Update from the TAA Community Visioning Team

Please join us at a Panel Presentation and a Listening Session

Dear TAA Member,

TAA’s new Community Visioning Team is continuing its work to

1) define who we are as a congregation, what we do well, and what we could do even better and 2) guide our congregation through the process of considering TAA’s continuing affiliation with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ). This work will help us create a vision for TAA’s future and prepare us for the search for a new rabbi. Our hope is by engaging with as many of you as possible during the next few weeks, we will be in a position of strength to move forward.

As we consider our future, we are exploring whether TAA should become an independent congregation. We are considering this option as it may put us in a stronger position as we seek to hire a permanent rabbi. There are stringent rules about our congregation looking outside the Conservative Movement for a rabbi, and the available pool of Conservative rabbis is smaller than the nationwide demand. Even if TAA decides to become an independent congregation, however, it does not mean that we will change our practices and traditions.

We have two new initiatives to announce:

A) On Friday, April 21 from 12-1 pm, please join us for a Zoom Panel Discussion with speakers from three congregations that were formerly affiliated congregations and are now independent congregations. This will be a great opportunity to understand how these congregations made this important decision. Bo Abrams and Andy Matlow will facilitate this conversation. For those of you who cannot participate live, this panel discussion will be recorded. Register for Zoom here.

B) On four dates in April, we will host Listening Sessions for all members to 1) share your views on what you love most about TAA and what we should do to make TAA even stronger and 2) learn more about the challenges of finding a new rabbi.

Daniel Langenthal, a consultant with USCJ, will play a lead role at all four of these sessions with support from the Community Visioning Team.

Below are the dates for the Listening Sessions. We hope that each of you will attend a session.

Wednesday night, April 19 at 7:30 pm on Zoom. Register for Zoom here.
Tuesday night, April 25 at 7:30 pm on Zoom. Register for Zoom here.
Saturday, April 29 after Shabbat Services. This will be a live event hosted by Marilyn and other Visioning Committee members with a Kiddish Lunch. Register to attend here. The service begins at 9:00 am, with the Kiddish Lunch around 11:30 am.
Sunday, April 30 at 10:00 am. This will be a live event hosted by Phoebe and Bo with coffee and pastry. This session is for parents of children in Pre-K and the Sylvia Cohen Family Learning Project, as well as for younger members. Register to attend here.

If you need any further information, please reach out to anyone on the Community Visioning Team.

Thank you!

Sam Silverman and Ruth Budelmann, Co-chairs

Community Visioning Committee Members: