Please fill out our new survey for 5785 — Help our committees grow stronger.
Last year, we embarked on the weighty topic of “Belonging” at RSNS, thanks to an initiative underwritten by UJA.
When Rabbi Jodie and Susan Liberstein asked me to help with the project, I took a moment to process. What did we mean by Belonging? How was it different than our more often-used concepts like engagement and community? The question turned out to be a key part of our journey.
In our Belonging Survey last year, we asked you all a broad range of questions from practical to personal: How often are you personally greeted at the synagogue? Do you felt seen, safe, and supported? How do you engage with synagogue events, and how did you feel after?
We received a staggering 302 responses, well ahead of area synagogues that participated in the project alongside us. We’ve spent the last year digesting the results and finding ways to apply them toward new projects, initiatives, and ideas.
I was fortunate to be joined by a wonderful and dedicated working group of Liz Kase, Kristin Klein, Risa Weinstock, Stan Weindorf, and Rabbi Jodie. Our group became its own pilot in belonging. Many of us met for the first time on the deck of my house, and we proceeded to have monthly meetings that mixed personal reflections, dreams for the synagogue, and brainstorms for bolstering community. I left each meeting inspired and hopeful about the future of our congregation.
The very positive news is that RSNS is full of belonging. We scored a 4.04 out of 5 on the survey’s Belonging scale. The UJA-sponsored team running the survey said: “Seeing an average overall Belonging Score of 4.04 is a cause for celebration. Generally, your congregants see themselves as a part of a community that makes them feel like they belong there.”
(You can find a more detailed breakdown of the results here.)
We saw positive results in all four areas of study: Being Noticed, Being Named, Being Known, and Being Needed. We scored best in Named and Known. Interestingly, the idea of Being Needed brought our lowest score.
The survey told us that we can do a better job of expressing the congregation’s needs, while providing easier conduits for members to get involved. As part of that effort, we’ve established a semi-monthly get together of RSNS’ committee chairs. The group, led by Jon Paisner and the Long-Range Planning Committee, is already generating lots of ideas for how to enhance and grow our wonderful committee system.
And that brings me to our Belonging Project follow-up and a key theme in 5785: We need — and want — your help.
Please take our Committee Survey, which is part information resource and part feedback tool. I promise it’s shorter than last year’s questionnaire, but it will be no less impactful in how we generate belonging — and engagement and community — at RSNS.
Click HERE to access the survey. Let’s get another 300-plus responses!
Thank you and best wishes for a 5785 full of belonging,
Alex Eule
