Timely Program Ideas

United Synagogue's Timely Program Ideasprovide congregations with specific programming suggestions and can spark new and original program ideas.

Shabbat at Home - Programming for Friday night at home.
Putting “Mitzvah” Back into the Bar/Bat Mitzvah - Programs for Bar/Bat Mitzvah students focusing on continued learning and fulfillment of the mitzvot.
The Family Bar/Bat Mitzvah - Programs that stress the importance of the Bar/Bat Mitzvah for both the students and their families.
Autumn: The High Holidays and Beyond - Selichot through Sukkot.
Making Each Day Count - Programs focusing on the counting of the Omer and Tikun Leyl Shavuot, the traditional study session, on the first evening of Shavuot.
Keeping Shabbat - Programs focusing on the Shabbat day, both in the synagogue and at home.
Sukkot in July - Includes how to prepare both physically and spiritually for the holiday of Sukkot as well as some Sukkot programming ideas.
Building a Morning Minyan - How to encourage congregants to attend a weekday minyan and how to make new/potential members feel comfortable in the synagogue.
“Let All Who Are Hungry Come and Eat” - How to incorporate tzedakah and hospitality with the Passover holiday.
Shalach Manot - This TPI explains how to set up a congregational Shalach Manot program on Purim.
Fundraising in the Congregation - A step by step guide to successful fundraising, including some creative fundraising ideas.
Setting Up a Jewish Home Guide for Jewish Soon-To-Be-Weds - A description of important items that are vital to own and use in any Jewish home.
Mitzvot - How Much Do You Know? Two Exercises Intended to Spark New Programming Ideas - Two matching games that test knowledge of vital mitzvot, the Jewish Wedding and Kashrut. These are exercises that the ritual/religious committee should try and discuss.
Instant Siyum: SIMHATORATHON - A Program for Sukkot or Shavuot Includes details of a Torah learning program that involves the entire congregation as both students and teachers.
Fixing the World: Tikun Olam Holding a Social Service Fair - A program that allows the congregation to creatively allocate tzedakah that has been collected from congregants' individual tzedakah boxes.
Tzedakah: Caring About Our Community - Holding a Charity Fair - A program that allows the congregation to creatively allocate tzedakah that has been collected from congregants' individual tzedakah boxes.
Involving Post Bar/Bat Mitzvah Students in Synagogue Life - Programs that encourage and reward post Bar/Bat Mitzvah students for their continued involvement.
Dressing Up Jewish - The mitzvot of tzitzit, talit,and tefillin are the clothing of the Jews. Men and women can fulfill these commandments. Many programmatic ideas.
Virtual Visit to Synagogue/No Strings Attached - Two membership outreach ideas. Set up a website tour of your synagogue; and a series of kindness gestures to connect potential members to your community.

We are always looking for new successful program ideas. If your congregation has a successful program and is willing to share it with other synagogues, email the ideal to Rabbi Paul Drazen.