It’s All in the Airflow
Perhaps the only way to prevent window fights is by making a building without windows. If you do build a Shul, make sure you have a good mechanical engineer who is concerned about ac vents, return vents, air flow and multi-zone thermostats. Unfortunately many Shuls skimp in this area. Usually different parts of the Shul experience very different actual temperatures, with those near air vents being cold, while those at a distance are warm.

Body Temperature
Beside building issues, people have different internal thermostats so their acclimation for heat or cold varies. It’s interesting to note that our sensitivity to temperature variations can be very fined tuned and people will feel comfortable at 69 degrees, but will start to feel warm at 70. An unscientific sample informs me that the acceptable range of temperature in New York is between 68 and 71 degrees.

How To Decide
Some people hold that in the summer opening the windows is given preference, while in the winter, it’s the window closers who have the upper hand. Added to the mix is the room stuffiness factor, which can be alleviated with a slight opening. Although it would make sense if thermometers played a role, I haven’t heard of a Shul that uses strategically placed thermometers to drive a decision.

Who Has The Authority
By what authority to open or close the window. Is it
1) the person who sits near the window,
2) the most aggressive window opener/closer
3) a formal decision making process.
In most Shuls it’s not a formal process and perhaps making one would solve many issues.

Some Solutions
I think the two solutions to fix the problem is set a policy based on actual temperature measurement and install thermometers. Then create a committee or a person to enforce the policy. We can never make everybody happy but we can prevent stronger disagreements with a fair policy. In the end our goal is to make sure nobody gets thrown out of the window.

Finding Teachers
Perhaps the main challenge to creating a Torah learning culture is finding people to lead the various classes. In one larger Shul, the Rabbi was so committed to growth in Torah learning, that he taught 20 classes a week. Most Rebbeim can’t accommodate nearly that amount, but you should encourage your Rabbi to keep on increasing and updating the Torah learning schedule. Shul members can help fill the gap by giving shiurim, leading Chaburas or learning with weaker Chavrusas. Many people have discovered that teaching, dramatically improves your learning and this can be used to motivate more people to come forth and teach or learn with others.

Torah Be-Rabbim
For any mitzvah, having more people collectively involved brings a greater sanctification to Hashem and because of the centrality of Torah learning, special merit comes about from collective learning. In addition, having a bigger group encourages other people to learn. Many shuls have set up times in the morning and evening when the Shul is opened for learning. When setting up these efforts keep a long term perspective because it takes time for people to change their normal procedures.

Weekday and Special Programming

Chavrusa Learning
The bread and butter of Torah learning is one on one Chavrusa learning. Many people find their Chavrusas by asking potential partners directly. It may also make sense to have a person who tries to make the matches. Chavrusas can consist of people of equal or different learning levels. Encourage some of the stronger learners to learn with those with lesser skills.

Gemora Shiur With Preparation
One of the most successful programs is a Gemora Shiur with preparation. The teacher giving the Shuir gives a brief introduction before the learning begins and assigns sources for the chavrusas to learn together. In the best of circumstances, the teacher hands out relevant source sheets. During the chavrusa learning, a good teacher will walk or look around making sure nobody is getting stuck. After the learning the teacher gives a shiur reviewing the important points of what was learned. A good ratio is at least twice as much chavrusa learning as shiur time, for example, 1 hour of learning and 30 minutes of shiur time including the intro time beforehand.

Daf Yomi
Daf Yomi has become a Torah mainstay in many Shuls. Despite the objections on the pace, the sense of accomplishment and the group learning aspect is a tremendous motivator. Daf Yomi shiurim take many formats and are very dependent on the person giving the shiur. Art Scroll has had a tremendous impact on Daf Yomi learning as the commentary helps people follow the Gemora at that faster pace.

Mishna Yomi
Mishna Yomi enables people to finish the entire Mishna in less than 5 years at a reasonable pace, 2 Mishnas a day. Some Shuls learn it out loud after Shacharis and in others a chabura learns it together. It as a 5-10 minute a day program that yields great benefits over the long term.

Mishna Berura Yomi
Like Mishna Yomi, a Mishna Berura Yomi shiur or chabura yields tremendous benefits as it enables you to go through this entire halachic work at a maintainable pace. There are different schedules for Mishna Berura Yomi, some are every day and some like the Dirshu schedule are 5 days a week with Shabbos and Sunday for review.

