Our Torah, the foundation of all Jewish values and guidance, is called "a tree of life".

The word Eitzah is Hebrew for guidance. Our logo is a tree, or eitz in Hebrew. A tree is a powerful symbol in Judaism. All trees are life sustaining. They provide us with shade, sustenance, and stability. In some measure, our synagogues also need to be like trees, supporting us in our growth and development. It is our hope, that with the appropriate Eitzah, they can be just that.

Synagogues as real organizations

Synagogues are not simply places of worship, learning, and community. They are, as rabbis and lay leaders know well, complicated institutions that require real leadership skills. Yet the very people who are asked to lead often have little or no formal training by which to do so. Lay leaders volunteer their time and energy but are often unclear about how to partner effectively with clergy and other staff. Rabbis are well versed in Jewish values and texts, but are never shown how to apply that wisdom to the everyday world of synagogue life and management. Together, they must create organizations that fulfill the spiritual needs of its members, all the while operating in a business-like fashion, accomplishing tasks and goals without becoming a business.

The need for partners

This is no easy task. Lay leaders may have grown up in the congregation, feeling a deep sense of history and ownership. Yet in their volunteer roles they come and go, moving in and out of board and committee memberships and leadership positions. They routinely supervise staff members and volunteers over whom they may have little authority. Rabbis, because of their positions as spiritual leaders, are often looked to as the primary, even sole, agents of institutional change yet find that no matter how good or beloved they are, cannot make change by themselves. They also find themselves relatively isolated, unable or unwilling to ask for help from colleagues or lay leaders for fear of being perceived as unable to "do their jobs".

Real work to be done

In a time of shrinking resources and ever higher levels of non-affiliation, it is important that our lay leaders and professionals get it right. That is, that they learn to work more effectively, efficiently, and collaboratively, in order to apply that learning to tackle the important issues and challenges of our community life. Working across denominational commitments as well as institutional boundaries is more essential than ever, and will send a message to the entire community -- we are in this together.