Mandate

 


The Canadian Council of Conservative Synagogues (CCCS) was created in 2008. Beth Emeth Bais Yehuda Synagogue (“Beth Emeth”) was among the founding members and has been an active participant in the development of the organization from inception.

The CCCS became a registered charity effective November 1, 2010.

The CCCS’s intention and objective is to build a community of Conservative Synagogues within Canada and to strengthen the Conservative movement within Canada.

The CCCS mandate, revisited just over a year ago and completely revamped, includes the following objectives:

 

a)      Facilitate the growth of Conservative Judaism in Canada, to the advantage of all member congregations through increased awareness and individual membership.
Give a voice to the Conservative Judaism movement in Canada.

b)      Facilitate co-operative programming among the member synagogues

c)      Provide and facilitate support for congregations through the sharing of existing resources (e.g. visiting clergy, sharing of programming ideas, emergency responses to member synagogue needs, directing information and needs requests to appropriate persons)

UPDATE

1.      We have supported the Hebrew High School which is operational and involves over 35 children from many synagogues.

2.      The March trip to Washington, D.C. is proceeding and preliminary enquiries suggest the trip will be well attended and successful, as was the trip to New York City last year.

3.      We held a Webinar as a first effort in our attempt to provide Board training. Further webinar programs are scheduled.

4.      The youth directors of member congregations in Toronto convened a meeting and are in the process of planning a joint program. This was facilitated by the CCCS but the initiative came from the youth directors and they are running the program autonomously, with financial and administrative support through the CCCS office.

5.      We have convened regular meetings of the representatives of the member synagogues, encouraging co-operative communication and involvement.

6.      We have pursued expansion and outreach. Two Toronto synagogues have expressed serious interest in becoming involved with the CCCS. The webinar was viewed by two synagogues (Montreal, Winnipeg) who are not members. The synagogue in Kingston, recently converted to a Conservative synagogue has expressed interest in membership as well.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY FROM THE UPDATED MANDATE.

Support should be provided for the following:

(i)                 The Hebrew High School program in Toronto, subject to a review in the spring.. This will function to support both the youth and educational objectives of the organization. Expansion in future years should be encouraged.

(ii)               Educational programs should be co-coordinated and facilitated by the CCCS for member synagogues and for the community. This year CCCS is a major sponsor for the Melton Educational Program, which provides for Jewish education for approximately 75 adults who study on a weekly basis under the aegis of that program. 

Additional educational programs and seminars will be considered for future programming.

(iii)             Youth Director meetings should be facilitated in order to encourage continued support among the youth directors. The momentum of co-operation which now exists should be supported to insure that it continues. The youth directors and representatives at these summits can determine if further support is beneficial and to what extent.

(iv)             If considered desirable, an annual youth convention/shabbaton should be organized, with the co-operation of the youth directors and synagogue representatives. The timing, topic and location will be determined at the youth director summits. Implementation will be facilitated with professional help provided by the CCCS.

(v)                The CASY logo and concept should be maintained, at least nominally, pending re-evaluation at a later date. The member congregations should be encouraged to publicize the concept as part of their overall approach. The notion that “CASY was established in our synagogue to create socially engaging programs for our teen community at the shul” (quoted from the Adath Israel Shabbat Bulletin) should be promoted internally.

(vi)             If considered desirable, an annual or bi-annual conference/convention should be organized to allow member congregations to meet and discuss topics of mutual interest. The Board of Directors, or a subcommittee of the Board, will direct a contracted profession to facilitate the event (see budget proposal).

(vii)           Public policy statements and a method for conveying same to interested governmental bodies and other institutions should be developed through a subcommittee of the Board and the Rabbinic committees. A public face for the CCCS should be developed and encouraged.

(viii)         A concerted effort to invite non-member synagogues to become members should be undertaken. To that end, various members of the Board of Directors or appointees should act as “shaliach” for the CCCS. Portraying the organization as non-exclusive and encouraging members of the USCJ to participate as members notwithstanding their other affiliation, and creating a dues structure to facilitate same, would be consistent with the idea of building a Canadian Conservative community of synagogues.

(ix)             Facilitating the resolution of common issues (Charitable Status/Canada Revenue Agency concerns; harassment policies, membership issues) by locating appropriate parties to provide assistance and working with member synagogues co-operatively and collectively.

(x)               Provide support for synagogues through the sharing of resources, such as providing visiting clergy, providing cantorial or rabbinic support if needed, sharing of youth programming ideas if requested, or sharing of experiences if programs are planned but not yet instituted.

(xi)             Promoting Conservative Judaism in the community to encourage membership and to increase involvement and participation.

(xii)           Encourage participating in “zero-cost” programming consistent with the mandate of the organization. This should include establishing a relationship with strategic community organizations.

(xiii)         Facilitate meetings using video technology (available at Federation building, for example) in order to increase inclusion of members.

(xiv)         Provide confidential mediation services to member synagogues for internal and external matters of conflict through referral to persons who might assist in dispute resolution.

(xv)           Support and encourage the ongoing involvement of the clergy to the development of the CCCS.


Prepared by Eric Gossin, President of CCCS
January 10, 2012