New Initiatives:

Outcomes and Measures of Success

Wendy Rosov

Founder and Principal, Rosov Consulting

Interfaith Opportunity SummitPhiladelphia - October 26, 2016

Your Community InitiativeStarted 2011

Honeymoon Israel TripsStarted 2015

Program Descriptions

Shared Strategies

High-touch Relationship Building

Safe Space/Non-Judgmental

Local Community-Based Programs

Program Reach: CitiesHoneymoon IsraelInterfaithFamily/

Your Community InitiativeBoth

Philadelphia

Cleveland

Boston

Chicago

San Francisco

Los Angeles

Atlanta

Washington DC

New York City

San Diego

Phoenix

Denver/Boulder

Interfaith Family/Your Community Initiative

Short-Term Outcomes

Interfaith families and couples… Organizations… Refer members to interfaith resources

Use inclusive language and explicitly

communicate welcome

Attend to the needs of interfaith families

(through educational programs?)

Implement inclusive policies

Become aware of and connect with Jewish community resources

Learn how to talk about the place of religion in their lives and about Jewish traditions

Learn how/why to integrate aspects of Jewish life and community into their lives

Develop skills to navigate the Jewish communal landscape

Connect more with other Jewishly engaged interfaith couples

Express level of satisfaction with IFF/YCI staff, mentors, and volunteers

Honeymoon Israel

Short-Term Outcomes

Couple considers themselves a Jewish family

Both partners feel part of the Jewish people, and that connection is a source of meaning in their lives

Couple/family incorporates Jewish traditions, culture, activities, and/or ongoing exploration into their lives on a regular basis

Couple engages in and builds their lives with Jewish community, including local micro-communities of Honeymoon Israel couples and/or organized Jewish communities

Both partners feel a connection to the land, state and people of Israel

Developing Instrumentation

Surveys & Interview Protocols

Research and/or Other Studies in the

Field

Interviews with Participants

and Stakeholders

Theory of Change/Logic

Model

Conversations with Program Leadership

Language is Important

“We want to acknowledge that

your family may practice religions

other than Judaism and we

deeply respect that. This survey,

however, will focus primarily on

outcomes related to the Jewish

community.”

“We want to acknowledge that

your family may engage in

religious traditions other than or in

addition to Jewish ones and we

deeply respect that. This survey,

however, will focus primarily on

outcomes related to Jewish life

and the Jewish community.”

“We want to acknowledge that

your family may practice religions

other than Judaism and we

deeply respect that. This survey,

however, will focus primarily on

outcomes related to the Jewish

community.”

“We want to acknowledge that

your family may engage in

religious traditions other than or in

addition to Jewish ones and we

deeply respect that. This survey,

however, will focus primarily on

outcomes related to Jewish life

and the Jewish community.”

Language is Important

Thank you for joining the

Honeymoon Israel family. We are

excited to have you on this trip

and would like to learn a little bit

more about you, and the role

that Jewish life and Jewish

community currently play in your

life and the life of your family.

Thank you for joining the

Honeymoon Israel family. We are

excited to have you on this trip

and would like to learn a little bit

more about you, and the role

that Jewish life and Jewish

community currently play in your

life and the life of your family.

Thank you for joining the Honeymoon

Israel family. Whether you were born

Jewish, chose Judaism recently, or

chose a Jewish partner – we welcome

you! You are part of our big family,

and we are excited to show you

around our family home – Israel. Below

we have some questions about what

you may look forward to in this trip,

and about your current place in

relation to our big Jewish family.

Thank you for joining the Honeymoon

Israel family. Whether you were born

Jewish, chose Judaism recently, or

chose a Jewish partner – we welcome

you! You are part of our big family,

and we are excited to show you

around our family home – Israel. Below

we have some questions about what

you may look forward to in this trip,

and about your current place in

relation to our big Jewish family.

Language is Important

Assure the partner who is not

Jewish that his/her cultural and

religious traditions are valued and

respected

Assure the partner from a

different faith background that

his/her cultural and religious

traditions are valued and

respected

Assure the partner who is not

Jewish that his/her cultural and

religious traditions are valued and

respected

Assure the partner from a

different faith background that

his/her cultural and religious

traditions are valued and

respected

To what extent do you agree with the following statements?

Participating in IFF services, programs, and opportunities helped me and my family…

Which of the two statements

below comes closer to describing

the current role of religious

differences in your relationship

with your partner?

Language is Important

A: In most cases, I prefer for my partner and me to discuss our differences on religious issues

as they pertain to our family because it makes our relationship stronger.

OR

B: In most cases, I prefer my partner and me to avoid discussing our differences on religious

issues as they pertain to our family because it puts a strain on our relationship.

Which of the two statements

below comes closer to describing

the current role of religious

differences in your relationship

with your partner?

Which of the two statements

below comes closer to describing

what is true in your relationship

with your partner?

Which of the two statements

below comes closer to describing

what is true in your relationship

with your partner?

Interfaith Family/Your Community Initiative

Data Sources

survey responses715

were partners in an

interfaith family

30 interviews with couples

were interviews with

both partners in same

conversation

12

Honeymoon Israel

Data Sources

296 survey respondents

Response Rate

34 total interviews

21 post-trip interviews3

58%

6

9

13 post-trip interviews

Interventions aimed at shifting the

couple dynamic are most

impactful

What Did We Learn?

Interfaith couples

experience a

leveling of the

playing field

What Did We Learn?

Honeymoon Israel

Where only the Jewish

partner initiated Jewish

activities before, an

equal partnership

emerges after the trip

What Did We Learn?

Honeymoon Israel

Couples no longer

avoid discussing

their religious or

cultural differences

What Did We Learn?

Honeymoon Israel

Couples talk more

frequently about

doing Jewish things

What Did We Learn?

Honeymoon Israel

Couples learn how to

integrate traditions in a

way that works for

both partners

What Did We Learn?

Interfaith Family/Your Community Initiative

Couples feel better

able to discuss their

religious and cultural

differences

What Did We Learn?

Interfaith Family/Your Community Initiative

Couples improve

relationships with the

in-laws on both sides

of the family

What Did We Learn?

Interfaith Family/Your Community Initiative

Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Working Theory of Change/Logic Models

Evaluation at the Start

Language is Important

Opportunities for Further Study

Wendy Rosovwendy@rosovconsulting.com

www.rosovconsulting.com