Posts Tagged ‘leadership’

 

Resetting the Rabbinate

Posted on: May 20th, 2013 by Hayim Herring

 

 

In the past few months, I’ve read at least six articles or blogs about rabbis and the contemporary rabbinate. (Just search sites like eJewishPhilanthropy, The Jewish Week, the JTA and the Jewish Daily Forward for a sampling of results.) Any rabbi will tell you that there’s structural change occurring and the media now seems to have picked up this story. Some of the stories suggest new roles that rabbis are fulfilling, others are about gender and the rabbinate, or prognostications about the future of the rabbinate and the rabbinical seminaries’ challenge in keeping up with what they perceive as new skills that rabbis require.

 

(Disclaimer: I’ve written about the rabbinate over the years as well in publications like Tomorrow’s Synagogue Today. Creating Vibrant Centers of Jewish Life and “The Rabbi as Moreh Derekh Chayim: Reconceptualizing Today’s Rabbinate”. But why so many articles in such a short time?

 

Rabbis are experiencing significant role ambiguity and the 20th Century paradigm of what defines a rabbi is clearly inadequate for this century. A few examples will suffice:

Rabbis used to have primary or heavy involvement in the examples above but now, much less so.

 

And it isn’t just that functions are changing. Relationships are changing as well. In speaking with colleagues, they sense that they are increasingly being treated more as employees and less as individuals with a sacred profession. As one colleague wryly commented, he felt that “evaluations” had become “devaluations.”

 

This lack of role clarity is a symptom of a paradigm change. As renowned futurist, Joel Barker, says: “When a paradigm shifts, everyone goes back to zero. Your past success guarantees nothing in your future.” And all of these conversations about rabbis’ roles certainly have the feel of “going back to zero,” that is, accepting that the assumptions that undergird last centuries’ rabbinate will not support today’s rabbinate.

 

I believe that rabbis have significant roles to play. Some will be the same as the last generation of rabbis, and others haven’t even yet been imagined. But I’d like to hear your thoughts about the unique roles that rabbis can play. By unique, I mean what is it by virtue of their training that they alone can do, or that they can do with greater ability than others with Judaic knowledge and experience? All are invited to respectfully weigh in and thanks!

 

 

A Question for Leaders: What’s Your Liberation Moment?

Posted on: March 28th, 2013 by Hayim Herring

This year, my wife, Terri and I, were once again privileged to celebrate Pesach in Jerusalem. We had family and friends at our table who had made aliyah (moved to Israel) decades ago and relatively new olim (immigrants), friends from Minneapolis and St. Paul and some friends of friends in both categories. Our youngest guest was 16 months old; our oldest, about eighty!

"Exodus" by Grigory Mikheev (Wiki Commons)

“Exodus” by Grigory Mikheev (Wiki Commons)

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A Question for Leaders: What’s Your Liberation Moment?

Posted on: March 28th, 2013 by Hayim Herring

This year, my wife, Terri and I, were once again privileged to celebrate Pesach in Jerusalem. We had family and friends at our table who had made aliyah (moved to Israel) decades ago and relatively new olim (immigrants), friends from Minneapolis and St. Paul and some friends of friends in both categories. Our youngest guest was 16 months old; our oldest, about eighty!

Grigory Mikheev. Exodus. acrylic, oil on canvas, 82?95, 2000.

"Exodus" by Grigory Mikheev (Wiki Commons)

Our eclectic group of strangers became an extended family by the end of the evening. Why? Aside from great food and a story about individual, communal and universal liberation that never gets old, I incorporated a suggestion from Ayeka. (Ayeka is an organization that understands that Torah study is not just about the acquisition of knowledge but the transformation of character.) The suggestion was to use a series of provocative questions to trigger personal discussion, and these are the four from Ayeka that I found, that deepened the conversation among our guests:

Terach, Abraham’s father was stuck-that’s why he only started his journey to Canaan but didn’t complete it. Abraham got unstuck and look what happened! Ruth, the Biblical character about whom we read on Shavuot, got unstuck and risked returning to Israel with her mother-in-law under difficult circumstances, while Orpah, her sister-in-law, got stuck and returned to her family. And, as I write this post from Israel, politically, the Israeli electorate got the system unstuck from politics-as-usual and elected two new leaders who seem to determined to make substantive social change.

