Chief Rabbi: Finding the way forward for SA Jews

ANT KATZ

Some modern Orthodox shuls have Chabad rabbis and would not have it any other way and some may not connect with their particular rabbi in a way they did with the rabbi of their childhood.

 So, what is the way forward? This is something Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein has pondered and discussed at length with his fellow Union of Orthodox Rabbis. He has made it his mission to find the right strategy forward for the Orthodox community and their shuls.

While South Africa has one of the most successful Diaspora Jewish communities, Rabbi Goldstein wants to bolster it into a strong position to grow into the future.

“In an ever-changing world, our shuls need to innovate and stay ahead of the curve in order to remain relevant and engaging for our community,” he says. “In fact, more than ever, in a world that is increasingly digital and virtual, people crave the real bonds which are formed at shul.” 

So, after months of planning, he has taken the first step in creating a strategy with a digital survey that has gone out to the South African community in the last week. To add to ensuring a successful result, he threw in the incentive of five iPads that could be won.

Rabbi Goldstein invited  the community to participate in a survey based on the ”Bright Spots” methodology. This cutting-edge research philosophy on change-management, is a very optimistic process, says Rabbi Goldstein, which “essentially says that there are things that are working – let’s expand on those ‘Bright Spots’ to improve everything. 

“The response has been astonishing,” says Rabbi Goldstein. Within days the survey had been completed by over 2 000 members of the community. At the time of going to print, on the day before the survey closed, they had received 3 397 completed surveys.

This unique project recognises that the world is changing, and seeks to identify what works in our shuls and community.

 “To improve things,” he says, “one needs to identify what is working and then to expand it and make it even more powerful.” This concept of change-management was elucidated in a book called, simply, ”Switch”, written by Dan and Chip Heath.

Rabbi Goldstein believes this project will bring about a renewal at  the shuls and bring about a “spirit of new energy and innovation to meet the changing needs of the community.”

The public participation section of the Chief Rabbi’s campaign has three  phases:

1. Gather the data

The survey’s aim was to find out what is working and what is not working within their shul communities. In fact, two different surveys were sent out, one to South African Jewry as a whole, and another to the religious and lay-leadership of shuls.

The survey – and in fact the entire process going forward – is aimed at dividing the analysis into three elements: feeling of belonging and community; spiritual meaning; and food and fun.

All the data collected is then gathered and collated and becomes the basis for the next phase.

2. Conference/workshops

This is a “Bright Spots” conference/workshop,to which rabbonim, rebbetzins, chazonim, committee members and secretaries, are invited. The first will be held in Cape Town on Sunday, August 20 and the second in Johannesburg on the following Sunday, August 27.

At these conference/workshops as Rabbi Goldstein refers to them, all stakeholders from all shuls will attend. Rabbi Goldstein is expecting hundreds to do so.

Apart from the plenary, the day will include dividing the delegates into three breakaway groups headed by professional facilitators to discuss the three topics canvassed in the survey.

Each of the three groups will then give feedback to the plenary, which will, in turn, workshop each of them and formulate a strategy for future renewal, based on innovation.

3. The Rabbinical Conference

Following the Cape and Johannesburg conference/workshops, the outcomes of both will be collated into a document to be presented and workshopped at the third public phase of the project: a rabbinical conference.

This will only be attended by rabbis and rebbetzins and will follow the same format as the Cape and Johannesburg conferences.

This will crystallise the outcomes, says  Rabbi Goldstein, and “will eventually lead to an action blueprint for the renewal of our shuls”.

The broad thinking behind the project, which has been sponsored by Ivan and Lynette Zaltsman, “is the recognition of the fact that the environment is changing all the time and we need to be proactive,” says Rabbi Goldstein.

He believes that this innovative and proactive approach will maintain the connection of South African Jewry to shul life – which “has been a vital part of making South Africas such a vibrant community”.