About the Department of Leadership Development
The department of leadership development was established in 1992. In its 16 years of activity, it has become a vital component of United Synagogue's commitment to providing direct service to our congregations. The department has developed a pattern of activities that benefit the regions, individual synagogues, boards of trustees, and specific officers of congregations. Close to 300 synagogues have participated in the board of trustees' training seminars, led by the department's director, Rabbi Moshe Edelman.
In seminars tailored to each congregation and held at its building, lay leaders can get help in writing a synagogue mission statement. They participate in exercises and discussions on programming, fundraising, committee efficiency, leadership skills, membership outreach and retention, volunteer motivation, building an effective board, and creating a team of lay and professional leaders.
Regional directors also lead seminars for local congregations and coordinate multicongregational gatherings where lay leaders work with Rabbi Edelman to develop their leadership skills.
Sulam, the program whose goal is to enhance the role of a synagogue president as a role model of an observant Conservative Jew, has proved to be a great success in leadership training. Vice presidents of congregations spend Thursday afternoon through Sunday morning in intensive study preparing for their presidencies. Since it began, 33 sessions have been conducted throughout North America. The 885 vice presidents and other leaders who attended represented more than 300 congregations. Sulam is open to vice presidents from affiliated congregations. Click here to learn when the next Sulam will be held.
The Sulam experience includes more than 16 training sessions, extensive networking, a beautiful Shabbat celebration, and study of Jewish texts on leadership.
For more information about the leadership development department or any of its program, please call Rabbi Moshe Edelman at 646 519-9290 or email him at edelman@uscj.org.
