| ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNANCE |
The current organization
has little in the way of documented structure and procedures. The Temple
By-laws are vague regarding the specific duties of various lay leadership
and committee roles, there is no formal organization chart, and the
administrative procedures and rulings are either undocumented or widely
scattered in various committee and board meeting minutes. Rather, the
organization and governance of the Temple remains relatively flexible
and responsive to the incumbents running it at any point in time and
takes on somewhat different appearances with passing administrations
and individuals. The lack of documentation, however, creates communications
gaps which makes continuity difficult as individuals enter, leave or
change roles in the Temple structure.
The Temple Beth El By-laws are currently
being reviewed by a committee, and a major revision to those by-laws
is expected to be introduced for membership approval in 1997.
The "Revised By-laws of the Temple
Beth El Building Association, Inc." (May 18, 1988) designate:
The President to appoint (with
approval of the Executive Committee) standing and other committees,
serve as ex-officio member of all committees, and to preside over Temple
and Board of Trustees meetings.
An unspecified number of Vice Presidents
to perform duties of the President in his absence, as well as "such
duties the President may request".
The Treasurer to maintain the financial
books, disburse funds (at direction of the Board of Trustees or Executive
Committee), and serve as chairman of the Finance Committee.
The Secretary to attend membership
and Board of Trustees meetings and to "keep accurate record of
the proceedings of such meetings".
The Rabbi to conduct divine services
and have general supervision over the religious instruction of the children.
The Finance Committee prepare budgets,
review revenues and expenses, and report to the Board of Trustees.
The House Committee to supervise
and maintain the Temple property, equipment and grounds.
The Board of Education (independently
elected from the Board of Trustees, but whose members are subject to
approval/removal by that board) to administer the religious school,
set curriculum, employ teachers, and prepare separate budgets for the
Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees.
The Divine Services Committee to
determine with the Rabbi the form of worship.
The Pew Committee to supervise
sale of pew seats and maintain pew records.
The Arts and Beautification Committee
to develop and administer policy and standards with respect to non-cash
gifts to the Temple and non-structural improvements.
The Executive Committee (Temple
Officers plus immediate past president) to administer the affairs of
the Temple subject to the direction of the Board of Trustees.
The office staff currently functions under
a November 8, 1991 memo from the President outlining the duties of the
staff as:
an office administrator whose duties
include supervising the office staff and maintenance personnel, arranging
significant Temple events, preparing the Temple Bulletin
an office bookkeeper, who also
reports to the Temple Treasurer.
There are 25-30 current committees or "Temple
Arms" documented, some of which exist in name only. These are
composed of Temple members who may or may not be members of the Board
of Trustees. Committees include:
Adult Education - Assess educational
needs and wants of Beth El adult membership; develop and implement programs
to meet those needs; develop additional programs as needs arise.
Arts and Beautification - To maintain
the aesthetic appearance of the Temple and its grounds.
Beth El Cares - Beth El's coordinated
response to the community - Tikun Olam (Repairing the World) and G'milut
Hassadim (Deeds of Kindness). This is the umbrella organization for
all of Beth El's outreach programs.
Bimah - Coordinate Bimah representation
of Board for Shabbat services.
Board of Education - Impart Jewish
way of life to children and their families.
Budget/Finance - Prepare annual
Temple operating budgets; oversee all financial operations of the Temple.
By-laws (rewrite) - Investigate
desirability of by-law changes to better reflect current Temple Beth
El operating policies.
Catering - Investigate feasibility
and desirability of contracting with a caterer on terms favorable to
the Temple and its members.
Communications - Coordinate communications
to Temple members and to the press.
Council of Churches and Synagogues
Liaison - Represent Beth El at council meetings.
Employee Benefits - Implement insurance
programs for Temple employees.
Federation Liaison - Represent
Beth El to UJF.
Financial Review Committee - Maintain
oversight of all budget and expense matters for the Temple.
Fund Raising - Budget Balancing
- Recommend programs to raise funds to cover operating budget deficits.
Fund Raising - Capital Fund Drive
High Holiday - Plan and implement
programs for making the High Holy Day services smooth running and uplifting
to all attendees; arrange for participation by congregants, including
use of honors as a fund raising vehicle.
House - Maintain physical plant
in proper operational order and condition.
Israel Bonds - Promote sale of
bonds to support Israel.
Jewish Community Endowment - Promote
contributions to the community endowment fund on Temple Beth El's behalf;
recommend use of funds made available by the endowment funding process.
