Dear Rabbi and President:
The Campaign for Shabbat is a "Shabbat Shalom" to our congregations. The Joint United Synagogue - Rabbinical Assembly Committee on Commitment and Observance invites your congregations to focus on Shabbat for 12-18 months to enable congregants to make Shabbat "a day for the rest of their lives."
Shabbat has always been a cornerstone in Jewish life. If we get more members to engage in exploring Shabbat, it will enhance their lives, give them a sense of Shabbat Shalom --worry-free time; quality time for friends and family. Congregants will come to experience personally the poetry of being Jewish. It will not be easy but it can be done. We want to enable more Conservative Jews to share in the gift of Shabbat.
We need to use ingenuity, humor and "pizzazz" to overcome peoples' fears of change and motivate them to explore Shabbat To succeed, each participating congregation will need to find the right mix of Kick-Off Events and Shabbat-oriented Programs to raise congregants' Shabbat consciousness: Supportive Activities to provide individuals with knowledge, skills and encouragement as they explore Shabbat.
Participating congregations will receive "Our Shabbat Campaign -- A Guide for Helping Members Celebrate Shabbat." Rich in camera-ready materials, it will provide your coordinating committee with a framework and detailed program suggestions (see enclosed Table of Contents). Congregations will also receive 5 beautiful four-color "Shabbat --Experience the Joy" (22" x 31") posters and a variety of additional materials developed to enrich your campaign. The brochure, "Seven Entry Points and Seven Next Steps," sets an invitational tone which is a hallmark of the Campaign.
Over forty-five congregations have participated in the 1997-1998 pilot phase. We are now ready to make the Campaign available to all our congregations. Your congregation's participation will enable congregants to grow in Shabbat and provide a feeling that they are doing so together with thousands of other Conservative Jews.
We hope your congregation will join to help thousands of Conservative Jews make Shabbat "a day for the rest of their lives."
Sincerely,
| Marc Stemfeld Chair |
Rabbi
Robert Abramson Advisor to Committee |
Rabbi Allen Juda Chair |
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| Paula Levine Vice-Chair |
Boris Chartan Vice-Chair |
Request the entire "Our Shabbat Campaign" package for your synagogue