The point: if you want to be a leader, you’ve got to recognize your “liberation moment” and then embrace it. It requires faith-if not in God, than at least in yourself. Leaders take action on their commitments and that can definitely be frightening. But by making this kind of total commitment, they get the status quo get unstuck. I’ll be sharing my “unstuck” moments in the next few weeks when I officially re-launch my business focus. And if you’re in a position of leadership, or aspire to be in one, I invite you to answer the question, “What will your liberation moment be post-Pesach?”

A Call to Action: Make Jewish Learning a Global Seder

Posted on: March 21st, 2013 by Hayim Herring

One of the characteristics of free people is their ability to ask questions. The more free we feel, the bigger the questions we’re able to ask. In the spirit of Pesach, the quintessential celebration of freedom, here are a few big questions that seem appropriate for a holiday in which learning about our identity as a people is so central.

What would happen if we created a true revolution for adult learners who want to learn about the Jewish civilization – those who are Jewish and those who are not Jewish? What are the implications for the global Jewish community and for the world if we created universal access to Jewish learning? Theoretically, we actually have the technologies to do so. We can take the model of massive online open courses (MOOCs) to create a revolution in learning about Judaism, for anyone who is interested. Academics and qualified instructors who teach Judaics around the globe, from topics as varied as Jewish medieval history to Jewish mysticism, could be recruited into the ranks of MOOCs teachers. We know that there’s an interest in learning about things Jewish. Just look at the phenomenon of daf yomi (those who commit to studying a page of Talmud daily), or websites as diverse as MyJewishlearning.com to Jerusalem Online University.

Yes, the MOOCs movement is in its early infancy. It reminds me of where online learning was in the early 90’s-a “fad” that many wise people predicted would disappear. While online learning still has problems and limitations, I know personally how it can open worlds and relationships previously unimaginable (I enrolled in my doctoral program in business in 1996 at Capella University, a leader in online graduate learning). And the MOOCs movement is likely to follow a similar trajectory-a little bumpy at the beginning with overall exponential benefits.

Clearly, MOOCs don’t provide intimacy of experience as a seder or a face-to-face class does and there’s a lot to be said for synagogue and JCC adult education experiences. But these kinds of classes typically attract small numbers and the topics are limited in range. How would the world be different if we intentionally opened up the treasure of knowledge that we possess and made it universally accessible? What would the impact be on non-Jews if they could learn about the richness of Jewish thought, of Jewish communities, of the interaction of Jews and their broader cultures throughout history, especially in countries where there aren’t a lot of Jews?

One of Shakespeare’s characters in As You Like It, said that, “All the world’s a stage.” Let’s dream that “All the world’s a Seder” or “All the World’s a Classroom!” We have the potential to achieve “Jewish literacy” for adults across every continent, whether or not they are Jewish! Philanthropists, in concert with Jewish federations and the Government of Israel, have the opportunity to create a true revolution in Jewish learning. With the same creativity and resources that they’ve brought to initiatives like Birthright Israel:Taglit and Limmud, they could ensure global access to high-quality learning about the Jewish civilization to Jews and non-Jews across the globe. Any philanthropists up for the challenge? Any reactions to this idea?

Chag sameach!

cross-posted to EJewishPhilanthropy

More Than Cosmetic Changes On the Way

Posted on: February 11th, 2013 by Hayim Herring
More Than Cosmetic Changes On the Way

photo from: hayimherring.com

My father was recently hospitalized with a serious infection (and is thankfully much better). Ever the cheerful spirit, he told me the following joke (sorry, Dad – I’m taking a few liberties).

 

A man became very ill, very suddenly, and was rushed to the hospital. Tragically, the doctors were unable to save him and he died. His soul went to heaven, and pleaded before God that his time shouldn’t have come yet. He had too many things left to do. God listened to his arguments and said, “Okay – you’re going to live another 25 years and 8 months. Back to earth you go!”