Membership - Develop and implement
strategies which focus on potential members, those newly joined, and
existing members with the objective of achieving and maintaining the
desired congregation size.
Men's Club - Foster a spirit of
good fellowship and friendship among members and members of Beth El;
provide program of cultural and social events according to needs of
membership; foster and support all civic purposes; sponsor and support
activities for the youth of Temple Beth El; stimulate a feeling of identification
with the life of Temple Beth El in its planning and growth; sponsor,
support and be responsible for the Men's Club Scholarship fund per its
Trust Agreement.
Minyan - Provide for 10 people
at morning services Sunday through Friday.
Pews - Determine status of pew
ownership; recommend pew ownership strategies for the future.
Project Ezra - Support members
of congregation in times of happiness, sorrow and when help is needed
in accordance with precept of daily mitzvoth. This is the umbrella organization
for Beth El's inreach programs.
Religious School - Provide a holistic
approach to Jewish education for children (pre-school through teen).
parents, adults and senior citizens.
Ritual - advise and consult with
Rabbi regarding Temple Beth El practices in the context of standards
set by United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, Rabbinical Assembly,
Emet V'Emunah, and others which define the practices of Conservative
Judaism.
Shabbat/Second Service - Provide
Shabbat morning programming for all age groups and increase attendance
by the membership. Organize and coordinate periodic participatory Shabbat
services.
Sisterhood - Enrich lives of women
of Beth El; Involve women in all areas of the Temple; Support religious
school and other Temple programs and activities; Provide for needs of
congregation in stocking kitchen for Oneg Shabbat and Kiddish activities.
Strategic Planning - Develop a
strategic plan for the Temple covering a 5-10 year period; institutionalize
the strategic planning process within the Temple operating processes.
Tree of Life - Promote sale of
leaves on the Tree of Life for fund raising purposes.
Youth - Develop and implement social
and cultural programs for Temple youth, grades 6 through12.
The roles of the Rabbi and Hazzan are formally
defined by their contracts, but their day-to-day activities and influence
within the Temple exceed the formal wording. Key provisions include:
Rabbi shall:
Act as spiritual leader of the
Synagogue, serving the religious, educational, spiritual and pastoral
needs of the membership
Be the chief interpreter of Jewish
Law for the Synagogue
Represent the Synagogue as primary
spokesman before the community
Supervise all pastoral responsibilities
regarding congregant's life cycle events
Supervise all religious services
and rites of the Synagogue
Supervise educational and youth
program of the Synagogue
Enjoy freedom of the Pulpit, inviting
others he deems qualified to share the pulpit with him from time to
time
Devote substantially full time
to the Synagogue and its members
Serve interests of larger community,
Jewish and Civic
Study, scholarship and research
opportunities as afforded by the Synagogue
Hazzan shall:
Act as leader of the Synagogue
worship experience, serving the religious, educational, spiritual and
pastoral needs of the membership
Acknowledge the Senior Rabbi as
spiritual leader of the congregation and primary religious representative
to the community
Enjoy freedom of the Pulpit, inviting
others he deems qualified to share the pulpit with him from time to
time
Devote substantially full time
to the Synagogue and its members
Study, scholarship and research
opportunities as afforded by the Synagogue
Responsibilities of the Education Director
include:
Religious school (K-8) administration,
including supervision, curriculum coordination, recruiting teaching
staff, supervision of children's services, and implementing Board of
Education and Board of Trustees policies and procedures.
Family education administration,
including supervision of programs and motivating parents to participate
in family Jewish education.
Youth education administration,
including integration of Hebrew day school into Beth El programs and
coordination of Beth El participation in Merkaz Torah (High School).
Preparation of education budgets,
including salary schedules, and approval of educational expenditures.
Supervision of social programs
for grades K-12, working through the Youth Director.
At this time, there is no Executive Director
or Assistant Rabbi on the Temple professional and clergy staff, although
there is a formal search process ongoing for an Executive Director with
the hope of filling that position for the 1997-1998 fiscal year.
Need For
Change In Organization And Governance
The simple informal
organization worked in simpler times, when a small group of people could
manage the limited affairs of the Temple. The number of people involved
and the scope of activities have expanded past the point where such
a structure is workable.
There are too many groups and individuals
involved in too many programs with too little communications and coordination.
The net result is wasteful dispersion of scarce resources and lack of
focus on key programs. There is also no mechanism for establishing
Temple-wide priorities in allocating resources among the many programs
that need them. The scarcest resources are the lay volunteers, and
the current amorphous structure quickly leads to all but the staunchest
supporters backing off from helping out.
