Creating Multiple Pathways for Belonging
There are so many ways to be involved and engaged with Temple Emanuel. People find their community at Temple when their children are ready for our amazing ECDC program or when Jewish education through Torah Center becomes a family priority. Others join the congregation when they are seeking meaningful prayer experiences, inspiring volunteer opportunities, engaging adult education, or simply to connect with others who share their values. An increasing number of people search out Temple’s clergy to be with them in life’s biggest moments (conversion, baby naming, weddings, and more). The list of possible roads leading to Temple is as long as the people who are connecting with us, as each is on a unique journey.
As increasingly varied as the pathways to Temple’s sacred community have become, once people begin to engage with Temple there is only one pathway to belonging: become a “dues-paying member.” For some, this is a welcome path: having grown up in synagogue life, it’s what they expect. For many others, this reliance on the single mechanism for belonging — used since Temple’s founding but decreasingly relevant to many in contemporary American Jewish life — creates real or perceived barriers by asking for an initial financial contribution and perhaps more of a commitment than many are willing to give. By decoupling the concepts of “membership” and “dues,” we believe we can more fully realize the twin pillars of our Strategic Plan: 1) increasing Temple’s vibrancy and 2) transforming our revenue model to maintain financial solvency.
A New Way Forward
Temple’s Board of Trustees has proposed Bylaws changes that seek to formalize a new way forward. By formally dissolving the concept of “membership,” with its real and perceived barriers to belonging, we plan to build on the Individual Giving model and meet each individual engaging with Temple on their own journey.
For many in Temple’s community who continue to find meaning and values-alignment through a traditional conception of membership, very little in your day-to-day experience will change. For others, particularly those who have been reluctant to formally join Temple through the traditional pathway but still contribute to the life of our community — by attending programs and services, leading in our ECDC Parent-Teacher Partnership, participating in adult education, building relationships with our clergy during lifecycle events, and more — we hope this change will open new pathways of engagement and belonging.
While greater buy-in and feelings of belonging from a larger number of people can only be good for Temple’s future, changing the definition of “membership” is inconsistent with our current bylaws structure. Currently, our members may vote on a new slate of board members, to approve or remove the Senior Rabbi, to merge with another congregation, or to sell Temple’s real estate holdings. In a future with more informal pathways to belonging, it’s less clear who might have an official vote and the proposed Bylaws changes contain a structural shift that will leave those votes to the Board of Trustees. What will never change is Temple’s commitment to its Vision & Mission of Living, Learning, Leading Judaism. By making these structural changes to Temple’s Bylaws, we believe Temple Emanuel will thrive for generations to come.
Q & A
How often have the members of Temple voted on a matter of substance?
The members of Temple have voted without exception to approve the presented slates for the Board of Trustees at the Annual Meeting – as selected by the Governance or Nominating Committee – and on the acceptance of Temple’s Senior Rabbis. All other business before the congregation, including during difficult times, has been achieved through expressing disagreement and seeking consensus, as will continue to happen even though there will no longer be formal “votes.”
Are there other organizations like this?
The vast majority of nonprofits operate in this way. You might be members of the Carnegie Museums, the Mt. Lebanon Library, season ticket holders at the Benedum or the Symphony, and so much more. Each organization cares deeply about your participation and your input but they don’t ask you to vote on the limited business that comes before the Board of Trustees.
Does this impact Temple’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit status?
No. Temple will continue to be a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, just as it is today. The distinction is only a shift in how responsibilities are delegated within the organization.
Will this mean I am no longer a member of Temple?
The word member has two distinct uses. The first use, a legal designation related to our non-profit structure, will indeed change such that the voting members of Temple are the Board of Trustees. The second use, a more emotional, connective word we might use to describe engagement and values-alignment with Temple, is not changing. We hope (and believe) you will continue to feel that same sense of connection to Temple and we invite you to continue using the word member just as you would with other organizations about which you care. Others might choose different words to describe their connection to Temple, and as we move forward with this model you’ll likely hear our Board and staff leadership talking about our Temple community, our community members, and our congregation in new ways. As we shift how we think about who is connected to Temple Emanuel, we’ll find our new vocabulary together.
What if I don’t like the direction Temple is headed?
We hope this never happens but understand that people care deeply about Temple in ways that can lead to disagreements over decisions and direction. How would you react now if you were unhappy about the direction of Temple? We hope you would reach out to our Senior Rabbi, Cantor, or the member of our staff team who works most closely on that which you find troubling. We would invite you to reach out to Temple’s President or a member of our Board of Trustees. We would invite you to explore ways to get involved – through participation, volunteering, or leadership – that would be meaningful to you. All of this will remain exactly the same!
How can I make my voice heard?
Your voice – your thoughts, wisdom gained from Jewish tradition and experience, and your hopes for Temple’s and the Jewish future – are really important to us. Please never hesitate to reach out to our Senior Rabbi, Cantor, or a member of our staff team who works most closely on your area of interest. Please reach out to Temple’s President or a member of our Board of Trustees to discuss the governance issues that may arise for Temple. Our staff and lay leadership will soon begin arranging townhall-style meetings to make this even easier. Please continue to be involved – through participation, volunteering, or leadership – in ways that are personally meaningful. This is a proposed shift in governance, not an effort to weaken the impact you might have on the organization: if we do this right and together, we believe your voice will be amplified.
How will Board members be chosen in this new model?
he process begins exactly as it does in the current model. The Governance / Nominating Committee determines what positions are available, advertises those positions to the congregation, and seeks recommendations from current leadership and staff to meet the Board’s strategic needs. The Governance / Nominating Committee talks with potential candidates, assesses their ability and willingness to serve, and creates a slate which it proposes to the Board. In the new model, members of the current Board would vote on the slate of nominees.
What other changes are being made to the Bylaws?
In addition to the Structural Changes to reflect our Individualized Giving Model and the creation of a more inclusive Board, the Board of Trustees is recommending some additional Bylaws changes as well. These include the following:
1. Reducing the Board (Trustees and Officers) from 15-19 to 10-12
2. Introducing Term Limits for the Board of Trustees
3. Reducing the number of required meetings for the Board of Trustees
4. Reducing the number of Officers from up to 7 to 4 (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer)
5. The Vice President does not automatically succeed to be President
6. Amendments to the Bylaws will require a two-thirds vote of the Board