 

The man recovered fully and when he left the hospital, decided that he was really going to live this time around! First, he went to a hair stylist and dyed his gray hair black. Then, he had Botox injections to remove the wrinkles from his forehead. Finally, he decided that he was going to have the nose job that he always wanted. As he was walking out of the plastic surgeon’s office, he stepped off the curb and was hit by a bus. He was killed immediately and his soul went back to heaven. The man was distraught, and demanded to know why God had ended his life after he was promised another 25 years and 8 months. God turned to the man and said, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t recognize you!”

 

When I started Herring Consulting Network several years ago, I had a general idea about what I hoped to be doing. Over the past couple of years, with new experiences and new training, I have a much more clear direction. During the next several months, in addition to completing a resource guide and toolkit for Tomorrow’s Synagogue Today, I will be devoting time to revamping my website to reflect a more focused, future-oriented approach that I’d like to bring to congregations and Jewish organizations. It’s time for us to get ahead of the curve instead of playing “catch up” to yesterday’s innovations.

 

Because of some time pressures, I’m going to take a break from blogging. When I return, you’ll still recognize Herring Consulting Network, but you’ll also see the fruits of my planning for how to continue to help synagogues, organizations and nonprofits provide greater relevance and impact into the future. Look for a new look-and a new direction!

Your Opportunity to Make Tomorrow’s Synagogue Today a Reality

Posted on: January 21st, 2013 by Hayim Herring
Tomorrow Synagogue Today

Tomorrow Synagogue Today

 

With the support of The Alban Institute and UJA-Federation of New York, I am writing a resource guide for my most recent publication, Tomorrow’s Synagogue Today. Creating Vibrant Centers of Jewish Life. I wrote this book as a thought piece, but the statement of the classical Rabbis, “The purpose of learning is action”(Avot 1:17), motivates my writing. If you’ve found the book worthwhile, you’ll have the opportunity to apply some concrete tools and resources to its ideas with this resource guide. Several people have written to me privately about how they’ve use the book. For example, I’ve heard that a number of people are either discussing it at staff meetings or congregational board meetings.

In an effort to make this resource guide focused on real world application, I’d appreciate your answering the following questions:

  1. If you’ve used the book in a group setting, how have you done so?
  2. What are the kinds of practical resources that would help you bring some of these ideas into practice?

 

Even if you haven’t read the book, or have not used it for study, think back to other books on congregational life that you’ve used and respond to these questions.

 

Thank you for your help,

 

Rabbi Hayim Herring

Reflections for Leaders on the 1987 Soviet Jewry March on Washington

Posted on: November 29th, 2012 by Hayim Herring
Reflections for Leaders on the 1987 Soviet Jewry March on Washington

photo from: pjranosa, dribble.com

This week’s post was written by a colleague of mine, Wendy Grinberg. When you read the post, you’ll understand why I was especially interested in having her share her reflections. Thank you, Wendy!


On December 6, 1987, I joined 250,000 others in a March on Washington to free Soviet Jewry. Seventeen years later, almost to the day, I met a man from the FSU who became my husband. This cause played a big part in my youth, but I didn’t think about how it had changed my adult life and the lives of so many others until I stopped to reflect on the march and the movement that surrounded it. Much about the Jewish community, the world, and the way we organize has changed, but I think some truths about leadership and contribution have stayed the same.

What has stayed the same? People want to be part of something that matters. The Washington Post article I saved from December 6 mentions that “many ‘grass-roots’ Jews who never before have carried placards in pro-Soviet Jewry rallies, or even been members of Jewish groups, will be taking part today, including some who are traveling long distances.” The cause was compelling, and people wanted participate. Clay Shirky calls this “the plausible promise” – “a message framed in big enough terms to inspire interest, yet achievable enough to inspire confidence.” (Here Comes Everybody, pp 17-18) In 1987, people needed to show up on the National Mall to send a message. For some people, this was harder than others, but they did it, and they were counted.

What has changed? Now it’s a lot easier for people to quickly self-organize behind a cause. Living in an area affected by Superstorm Sandy, I saw this unfold over the past month. I’ve seen calls to help victims of Sandy in the following places and more: the local Starbucks drive-through, my gym, an online mom’s group, my childrens’ music classes, individuals on Facebook, Donors Choose, The American Red Cross via ABC television, synagogues, Federations, JCCs and smaller Jewish organizations. I’ve also read about people frustrated that they couldn’t find a place that needed their help. It wasn’t a coordinated effort, and the question still stands as to whether or not it was or will be more effective, but it is a good example of how people today come together around a cause.

