August 8, 2003/Av 10 5763, Vol. 55, No. 50
Collaboration worksEditorialSynagogues and Jewish community centers - like other community organizations - typically view one another as competitors, jockeying to attract the same group of "unconnected" Jews.Now, at least 15 Valley synagogues and the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center are bucking this trend. With the synagogue fair, to be held noon-3 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 17, synagogues are teaming up to boost participation and membership. What makes this effort all the more innovative is that the synagogue fair will take place at the Ina Levine Jewish Community Campus, in Scottsdale, home of the VOSJCC, in conjunction with a VOSJCC open house. Historically, Jewish affiliation swings like a pendulum from synagogues to JCCs and back again. Valley synagogues and the VOSJCC are acting to shift that paradigm. Visitors will have a chance Aug. 17 to learn about an array of synagogues, including Reform, Conservative, Renewal, Traditional-Egalitarian and Humanistic; at the same time, they can hear about the VOSJCC's diverse programs and services. An armistice in the turf war among synagogues, and between synagogues and the VOSJCC, is long overdue - and most welcome. The results of the 2002 Greater Phoenix Jewish Demographic Study motivated this collaborative effort. The data reveals that 62 percent of the 44,000 Greater Phoenix Jewish households have no connection to Jewish organizations and that only 29 percent are affiliated with a synagogue. Historically, synagogues and the VOSJCC would have struggled one by one to win the hearts and minds of these unconnected individuals and families. Spearheaded by the nascent Synagogue Leader's Council, synagogues and the VOSJCC can now present a united front. Future efforts may include discounts on membership dues and joint publicity. Similar collaborative programming efforts are ongoing in the East Valley between the Tri-City Jewish Community Center and two area synagogues. The synagogue fair can serve as a model for the entire community and lead to increased cooperation between the Valley's JCCs. Surveys reveal that when individuals or families affiliate with one Jewish organization, chances are excellent that, with time, they will join multiple organizations. The likelihood of everyone's success improves when groups work together to enable the unaffiliated to find the best fit for themselves. |
