Vision 2020 Explained

Reasons for Change

Project Charter

Guiding Principles

Core Purpose and Values Statement

Vision and Mission Statement

Updates

October 2018

Guides and Handouts

URJ: "The Tent" Online Community Beginner's Guide

Vision Meeting Participant Handout

Leadership Workshop Discussion Guide

Questions and Answers

Your Steering Committee is of the mind that if one person has a question, there’s a good chance others have the same one. So, in the interest of open communication and information sharing, here is a running compendium of congregant questions, answered by our co-chairs Tom Temin and Nancy Shapiro.

1. With a new senior rabbi, is this really a good time for a major strategic planning initiative, bringing more change to our TBA community?

The 2020 project is a TBA Board initiative, conceived two years before the rabbinic transition. Our Vision 2020 planning was delayed because of the timing of the hiring and transitioning our new rabbi.
While Rabbi Pokras has endorsed the strategic planning and will use it to inform his future leadership, TBA Vision 2020 is primarily a lay-led effort, centered on a group chartered by the Board of Directors.
When there are significant risks to an organization’s health, as there are for TBA right now with the $100,000 budget deficit, it would be irresponsible for the rabbi and the board to delay the kind of strategic study required to find workable solutions. A comprehensive strategic planning process, guided by engaged congregants who are contributing their talents and experience we hope will prove an effective way for TBA to achieve sustainable success.
Through a good planning process, TBA can set its priorities in ways that are consistent with its values, purpose and community interests.
2. I didn’t see Israel or the relationship between Jews and Israel on the list of research topics for the strategic plan. Isn’t our commitment to Israel one of our temple’s core principles?

The TBA congregation’s relationship with Israel and Israeli causes is longstanding and deep – even as many members wrestle Israeli governmental policies with which they disagree. Because we expect this relationship to continue and evolve, we are very supportive of the thoughtful space that the Israel Matters group provides for this discussion and we encourage anyone interested in this topic to actively participate in that group. The Israel Matters group meets regularly and provides an ongoing forum for discussions related to Israel.