There are some lessons here for Jewish leaders. Today’s Jewish organizations must be nimble enough to respond to issues and organize immediately, without being bogged down in red tape or outdated policies. They have to put the power back in the hands of the people in order to stay responsive and relevant. Otherwise, people will do it on their own. They will use the technologies and networks they have at hand and respond right away. That’s how people are making a difference today.

The metaphor that comes to mind is the sukkah. Although it appears fragile, it has persevered as part of our tradition. The walls are flimsy and permeable (if not absent) for the weather to penetrate. The spirit of the holiday teaches us to invite people in. At the same time, the frame is solid enough to offer some structure, and through the roof there is a vision of a higher truth. Finally, it can be constructed or taken down in a matter of hours. Jewish organizations need to be able to respond to the world while providing a vision and a framework to direct the energies and passions of the people.

More important than the organization is the purpose. “Save a Soul…March on Washington.” This message outlines the cause and what people can do about it, all on a button. Could your organization’s cause fit on a button? Do people know what it is? Can they explain it to others? Jewish organizations must be able to formulate a compelling, straightforward and achievable message. Recently a friend from the FSU learned that I had been at the rally in 1987, right around the time when her family emigrated to the US. “I didn’t know you did that,” she said. “Thank you. It made a difference.” In the end, isn’t knowing you made a difference all that really matters?

Wendy Grinberg is the founder and director of the Jewish Education Lab and clinical faculty at HUC-JIR’s New York School of Education.You can contact her at grinbergconsulting@gmail.com.She has two Russian speaking children and is proud to say she makes a tasty summer borsht.

Leadership in a Time of Crisis: Frontline Reflections on Hurricane Sandy

Posted on: November 2nd, 2012 by Hayim Herring
Leadership in a Time of Crisis: Frontline Reflections on Hurricane Sandy

photo from: david_shankbone, flickr.com

I was in in New York City several days before and after Hurricane Sandy, planning to facilitate two programs. Needless to say, that didn’t happen.

During this time, I’ve had a chance to watch three leaders, all different in personality and style, grapple with overwhelming loss and destruction: Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. Chris Christie. While all different, they share certain characteristics that are worth noting (in addition to being exceptional in the face of this unprecedented catastrophe).

A final note: I lived in New York for a decade and visit frequently for work and to see family. (I also spent six summers in Atlantic City as a teenager.) I know New York and I can only describe the scenes as surreal. If you haven’t done so already, I hope that you’ll make a donation to a disaster relief organization.

The Relationship between Sight and Vision

Posted on: October 24th, 2012 by Hayim Herring
The Relationship between Sight and Vision

photo from: alban.org

In last week’s Alban’s Weekly Newsletter, Alban Field Consultant, Linda Rich, wrote a thoughtful post on the use of the metaphor of site and seeing to capture the multifaceted roles of today’s rabbis. In the coming weeks, as we read those weekly torah readings (parshiyot) dealing with our founding matriarchs and patriarchs, our first leaders, the use of the Hebrew word for “seeing” is especially pronounced. For example, God commands Abraham to journey to a land that God will make show him (Genesis 12:1). Likewise, at the end of his life, Abraham is commanded by God to sacrifice his son Isaac on an unknown mountain that God makes visible to him on the third day of his journey. Sarah sees Yishmael interacting inappropriately with Isaac (Genesis 21: 9), causing Hagar to flee to the desert with her son. When she runs out of water, she can’t stand the sight of Ishmael perishing from thirst (Genesis 21: 16), and although a well of water is in front of her, she doesn’t see it until God opens her eyes (Genesis 21:19). And Rebecca is able to perceive which of her twins is the most fit heir to traditions of Isaac and Abraham (Genesis 27). Our roots began with visionary leaders, and Rich’s article reminds us that rabbis are heirs to that tradition.

Paradigm Shift For Jewish Involvement

Posted on: September 24th, 2012 by Hayim Herring

Paradigm Shift For Jewish Involvement

photo from: thejewishweek.com

This article originally appeared in The Jewish Week.

