Shearith Israel Rabbi Receives New Certificate, Will Have to Use At New Job

Congregation Shearith Israel Assistant Rabbi Elana Zelony has received a certificate in nonprofit management from American Jewish University’s (AJU) Rabbinic Management Institute.

       She was one of 14 rabbis from North America who participated in the inaugural program, a joint venture of AJU in California, its Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies and the Rabbinical Assembly (RA), the 1,600-member international association of Conservative rabbis. “More and more, rabbis need management skills to help synagogues be successful,” said Rabbi Zelony, citing some areas of study in the year-long program including staff management, conflict resolution, funding, strategic planning and financials, among others. “It was empowering to find out what’s on a budget and have the understanding of accounting,” Rabbi Zelony added, pointing out that most rabbis have a humanities background, not a financial one.

       The nonprofit management certificate program for rabbis is a response to the financial challenges faced by synagogues, along with personal households, businesses and other nonprofit organizations, since the financial crisis that began in 2008. It is the only such program for rabbis run by an institution that offers both an accredited seminary and an accredited MBA program under the same roof. A mini-seminar at the 2010 RA convention served as the pilot program. The first class began at the beginning of 2011 and ended with a graduation ceremony at AJU on Feb. 1, 2012. The curriculum “reflects decades of learning experience and wisdom,” said Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president of the RA.

       The goal of the program is to understand the application of management techniques to a synagogue. “People bring a different set of expectations and views to what will work [in a synagogue compared to other organizations],” said Rabbi Schonfeld. “People bring a different level of the emotional and interest. The way people view clergy and others [on a synagogue staff] is viewed through a more personal lens. [Synagogue management] has to take into account the deep feelings people have about their Judaism. There is a lot of philosophical theory about challenges, but that’s not going to solve everyday challenges. Rabbis need to be able to identify and address challenges.” Rabbi Zelony said she heard about the program through the RA and thought it would be interesting and good for her professional development. In addition to two trips to the AJU campus in California, she participated in webinars and online study with partners. She said the program is one way the RA is helping synagogues reimagine themselves to attract younger members.

       “Judaism and Torah are still relevant. Rabbis as scholars are still relevant,” Rabbi Zelony said. “But how do we reconfigure membership to relate to younger folks? Joining means [being part of a] community. What does the community look like to that younger generation?” Synagogues rely on volunteers and membership dues are a financial hardship for some. “How do we engage people with limited resources and time?” said Rabbi Zelony, who addressed these issues with a “40 cups of coffee” program to meet Shearith Israel members she had not met so far. “I asked questions about [congregants’] needs. I came to understand that social networks could match people with interests [in synagogue activities] and with people to volunteer with.” At the final gathering of the certificate program participants last month, the group was given a scenario of a synagogue with challenges.

       “As a team, we brought all of our skills together to solve real world challenges, and we made recommendations,” said Rabbi Zelony. “Now I have a network of rabbis so I’m not alone in facing [future] challenges.”

       Rabbi Zelony will apply her newfound skills at a synagogue other than Shearith Israel. The intown Conservative congregation’s board announced at the end of 2011 that Rabbi Zelony’s three-year contract that expires in mid-July would not be renewed due to administrative reasons unrelated to her job performance.

       “She’s done a great job connecting with our congregation,” said Tal Frank, the Shearith Israel president. “She reached out to congregants, led an adult b’nai mitzvah class and attended to pastoral needs. She’ll be greatly missed.”

       A new class is being recruited for the AJU Rabbinic Management Institute’s certificate program in nonprofit management. For information, visit www.ajula.edu or www.rabbinicalassembly.org.