L’Dor va-Dor: Congregations across Generations

How do we develop congregations for people across the lifespan?

Facilitated by Rabbi Dayle A. Friedman

For Jewish professionals and lay leaders of congregations and havurot

Mondays 3:00 pm-4:00 pm EST—April 9, April 23, May 7

North American synagogues are widely oriented to serving people on a small slice of the lifespan. We are relatively adept at reaching families with young children, and quite challenged at reaching the growing numbers of young adults, Baby Boomers and elders. We need a new model for engagement that will empower us to be relevant, compelling and accessible to Jews throughout the life cycle. This Learning Network will introduce a lifespan approach to Judaism. We will explore spiritual challenges and opportunities for life stages beyond childhood. We will work with a lifespan engagement assessment tool to assess the level of engagement of cohorts within congregational life, and we will employ strategies for devising programs and services that can engage a diversity of congregants, so that we can truly live our Jewish lives l’dor va-dor, from generation to generation.

Rabbi Dayle Friedman, MA, MSW, BCC, has been working to connect generations and to bring meaning to people in the second half of life for over 30 years. She offers pastoral care, spiritual direction, and consulting through Growing Older, her Philadelphia-based, national practice, www.growingolder.net. Her most recent book is Jewish Wisdom for Growing Older: Finding Your Grit and Grace Beyond Midlife (Jewish Lights, 2015).