Friday, April 24, 2015

Clergy Move Beyond Tweaking



 Some congregations can't get passed educational tweaking. And yet, some make significant and life transforming change. What's the difference?

The research in New York keeps coming back to the clergy.
Most often, not always, the real change maker and shaker congregations have clergy actively involved in educational change.





I'm happy to call out a few examples of clergy who have helped make the difference of overcoming inertia:

Rabbi Gordon Tucker at Temple Israel Center

Rabbi Daniel Gropper at Community Synagogue of Rye

Rabbi Alan Lucas at Temple Beth Sholom of Rosyln

Rabbi Lee Friedlander, and Cantor Eric Schulmiller of The Reconstructionist Synagogue of the North Shore

Clergy who see education as the mission bearing child of their congregations take seven actions that break inertia, leave behind tweaking, and make real change happen.
Top Seven Clergy Actions That Make Real Educational Change


  1. Set Holy Purpose: lives of children and families are the lifeblood of our community
  2. Set the fire: signal this is an urgent priority
  3. Be a partner: build a team, share hopes and dreams
  4. Gather gifts: listen for and invite people’s talents
  5. Tell the story: the journey of our people toward a new land 
  6. Go to the mattresses: for resources-human, space, dollars 
  7. Make it safe: to innovate, learn, fail, lift up success, take risks

Can you add another clergy person who is helping lead real educational change?

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