MASORTI ALMERE-WEESP, The Netherlands
Thanks to the L.E.T Grundtvig Project we took up the challenge to communicate on a different level with our organization members, by discussing openly about our principles and starting points. We spoke about our view towards egalitarianism and about outreach, which was the main topic in our Succah meeting, (see "best practice example" below). By discussing our views and our doubts the board showed itself vulnerable, which caused members to see the necessity to join in the organization of activities and active outreach. We also implemented several of the skills we were taught, like the "one to one" meetings, in order to get to know the expectations of our members and non members, and we had a "hearing campaign" about those expectations. Both were very useful to our board and members. We also recruited one new volunteer to our board.
During our board meetings we told our board about all the leadership skills we were taught and tried to find out which skills were applicable to each board member. This resulted in a more professional manner to use the board members and their personal skills on different occasions.
As for the interfaith side of the project, we invited different groups of other ethnicities and show them our synagogue and give them a lecture about the history and future of the Jews in the Netherlands and especially in the surroundings of Weesp and Almere. The evening was followed by a discussions about interfaith and ways to help each other in different matters.
During the L.E.T Grundtvig project our contacts with other European communities were refreshing. To exchange ideas, visions; to meet and share someone else thoughts; to learn from each other’s experiences. We are a small and still young organization and it is sometimes difficult to believe in our survival, between the powers of attraction of the Dutch Jewish Orthodoxy, the Reform and the still growing secularization. Meeting and sharing each other’s experiences gave the energy to continue.
We would like to go for stronger cooperation of Europe’s Masorti organizations. To continue learning from each other successes and failures. We would like to continue with annual meetings, even after the Grundtvig Project has finished. In contemporary modern Europe cooperation is the only way to survive and to serve the Jewish nation as a whole. Only together we can be strong; only together we will be able to have ourselves seen as an attractive and a meaningful way of Jewish life.
During our board meetings we told our board about all the leadership skills we were taught and tried to find out which skills were applicable to each board member. This resulted in a more professional manner to use the board members and their personal skills on different occasions.
As for the interfaith side of the project, we invited different groups of other ethnicities and show them our synagogue and give them a lecture about the history and future of the Jews in the Netherlands and especially in the surroundings of Weesp and Almere. The evening was followed by a discussions about interfaith and ways to help each other in different matters.
During the L.E.T Grundtvig project our contacts with other European communities were refreshing. To exchange ideas, visions; to meet and share someone else thoughts; to learn from each other’s experiences. We are a small and still young organization and it is sometimes difficult to believe in our survival, between the powers of attraction of the Dutch Jewish Orthodoxy, the Reform and the still growing secularization. Meeting and sharing each other’s experiences gave the energy to continue.
We would like to go for stronger cooperation of Europe’s Masorti organizations. To continue learning from each other successes and failures. We would like to continue with annual meetings, even after the Grundtvig Project has finished. In contemporary modern Europe cooperation is the only way to survive and to serve the Jewish nation as a whole. Only together we can be strong; only together we will be able to have ourselves seen as an attractive and a meaningful way of Jewish life.
Best Practice
As part of our homework job we had a group conversation with some of our members in our Succah in Almere. We had a good talk with each other and we did listen one to the other. We spoke about three questions.
- How does Masorti Almere-Weesp look like in five years’ time?
- What must be done for that and how can you support this?
- Do you know any people whom you could bring along some time, in an attempt to try to strengthen the organization?
The conversation group consisted of ten very different participants. Some were involved from the beginning and others only shortly. Ages varied from 16 up to 75. Men and women; members of the board and other people. We had an open discussion where every participant was able to speak, and where everyone
listened carefully to each other. The participants from the earliest period spoke about the many attempts that were made in the past to spread the name of Masorti Almere-Weesp and what it yielded.
The younger generation brought in some fresh ideas. One attendant is in contact with a group of people forming monthly an independent minyan. He is willing to try to bring us into contact with this group. Another idea was to start using modern social media as Facebook,Twitter, etc.
It was a good experience to speak with each other about our dreams for the future of our organization Masorti Almere-Weesp. This discussion proved that it is important to have more people actively involved in the development of our organization.
As part of our homework job we had a group conversation with some of our members in our Succah in Almere. We had a good talk with each other and we did listen one to the other. We spoke about three questions.
- How does Masorti Almere-Weesp look like in five years’ time?
- What must be done for that and how can you support this?
- Do you know any people whom you could bring along some time, in an attempt to try to strengthen the organization?
The conversation group consisted of ten very different participants. Some were involved from the beginning and others only shortly. Ages varied from 16 up to 75. Men and women; members of the board and other people. We had an open discussion where every participant was able to speak, and where everyone
listened carefully to each other. The participants from the earliest period spoke about the many attempts that were made in the past to spread the name of Masorti Almere-Weesp and what it yielded.
The younger generation brought in some fresh ideas. One attendant is in contact with a group of people forming monthly an independent minyan. He is willing to try to bring us into contact with this group. Another idea was to start using modern social media as Facebook,Twitter, etc.
It was a good experience to speak with each other about our dreams for the future of our organization Masorti Almere-Weesp. This discussion proved that it is important to have more people actively involved in the development of our organization.