In the weeks since the Jewish Community Summit on June 26-27, the forward momentum that originated there has found new outlets and paths toward the future, according to Milwaukee Jewish Federation Reimagining Chair Judy Guten.
“Community Initiatives teams are meeting and working, and in some cases planning collaborations with other groups. In addition, the Sponsor Team is continuing to analyze the Cascading Interviews, the Summit Dream Statements and other written records, as preparations move forward for the Strategic Action Session (SAS),” she said.
Key themes that the community brought forward include: inclusivity; Jewish education; financial sustainability; improved communication; enhanced opportunities for engagement; connecting with Israel; and building trust and collaboration.
Following the development of Dream Statements at the Jewish Community Summit, participants were encouraged to bring forward specific projects that they believed would lead toward a stronger future for Jewish Milwaukee.
This resulted in the rich and diverse array of 19 Community Initiatives that are now being explored by self-selected groups: for a complete list, visit The Summit website at www.thejewishsummit.org.
At the same time, plans are moving ahead for the SAS, which will take place on August 2 and 3 at Congregation Sinai.
The Reimagining Sponsor Team has synthesized input gathered through the Cascading Interviews leading up to the Summit and at the Summit itself, including the topics for the Community Initiatives that indicate areas where the community is looking for growth and improvement.
“Very clear themes emerged,” said Guten, “giving us a strong foundation for our work at the SAS.”
The SAS will bring together approximately 45 community members. Its goal is to restructure the Milwaukee Jewish Federation so that the organization, governance, staff, programming and overall allocation of resources are better able to support the community, now and into the future, by addressing the issues raised at the Summit.
“Milwaukee’s Jewish Community has spoken and provided input of enormous value,” Guten said. “Our task now is to re-imagine the Federation and get back to the community with a road map showing how we will move together into the future that we have dreamed about,” she said.
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