Other Chaburas
In addition to standard Yomi chaburas, many shuls have smaller interactive learning groups usually led by one person. Any topic, such as chumash, mussar, hashkafa, machshava that is of interest to the group can be learned. A chabura can contain as few as 3 people and they are excellent vehicles to encourage more learning.

Halacha Shiur
A halacha shiur by a qualified Rabbi or teacher is an important part of a Torah learning program. Halacha is literally a topic without end and the interests of both the Rabbi and the learners should be considered in choosing topics. Many halacha shiurim will choose a topic relevant to the time of year where possible. It’s important to properly gauge the level of learning of the participants to target the shiur level,

Scholar in Residence
A scholar in residence program is a great way to encourage Torah learning be-Rabbim. Usually scheduled on Shabbos, it brings out many people. Some shuls will only bring in Torah scholars for such programs while others will also use experts in Judaism related subjects. Some scholars are great inspirational speakers while others have tremendous content and informative knowledge. It’s helpful to know what types of speakers appeal to your general membership and to try to vary your programming from year to year to accommodate your members usually varied needs.

Summary
In these past 2 posts, I’ve tried to outline some ideas for Torah programs. It’s important to take a long term view on increasing the Torah learning culture because growth is a long term process and needs attention. Try to get your Rabbi, President, Board and membership involved and focused on continually increasing the Torah learning in your Shul.

Running Successful Education Programs
When starting a program it’s important to consider:
1) The goals of the program. Are you looking to increase the breadth, depth or frequency of member’s learning?
2) What attendance figure would be considered a success. For a scholar-in-residence, 30 people might be the target, depending on the size of the shul, while a week night Machshava chabura would be a success with even 3-4 people attending.
3) Whether the goals and attendance are achievable. The overall goal is to increase member’s breadth, depth and frequency in learning, and we need to consider attendance because teaching resources are usually limited.

Programs need to be constantly re-evaluated and re-formulated to meet the needs of the members.

Shabbos Day Programming
In our times, people lead busy lives and Shabbos is the one day where there is extra time to learn. Here are some Shabbos programming ideas:

Friday Night Parsha – in the winter months when Shabbos starts early, some people want to use that time to attend a parsha shiur. It’s also a good opportunity to allow members to prepare and give a shiur. The main caveats are that people: are often tired, want to spend time with their family, or may have trouble staying awake at the shiur. Combining the shiur with an oneg can help boost attendance.

Shabbos Morning Parsha – before davening on Shabbos is a good time for a parsha Shiur. Since it entails getting up early, it’s helpful to have a strong teacher giving this Shiur.

The Rabbi’s Drasha – in the growth oriented Shul, the Shabbos drasha is a must. Although the Rabbi needs discretion in terms of the length, topics and style, I believe most Rabbis appreciate feedback from the membership.

After Davening Kiddush and Shiur – if you have the facilities for a sit-down kiddush, this is a great opportunity for a short shiur. Some shuls do this every week and even if that doesn’t work for your Shul, it might be worth trying every few months.

Before Mincha Shiur – after the afternoon nap, this is a good time to give a deeper shiur. Many shuls have an in-depth halacha or gemora shiur in this time slot.

Shalosh Seudos – after allowing time for some eating, shmoozing and singing, this is a great time for a short shiur. If your Rabbi is up for it, some shuls have had great success with an “Ask the Rabbi” session where the floor is open for any questions for the Rabbi. As long as the Rav is comfortable giving an occasional “I don’t know, let me think about”, it’s a wonderful opportunity to learn and increase the bond between the Rabbi and the membership.

Pirkei Avos Shiur – in the longer summer months, you might want to consider having an early 6:00 PM Mincha, with Shalosh Seudos at home and then returning to the shul 30 minutes before Maariv for Pirkei Avos. The topics in Pirkei Avos are interesting for a wide audience and it can provide people other than the Rav an opportunity to give a Shiur.

Parent-Child Learning – in the fall and winter months, this is a great opportunity to bring the members and the children back to shul for some more learning. The program is usually accompanied by pizza or some other food and sometimes prizes are raffled off. Some Shuls do Parent-Child learning after an early Mincha during the long Summer days.

