August 2005

Shalom!

As summer approaches, I would like to give you an update on STAR PEER (starsynagogue.org). PEER is the leadership training program that I was accepted into last year and have been participating in all year, along with about 20 other rabbis from most Jewish denominations, from around North America. STAR (Synagogues: Transformation and Renewal) provides all planning, funding and implementation of PEER (Professional Education for Excellence in Rabbis) events and resources. PEER has been a tremendously worthwhile and helpful program for me.

Over the course of one year, we have attended a retreat in Florida and will attend another in Arizona in August (Arizona in August! That's almost as hot as Chico.) We participated in two online learning courses as well. One focused on the executive skills of the rabbi (communications, boards, administration, marketing, fundraising, etc.), while the other was much more philosophical and dealt with the meaning of being a rabbi today and our vision of our own rabbinate.

We each had to develop a leadership development project. My project was "TGIF-Thank G-d It's Friday at CBI" project to increase our interest and attendance for Friday night services. This program has been in place since November and has met with success. We may be eligible for some grants to fund programs that we design.

My participation in PEER also encouraged me to help our board of directors to have a visioning retreat in February, during which we developed our mission statement and set some general medium-range goals.

Peers also had telephone mentoring sessions with Rabbi Terry Bookman and Dr. William Kahn, both from Eitzah/The Center for Congregational Leadership, a nonprofit organization with the mission to strengthen the capacities of congregational leaders in order to create effective, vibrant synagogues. Their full bios are available on the Star Synagogue website. Each peer also got a rabbinic buddy to call each month for advice and encouragement. Mine has been Rabbi Jason Klein of Reconstructionist Congregation Beth Emeth in Hewlett, NY (Long Island). He is a Manhattan native and I'm a South Texan-turned-Northern Californian, so we come from very different backgrounds, but we are able to support one another.

PEER has been an outstanding program and I look forward to the August retreat and to participating as an "alumna" in the coming year (which includes an optional PEER reunion retreat in Florida in November). I hope to keep you posted on further updates with STAR PEER.

Have a great summer,

Rabbi Julie Hilton Danan