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If you ask Gary Kerzner, president of Forest Hills Jewish Center (FHJC) in Queens, NYC, about what it’s been like to be a new synagogue president over the past year, he just laughs.
“It’s never boring!” Kerzner says. “It’s shocking how much work is involved. I’m typically working five or six hours per day, and five or six days per week. But that’s a good thing!”
Forest Hills Jewish Center is a thriving congregation that has been experiencing tremendous growth and engagement, he says. The synagogue has a robust calendar of adult education, religious school, choir, Men’s Club, Sisterhood, and young adult engagement, plus a growing preschool.
“It was truly a shock to see how much effort goes on behind the scenes,” Kerzner says. “We have so many generous volunteers to make it happen.”
Kerzner credits two things with the center’s growth: an energetic new rabbi and a well-oiled system of volunteers welcoming visitors.
“People really love our new rabbi, Rabbi Daniel Graber,” he says. “He is warm, engaging, and dynamic. I’m thankful to have a close relationship with him as our center’s president.”
The center’s beloved Rabbi Emeritus Gerald C. Skolnik had been with the congregation for over 40 years before Rabbi Graber started in May 2023. Kerzner says, “Big shoes to fill, for sure. And a big opportunity, that could have been a big challenge, for Rabbi Graber to drive his own legacy.”
Kerzner credits USCJ with helping FHJC’s clergy, professional staff, and lay leadership bond and develop strong relationships. He worked with Linda Sussman, USCJ’s synagogue consultant for the METNY region, to set up a custom two-hour workshop for the team.
“It was such a great way to kick off the year,” Kerzner says. “It really helped us gel as a team. We were a little worried at first about how to become a strong team quickly, with a new president and a new rabbi starting at once. Linda talked to us about synagogue teambuilding, helped us open up new lines of communication, and led us through setting the tone we wanted for the year.”
He also participated in USCJ’s flagship leadership conference, Sulam for Presidents.
“Being in the same virtual room as other presidents facing similar challenges was rewarding,” he said. “We brainstormed new ideas I would have never thought of on my own. And I took the ideas I learned back to my executive board to implement.”
During Sulam for Presidents, Kerzner recalls feeling especially inspired by discussions about expressing the synagogue’s values through creating a message to rally the congregation around.
“Sulam helped me decide on ‘Warm and Welcoming’ as our core message,” Kerzner says. “Inclusivity has always been in our bones, and this message expresses that.”
FHJC put “Warm and Welcoming” into action by developing a committee of volunteer welcomers. Like many synagogues, the center has volunteer greeters at the doors on Shabbat to welcome attendees and give directions. A new spin Kerzner added was to develop a committee of sanctuary volunteers to look for new faces and invite visitors to stay for kiddush, placed at tables of friendly faces. This helps visitors make new friends quickly and establish a human connection to the synagogue.
“We’ve gained at least 30 new member families with this initiative,” Kerzner says. These member units represent nearly 10% growth in the overall membership of the synagogue.
Looking back on his first year as president, Kerzner is proud of everything the synagogue has accomplished.
“My best advice would be to learn how to share your goals and vision with your volunteers and convince them it’s worth doing,” he said. “If they don’t believe in it, they won’t show up. Oh, but if they do – that’s when the magic happens.”