Melava Malkas – in the fall and winter months, this is a great way to combine a social event with Torah learning. The program usually needs an organizer to deal with the logistics of hosting, providing food and getting speakers, but the fruits of such efforts are usually greatly appreciated by the members.

Summary
A Growth oriented Shul should provide a strong learning program. Above are some thoughts about Shabbos Programming, a time when many more people have the opportunity to participate. Next week we’ll look at weekday and special events learning programs.

The Growth Culture Shul
Although all types of Shuls have growth oriented individuals, The Growth Culture Shul consciously works on creating an environment where people have opportunities in the domains of Torah, Davening and Chesed. The tremendous benefit of such a Shul is that entire families absorb this orientation because it provides multiple avenues of Torah growth. It encourages increased connection to both Hashem and our fellow Jews.

The Rabbi and Lay Leadership
Growth orientation is a slam dunk for the Rabbi, because his mission statement is encouraging the spiritual growth of his congregants, but he must work with the lay leadership to create the culture of growth. As my Rav has said, a person over time is more influenced by what his neighbor in Shul is doing than by what the Rabbi is advising in his speeches. We more naturally compare ourselves to our peers then to our Rebbeim who we rightly put on a higher pedestal. So a culture of growth is the key to increasing the spiritual aspirations of the membership.

Growing the Culture
It should be clear that a growth culture is not achieved through pronouncement in a drasha or at a Shul membership meeting, but by gradual implementation of the programming and processes that create such a culture. I’ll be discussing each area in more detail in upcoming posts, but briefly it involves providing a multitude of Torah learning opportunities, creating a strong chesed committee, improving dignity, inspiration and concentration in davening and creating a community and camaraderie among the members while simultaneously balancing Tzinus concerns.

Summary
The Growth Culture Shul takes more effort to create than the Shteibel or Yeshiva minyanim but it yields much greater benefits to the entire membership and their families. It’s built over time by creating an environment where the vast majority of the membership is working on growing in the three domains of Torah, Davening and Chesed. We’ll discuss each domain in detail in upcoming posts.

People Have Their Quirks
You don’t have to be an Myers-Briggs expert to know that people have different personality types. Beyond the types, people have flaws and idiosyncrasies. And as much as we often wish that people would behave more like us, we know deep down that a planet full of me-clones would be boring at best, and probably closer to intolerable.

Look For The Strengths
Even if we grant that differences in people make the world a more interesting place, what do we do about the fact that people can be downright annoying? One path is to focus on people’s strengths. Everybody has them, and the more you look for them, the easier it is to find them. It’s a talent that’s worth developing and it will make you a better spouse, parent and friend. Find the strengths and share your findings with others.

Love The Quirks
Finding strengths is doable, but the quirks are a challenge. Personality quirks are hard enough to appreciate, and serious character weaknesses are often intolerable. The key to loving the quirks is appreciating that they are the keys to our lives. We have to overcome them, and often try to change them and it’s difficult, but it’s what we’re here for.

Resisting the Tyranny of the Majority
In Shuls, the membership machine is often looking to eliminate quirky behavior for the benefit of the Shul. It often is stated in the form of “Why should we all suffer, just because Joe is….”. We sometimes must mute bad behavior, but in most cases, the behavior is tolerable and we should just grin and bear it and appreciate the person’s challenges. In Shuls, we need to focus on the individual, not on the collective, it may be counter-intuitive, but it’s the right thing to do.

Summary
Shuls are about the people and we all have our quirks. Tolerating, accepting and appreciating the quirks of others makes you a better person and makes your Shul a better place.

Siyum Bechoros
On Erev Pesach first born sons have to fast until around sundown. They are permitted to eat if there is a siyum and many Shuls conduct a siyum for this purpose. The siyum is made for finishing a Mesechta of Gemorra or a Seder of Mishnayos. The Rabbi is usually the first choice, but if he is not finishing a Mesechta, there is a need to find a member or guest to make the siyum. Once the person finishing the Mesachta is chosen, the second issue is how long to make the siyum since Erev Pesach is a busy day. They can run from under five minutes to over twenty minutes.

Hallel at Night
There is a custom to say Hallel the night of Pesach in Shul. When a Shul adopt this custom it delays slightly the time the members will get home. If the Baal Tefillah decides to sing some of Hallel it enhances the davening, but causes a further delay. This is a trade-off faced every Yom Tov Shacharis, but on Pesach night, when we want to start the seder as soon as possible, it creates additional tension.