In the old days, that is, until about a decade ago, when people wanted to do contribute good to society they looked for a non-profit organization whose work appealed to them. They volunteered for a project or committee, and veteran volunteers mentored them about how the work was done. If they were passably good at their volunteer service, they would move up the ranks, possibly even becoming president. They might repeat this pattern over the course of a lifetime, serve several organizations and, in turn, “teach the ropes” to new volunteers.

In this model of involvement, there was a right way and a wrong way to get things done and one year’s program often served as the next year’s template. This pattern of involvement created predictability for organizations but, over time, unresponsiveness in addressing new community problems.

This serial pattern of lifelong involvement was widespread in the Jewish community, and I still observe some baby boomers in my own community continuing it. For example, there was frequent overlap between those who volunteered for federations and Jewish Community Centers or synagogues and Jewish camps. Organizations often recruited successful volunteer leaders from other organizations into their ranks, a logical practice but one with positive and negative benefits. On the one hand, organizations were more secure in knowing that someone with trusted leadership experience would act responsibly. Yet, this informal rotation of leaders from one organization to the next created the appearance of a privileged club and also fostered a narrower sense of communal vision.

But the days when individuals became leaders of one established organization after another are coming to an end. When Gen Xers and Millenials identify an issue they want to get involved in, they don’t perceive a need to work through a volunteer organization. And why would they? They know how to be their own marketers, fundraisers and communicators, and they can mobilize a global community around an issue on their terms and time frame.

An outstanding book by Beth Kanter and Allison H. Fine captures this shift in how younger generations volunteer and work; it is appropriately titled, “The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change.” Just imagine how the next generation will be able to apply social media tools that are native to them to help contribute good to the world.

Boomers at least have feelings for Jewish organizations. They aren’t always positive, but when boomers talk about them, they evoke some emotion. With younger generations, Jewish organizations don’t elicit a response because they are often just plain irrelevant to them. They have no need for them because they are empowered to act individually by the web and social media.

Having lived in the interactive era of Web 2.0 for not quite a decade, we have an understanding about the nature of online community, the need for a vital organizational web presence and the requirement of interactive and dynamic communication with constituents. While still in its early evolutionary stages, I’d like to suggest that we are already in transition to a Web 3.0 environment. Web 2.0 meant that Jewish organizations needed to replicate their bricks and mortar presence online. Bricks and mortar and bytes and click ran parallel to one another. Web 3.0 means that defining principles of online social media, like collaboration, co-creation, improvisation and empowerment must now be practiced in the physical world. In other words, the characteristics of the web that enable individuals to self-direct their lives must now flow back into all organizational spaces: in someone’s home, on the web or inside institutional walls. This is definitely another paradigm shift for organizations.

What are some of the implications for Jewish organizations? A Web 3.0 environment demands that leaders possess an exceptionally crisp understanding of their purpose, their capabilities and the values that inform their work. Because unlike boomers and older generations, today’s and tomorrow’s generations expect to self-direct all aspects of their lives. They often believe that there’s a better way to take care of business then by respectfully following the status quo, and they are often correct. So if Jewish organizations hope to have even a chance of tapping into these generations, they will have to know their mission well and then make space for younger volunteers to work in the way that they are accustomed.

With 5773 nearing, it’s natural for those of us who live and breathe Jewish community to reflect on how to engage younger generations not just in episodic causes but also in a deeper, consistent life of Jewish community. I still believe and hope that younger generations will come to appreciate that while they have the power to perform tremendous individual good, the impact of collective action transcends what they can accomplish on their own. That’s why it’s worth asserting the value of community, as national leaders like UJA-Federation of New York’s CEO, John Ruskay, continues to do. Time will tell whether younger generations will reach this conclusion. But at a minimum, those of us who have been around for some time can recognize that we’re in the early stages of the next organizational shift and lead by embracing it.

Rabbi Hayim Herring is CEO of Herring Consulting Network, a firm that “prepares today’s leaders for tomorrow’s organizations by advancing future oriented solutions for nonprofit leaders. He recently authored “Tomorrow’s Synagogue Today: Creating Vibrant Centers of Jewish Life,” published by The Alban Institute.