope that with these outreach efforts to engage FwYC,

they are planting seeds of a positive feeling towards synagogue affiliation. Temple Israel offers

significantly reduced dues for first year memberships for young families that increase over time.

Their goal is to lower as many barriers as possible to affiliation for FwYC so that eventually they

may choose to become Temple members.

CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS• A significant amount of time and effort was invested by one of the full-time rabbis to help

navigate all the pathways toward success with the FwYC coordinator.

• Hiring an FwYC coordinator with a welcoming and engaging persona, good social media

skills, and an understanding of the needs of FwYC, as the point person.

• Consistent communication through a variety of mediums.

• Using the Parent Advisory Committee to engage their neighborhood communities as well

as their friendship circles.

• Planning programming both inside and outside the walls of the synagogue that is

attractive and convenient for FwYC.

• Thinking about the people that make up the demographic and meeting them where

they are at. For example, the FwYC coordinator recognized that there were a number of

expectant moms across a few different programs. Once she realized this, she proposed a

Pregnant Moms Brunch, which had over a dozen participants. This group has continued

to meet together, and has encouraged the FwYC coordinator to think beyond traditional

programming and work with this group to inspire new kinds of experiences.

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CONCLUSIONCJP is broadly committed to innovative engagement initiatives for FwYC. Many of our

congregations, beyond those that we could focus on in this initial handbook, are creating new

experiences for FwYC to introduce them to the vast possibilities of lifelong engagement with

synagogue life. Just as individual congregations have had their own successes and challenges,

so does our community as a whole.

We’ve met with success in the following ways:

• Lay leadership, clergy and staff people at congregations across the region are

acknowledging the importance of engaging this demographic.

• Even in challenging economic times, synagogues are dedicating more resources to

actively reaching out to this demographic.

• Community donors are seeing the importance of supporting large scale engagement

efforts to engage FwYC. We also have our challenges. Even with increased outreach

efforts, there are limited resources in our congregations for staffing, lay leadership and

programming efforts.

As a community, we are always trying to improve and innovate. Therefore this can only be the

first effort to document developments in this field. The field of FwYC engagement is quickly

evolving and as a community, we’re in the beginning stages of understanding how to best

engage today’s families. We encourage you to communicate with us and each other about both

successes and challenges you’ve had with engaging FwYC to help move us forward together. As

a resource for future communication and potential collaboration, we are providing a reference

grid of data from our winter 2012 survey of synagogue programming for FwYC.

Learn more about CJP’s efforts to support synagogues to engage Families with Young Children

by reaching out to Jodi Jarvis, CJP’s Director of Families with Young Children and Interfaith

Engagement at jodij@cjp.org or 781-457-8797.

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CJP’S CONNECTION AND ENGAGEMENT MODELAt CJP, we’ve developed a new model

to help connect and engage our diverse

Jewish community. The idea is simple.

First, we spark a two-way connection,

making it easy for people to learn how

they can get involved, and helping

community organizations, synagogues

and grassroots groups find people who

want to participate. Then, we support

exciting, accessible Jewish programming

and content that keeps the momentum

going. Finally, we connect people to

each other, foster community and build

platforms that allow us to share Jewish

ideas, innovations and experiences.

The outcome? Thousands of new

participants are adding their energy to

meaningful Jewish life in Greater Boston.

Cutting-edge programs are taking shape.

Organizations and networks are growing

stronger.

Together, we’re building a vibrant Jewish community.

CJP Families with Young Children Programs and Initiatives:

• Welcome Baby!

• PJ Library

• JewishBoston.com, including Seder in a Box/Shabbat of the Month Club, blogs

and holiday guides

• CJP Family Connections e-newsletter

• Hub connectors, Meetup groups

• Holiday and food programming

• Synagogue pilot programs

• FwYC Engagement Guide for synagogues

• Community of Practice networks and open forums for synagogue professionals and lay

leadership

• Innovation grants

• Marketing and advertising support through JewishBoston.com

CONNECTEnewsletters

cjp.org/JewishBoston.com

Meet-Ups

Facebook

Ambassadors

ENGAGESeder in a Box

Volunteerism

Arts & Culture

Blogs

Intro to Judaism

Connect people and organizations

Identify new/una�liated individuals

Stre

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Engage community with welcoming programs

IDENTIFYJewishBoston.com

Welcome Baby!

Community Events & Fairs

Online Campaigns

STRENGTHENCollaboration

Social Networking

Capacity and Training

Innovation

The programs and initiatives listed above are just a few of the ways CJP is helping to connect and engage our Jewish community. Learn more at cjp.org.

CJP welcomes the participation of interfaith couples and families,

and people of all abilities, backgrounds, and gender and sexual orientations.