Shacharis Starting Time
Some Shuls schedule their Shacharis so they always say Shema within the halachically acceptable time. In the New York area this would be between 8:15am and 8:30am. Since people are staying up much later on Pesach night, some shuls make accommodations by starting a little later on the following Shacharis.

Aliyos for Relatives
Every Yom Tov presents challenges for the Gabbaim, but since Pesach is a particularly family oriented time, there tends to be more guests in Shul. The Gabbai tries to honor as many families as possible with aliyos and other appropriate honors. Although a member can overlook his own honors, it’s not so simple when it comes to relatives and in-laws.

Mishing
In many Shuls, where people are holding by the same standards of kosher, people will eat at other peoples houses. On Pesach, since the standards of Kosher vary more, some people will not eat at other people’s houses at all. The practice of eating at another families house on Pesach is called “Mishing”. It can be a sensitive issue because there is a slight implication that the person’s standard of Kashrus is not trusted.

Pesach is a joyous wonderful time and with a little bit of effort we can accommodate our members and make their Yom Tov shul experience as menaingful and enjoyable as possible.

Sharing Information
One important type of chesed is sharing important information. After Shabbos this week, a friend with whom I daven, asked me to scan this Halachic Health Care Proxy and post it to share the information with our Shul. Since it’s such important information, I decided to share it with all our ShulPolitics.com readers.

What is the Halachic Health Care Proxy
This Halachic Health Care Proxy, revised in August of 2009, is designed to help ensure that all medical and post-death decisions made by others on your behalf will be made in accordance with Jewish law and custom (Halacha). This document is of great importance in light of in-roads made by medical service providers to insert themselves into the decision making process of patients and their families regarding end-of-life issues.

Unity Across Orthodoxy
A side benefit of this document is that it was created by a united effort across Orthodoxy as the Rabbinical Council of America, the Agudath Israel of America and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America were all active in it’s origination and implementation.

Summary
Sharing important information is an important but often overlooked function of a Shul. Implicit in the act of sharing is the fact that you care about other members and are making an effort to inform them. Please download, fill out and register the Halachic Health Care Proxy for you and your families benefit.

The Budget Process
Determining what fees to charge starts with the budgeting process. The treasurer, often in collaboration with the president and/or financially astute board members, prepares a spreadsheet of income and expenses using the Shul’s accounting system as the primary source of information. Ideally the income should be greater than the expenses, but in recent times this has become a more difficult feat.

The budget should be presented to the board for approval. If the Shul is balancing its budget, then the process often stops with the board since the bylaws often defer the fiduciary responsibility to the board. When the budget is not being met, and fees have to be raised, then it makes political sense to present the membership with an idea of the financial condition without necessarily handing out the line by line budget.

Raising Membership Fees
Taxing the membership with increased membership fees is always difficult, because the Shul invariably contains members who can not afford to pay or who feel that the services provided aren’t worth the cost. It makes sense to discuss membership fee increases at a public meeting, so the membership understands why the increase is necessary. It seems that increases in dinner ads or high holiday seats are often passed by the board alone, perhaps because those fees are often not required, even if they are usually incurred.

Making Exceptions
Due to increased Shul competition and the desire to keep the membership roles stable, many Shuls are trying to accommodate the varying financial needs of their members. Different membership categories are established and exceptions are made where necessary. It’s important to understand the financial stress of those seeking exceptions and to try to deal with their situations with discretion and kindness.

Summary
Fiduciary responsibility is a Shul necessity and it can’t be ignored. Budgeting and raising dues and fees are a part of the process and they should be done with the consent of the board and/or membership where appropriate. It’s important that the membership fee process is equitable. Finally, a policy of discretion and kindness will greatly benefit the Shul in the long run.

Rabbi Efrem Goldberg is the Senior Rabbi of the Boca Raton Synagogue (BRS). His congregation is rapidly-growing with over 650 families. It follows that he is someone who cares for the needs of all of his congregants. Indeed, the other day, he  asked (here) on his Twitter account the following question, “how would u shorten shabbos morning davening within halachik boundaries in an effort to make it more enjoyable and meaningful?”

