Oak Park Temple
B'nai Abraham Zion

1235 N. Harlem Avenue
Oak Park, IL 60302
(708) 386-3937

RESPONSES TO THE “IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS” SECTION OF THE APPLICATION FOR CONGREGATIONAL SEARCH FOR A RABBI
OAK PARK TEMPLE B’NAI ABRAHAM ZION RABBI SEARCH COMMITTEE
February 26, 2008

Question #2: What three qualities are most important to you in your new rabbi?

The three most important qualities in our new rabbi are:

1. the ability to lead, based on a foundation of spirituality, a warm and approachable personality, and the ability to both inspire and exude enthusiasm;
2. the ability to teach, grounded by a deep knowledge of Jewish history, culture and liturgy, and the ability to convey that knowledge in an accessible manner; and
3. the ability to make a personal connection to members through engagement in all facets of Temple life.

Question #3: The three most important priorities of our rabbi should be:

1. Enhancing Oak Park Temple as a warm and welcoming place by being accessible to and meeting the personal, spiritual, and life-cycle needs of congregants, in particular the youth and younger congregants, being an approachable, visible and integral part of the Temple community and supporting the safe expression of minority views in our congregation.
2. Revitalizing and transforming the worship experience for congregants, with a focus on Shabbat, while enhancing congregants’ Jewish knowledge, commitment, and identity through sermons and other avenues of intellectual engagement.
3. Leading and teaching congregants through personal example, as well as from the pulpit, in both formal and informal settings, and effectively leading and collaborating with Temple staff, lay leaders, and people in the broader Jewish and secular communities in and beyond Oak Park.
   

Question #4: The single most important thing that a rabbi needs to know about this congregation is:

We are a Reform Jewish congregation, very diverse in our religious backgrounds, levels of observance and Jewish literacy, family structures, ethnicity, politics, economic status, and sexual orientation.

Our diversity reflects the community in which we are located. While Jews are a minority population in the western suburbs of Chicago, our choice to live in this community largely reflects a commitment to this diversity.

Question #5: The three activities that you LEAST want the rabbi to be involved in:

The Rabbi should not be overly involved in anything that distracts from being the spiritual leader of our congregation.

Question #6: What are the three primary goals of your synagogue?

1. To build a sense of community and a vibrant, welcoming Reform Jewish home in the western suburbs of Chicago.
2. To continue our congregation’s rich tradition of Jewish education, social action and artistic expression for all members, across the life span.
3. To create meaningful worship that energizes our membership and inspires spiritual growth and a passion for righteousness.
   

Question #7: The three most important issues to confront in your synagogue in the next five years will be:

• Retaining current members and attracting new members by being a warm and welcoming community, with specific focus on engaging pre-school and post-B’nai mitzvah families; creating new avenues for current members to participate in temple life; recruiting and developing more lay leaders; and embracing the varied needs of our congregation.
• Achieving financial strength and maintaining the Temple building through growth in both dues and non-dues revenue, as well as prudent cost controls.
• The transition to a new Rabbi, who will replace a Rabbi retiring after 30 years of service to this congregation.
  

Question #8: What are your congregation’s strengths?

The strengths of Oak Park Temple include our diverse membership, our cantor, our professional educators and our commitment to high quality educational programming. Our congregation is strengthened by an extensive array of backgrounds, traditions, and family structures. Our thriving preschool, religious school, two Jewish summer camps and our Annual Congregational Retreat are embraced by our members. Our vibrant adult programs offer creative avenues for members to share their knowledge and explore Judaism.

Question #9: What are your congregation’s weaknesses?

1. Worship is not meeting the needs of many of our congregants, although we do not agree on specifics of how to address the issues that contribute to this situation. We view the low number of regular attendees attendance at services as a measure of dissatisfaction with worship.
2. Lack of involvement reflects some members’ feelings of disconnectedness from the temple. Some members want to be more involved but feel discouraged in their efforts to break in to the community.
3. There are members who are dissatisfied with the leadership of the congregation--how it is chosen and how it is developed. The congregation has not adequately addressed integration of new members and leadership development.