Vision and Mission

Vision and Mission statements can be more than a piece of paper printed in the bulletin or website only to be placed aside until the next Temple administration. Developing a mission and vision statement should be designed as a powerful, unifying and invigorating experience for a congregation's membership. A delineated process that reflects back on the congregation's history, the current operating philosophy and membership benefits, and its plans for the future are the key elements in developing an effective vision and mission statement.

Is your mission statement reflected in the actions of your board, school curriculum, professional staff, office administration, and printed materials? If not, then you have a problem! You can either change the mission statement or change the behavior. You can become a congregation of choice. Integrate the key concepts from the Nordstrom, Four Seasons, Disney models of customer service and staff relations into the life of your congregation.

" Working with Steven Kaye has helped re-energize our senior staff. His insights and clear understanding of synagogue life have provided guidance in achieving our goals. The fact that Steven is a rabbi strengthens his ability to see congregations as both organizational entities as well as spiritual centers. "

Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman, Temple Israel, Minneapolis, Minnesota

"On the congregational leadership level, the workshop you led in developing a mission/vision statement has borne fruit in many ways. We now have a great mission statement that guides us in planning and evaluating our actions. We have always had a sense of who we are, but having a concrete distillation of that sense provides us with a compass to help us stay on course. "

Rabbi Arnold Gluck, Temple Beth-El, Hillsborough, New Jersey