This question elicited several responses. Rabbi Eli Storch of DRS answered (here), ”take away the hosafos in leining. no misheberachs after the aliya. Don’t sing while taking out the Torah,” while Mordechai Holtz, the COO of  Meor, replied (here) that he should consider what I believe to be an even more drastic method. Namely, Mordechai suggested modifying the services to be more akin to, “Israeli style [in which there's] no speech during davening (do it post-prayer where those w/ kids dont feel pressured).” Rabbi Gil Student of TorahMusings.com replied with an answer that I see to be a healthy medium. He wrote (here), that the service should simply offer a “quick dvar Torah rather than sermon and no extra mishebeirachs. Minimize time people are just standing around.”

Rabbi Goldberg countered to Student’s tweet by writing (here), “many, ba’alei teshuva in particular, find more meaning in sermons than tefila.” As an aside, it is worth noting that BRS is very active in all things Kiruv and was recognized as such by NJOP at their seventeenth annual dinner. It follows that Rabbi Goldberg, who also attended Ner Le’Elef, is sensitive to the needs of Baalie Teshuva as he has congregants and their families who are not your typical FFB.

Frankly, I believe that something should be done to allow for more “family time” on Shabbos. After all, when the “Main Minyan” begins at 9:00am it may not end (1) until 12:00pm. Accordingly, there are people who may not get home from synagogue until as late as 12:30pm.

As such, ones Shabbos lunch may not start until as early as 12:30pm and as late as 1:30pm.(2) In an informal poll of my students every girl told me that the average Shabbos lunch takes approximately two hours. It follows that certainly in the winter months when Shabbos ends earlier, there is very little time before one must return to Shul for Mincha, Shalosh Seudos (3) and Maariv. This leaves little time to learn some Torah on your own, let alone go over your child(rens) Parsha Sheet, (4) or learn some Mishnayos or what not (let alone) individually with each one of your children…and this is assuming that the Chulent didn’t get to you and compel you to take the ever so important Shabbos afternoon shluf!

Rabbi Fink of Pacific Jewish Center contends here and here with my position that Shabbos is a family oriented day. In fact, he believes that, “Shabbos is for community/connection,” and that “much of the day is spent in Shul. As it should be.”

This is in stark contrast with the fact that we incorporate our children into the Shabbos experience beginning Friday night. Indeed, one of the first blessings one recites after walking home from Shul is the blessing one bestows upon each and every child in their family! See also Sefer Emek HaMelech (Hakdama 3 Ch. 4) who records that even the saintly Rabbi Bezalel Ashkenazi valued the importance of “family time” that he returned to his family on Shabbos and then promptly left once again to continue his Torah learning in seclusion.

I have a Mesorah from my Rebbeim on down, that Shabbos is a day to bond with ones family. It is a day to show ones children the true beauty and essence of Shabbos. If not now then when? I believe that one espouses genuine sentiments of Kedusha directly upon their impressionably young children in their home and at their Shabbos table—and not at Youth Groups or a Teen Minyan. Certainly in an era that is plagued with concepts such as, “Half-Shabbos,” if we are able to simply be home and demonstrate our love for the beauty of Shabbos, we can do our part to impart upon our children that this day is filled not with socializing in Shul but with sanctity. Sanctity begins in our home, our mikdash me’at and moves on from there…

In short, Shabbos is a time of “Ish al machanayhu.” Moreover, certainly in today’s world when kids have hours on end of homework and a father and/or mother may return home as late as 8pm tired after a long day at work, Shabbos becomes an even more essential day. It is the one day that a parent is assured that he or she will be able to spend time with his family, let alone transmit the Torah ideals of Shabbos and the beauty of Judaism.

Shabbos is not a day to network. It is not a day to connect with ones community. It is a day, if not the only day of the week, that one can use to strengthen ones home.

Granted, I agree with Rabbi Fink that it’s important to work on communal connections. This can be done on any other day of the week. It can even be done on Sunday. After all, ones kids may be in school or playing little league baseball on Sunday. For instance, Sunday morning is a perfect time to learn with fellow congregants over a brunch or pack Mishloach Manos with other community friends, and so on and so forth.

In 2012, there is only one day that we are guaranteed to have all of our family together without any digital distractions…that day is Shabbos.

Yes, there is time Friday night when Shabbos starts early to learn and spend times with ones children. However, with certainly young children, there are many years in which they are only up for Kiddush and HaMotzei before they fall asleep under the table, on the couch, etc. etc. Likewise, in the summer months there still isn’t that much of a long afternoon that one has available to them. Certainly, if ones son or daughter is going to a friends house, attending a Pirchei, Bnos, or a Bnei Akiva group, that longer Shabbos afternoon isn’t really that long. ­

In a follow up to this post I will share with you a novel approach that I have seen work towards solving the fact that Shabbos morning services can easily lag on for hours on end. As such, I believe that it could help, if not be a Halachic answer to Rabbi Goldberg’s question.

Until then I turn to you dear reader and ask, how do you view Shabbos? Do you view it as a family oriented day or a shul/community oriented day? I look forward to hearing your comments.

For more on this topic see Rabbi Reuven Spolter’s post here: http://j.mp/wfaH5G

(1) When I use the word end, I am including the holy grail that no one would ever cut out, namely the Kiddush that typically follows Shabbos morning services.

(2) After all, sometimes you need to stop by another Shul to wish a Mazel Tov at someone elses Kiddush, Bar Mitzvah, etc. etc.

(3) For many reasons from convenience on down, I have seen that people do not return home for this meal and instead remain in Shul, shmooze with their friends at the table, sing some nice songs, and hear some closing remarks on the Parsha from the Rabbi.

(4) Children as young as two years old receive this review of the week from his/her Rebbe or Morah. As ones children get older the Parsha Sheet is not only a helpful review for the child, but it may allow one to know what is and isn’t being covered in the classroom. To simply skip this Parsha Sheet would be a mistake. And yet, even if you assume that Mr. Ploni Almonistein has four children and will spend ten minutes on this sheet per child, that means that simply reading it and giving each child the time that they deserve takes a good forty minutes. I know that some parents like to “kill two birds with one stone” and go over the Parsha Sheet at the Shabbos table. In reality though, the Shabbos table is not an ideal time to blow through the questions that each and every child has within their Parsha Sheet. After all, there’s a lot going on at a family oriented Shabbos table. Likewise, one may have children who are at the young age that they can’t be compelled to sit at the table for a long stretch of time. And so, doing this privately on a couch in the morning or after lunch with your arm lovingly wrapped around your child, can impart genuine sentiments of warmth as well as show your child that they have your undivided attention!

Purim is Like Yom Kippur
The Kaballah masters compare Purim to Yom Kippur. From a Shul’s perspective this is evident in the fact that there are often as many people in Shul on Purim night as there are on Yom Kippur. The presence of more children presents special seating issues and if we want our regular seat we should get there early or find another seat. Although we don’t normally like to split up minyanim, some Shuls make additional minyanim in order to accommodate the overflow crowds.

On Purim night, some Shuls have a party in celebration of Purim and to break the fast of Esther, similar to the break fast that occurs after Yom Kippur. Since the Shul is at capacity, logistics in accommodating the large crowd have to be addressed.

Megillah Readings
Hearing the Megillah is a halachic obligation on men and women, and families with smaller children often need to make two trips to Shul to hear the Megillah. Many Shuls have extra readings of the Megillah. In Kew Gardens Hills, this list contains over 125 readings on Purim day.

Since we need to hear every word of the Megillah, some focus has to be made on restoring quiet after the banging and groggering that occurs every time Haman’s name is mentioned.

Purim Seudah
The Purim Seudah is a wonderful opportunity for the Shul to have a communal meal and is a very popular event in smaller Shuls, where size logistics make it practical. Since many people accompany their Purim Seudah with extra drinking, care has to be made to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors and to make sure adults drink and act responsibly.

Shalach Manos
The mitzvah of Shaloch Manos is an opportunity to show our friendship to our fellow Shul members. This opportunity can also create a problem of overlooking a member and causing a tinge of emotional pain. Some Shuls have Shaloch Manos programs where members can participate in sending group baskets to their fellow members. These programs also have the additional benefit of raising money for the Shul.

It’s All About Unity
The number of activities and the stress they can produce can bring us to the point of conflict. It’s helpful to keep in mind that the mitzvos of the day are focused on Jewish Unity and we should focus on the happiness that Shul unity should bring in its wake.