The organization is too flat - spans of
control are too large (e.g., the President tries to oversee 30-50 committee
chairs and other Temple personnel and is spread far too thin).
The organization is too informal - responsibilities
are not clear and reporting relationships tend to be ambiguous. This
observation has been made regarding both the lay leadership and the
clergy and staff members. The confusion that often arises sometimes
leads to conflicts, for example between the school and office staffs.
The office staff have neither clear job
responsibility descriptions nor documented procedures and guidelines
to govern their efforts. This often results in inconsistent handling
of similar activities.
The lay leadership, for the most part,
have no documented procedures or guidelines to aid them in their planning
and running the Temple's many programs. This extends from the Board
of Trustees to most of the operating committees of the Temple. In such
an environment, almost every program starts with a clean slate, adds
some anecdotal experience of related activities, and proceeds to spend
an inordinate amount of resources reinventing what others before them
have invented many times over. The inconsistency of results and waste
of resources in such an environment is counter-productive.
The reliance on anecdotal history rather
than documentation impacts the continuity of the Board of Trustees'
actions. Without a book of policies, guidelines and past resolutions
to serve as road markers, trustees cannot hope to achieve cultural continuity
as the board membership changes. This appears to lead more to lack
of action by the Board than to inconsistent actions. In the recent
past, the Board has passed very few resolutions setting policy or governing
the business of the Temple.
Historically, the lack of formal policy
and procedures, coupled with the Board's slowness to govern, has yielded
an Executive Committee that functions more as a board. In such an environment,
decisions governing the affairs of the Temple could be made in Executive
Committee session and either placed before the Board as completed or,
in some cases, not placed before the Board at all. Recently, the communications
between the Executive Committee and the Board of Trustees has been far
more open; but the fact remains that there are few formal policies and
procedures governing that relationship.
The Board of Trustees themselves, although
made up of Temple members who are active in most or all of the Temple
arms and committees, is not organized to channel the energy of the lay
leadership and volunteers across the breadth of programs. The lack
of a formal structure of officer-level responsibilities in such a flat
organization makes communications and coordination channels ambiguous
or nonexistent for most practical purposes. There are simply too many
people worrying about the same problems and no one is clearly responsible
for seeing that they get resolved.
The recent fiscal crisis, with roots in
many of the shortfalls noted, has led to a lack of confidence in the
lay leadership of Temple Beth El on the part of some congregants, and
a sense of dismay and even cynicism by many others. Many changes were
instituted in the 1996-1997 and 1997-1998 fiscal years and the crisis
has alleviated somewhat, but undercurrents of discontent remain within
the congregation. There is no question that the Temple governance must
continue to change and that the change must be rapid and visible if
a new and strong culture is to form. The mechanism for the behavioral
changes that will ultimately yield the new culture can most easily be
found in a more formal organizational structure and the documented policies
and guidelines that govern the Temple.
Design Objectives
For The New Temple Organization
The objectives
of the proposed organizational design were to:
Promote stability of basic organizational
structure by allowing flexibility to expand or contract programs to
resources available to accomplish them without restructuring.
Establish clear lines of authority
and responsibility for all concerned - volunteers, professional staff,
lay leadership and clergy.
Eliminate program redundancy, overlaps
and conflicts through more centralized management.
Limit spans of control by layering
the organization and assigning specific leadership roles for key areas
of Temple life.
Focus each role in the organization
on specific Temple objectives, with concentration on a limited number
of programs.
Promote achievement of programs through
the contribution of a larger number of volunteers, each of whom can
make a real contribution to success with relatively small personal time
commitment.
Foster responsiveness of the organization
to rapidly changing conditions by streamlining decision making processes.
Foster development of individuals through
opportunities to participate at various levels of commitment, promote
coaching and mentoring throughout the organization, and allow for an
individual's progression across the breadth of Temple activities over
time.
Promote growth of the "new Temple
Beth El culture" where more people will participate, perhaps with
lower levels of individual commitment, in a vibrant and exciting spectrum
of programs.
The organization
charts of Appendix B outline the structure for Temple Beth El. It is
designed to meet the organizational objectives, with emphasis on clear
lines of responsibility and focus of individual efforts on specific
areas.
Key Roles
And Responsibilities: Lay Leadership And Member Volunteers
The Board of Trustees is elected by the Temple membership and is
responsible for governance of the Temple. There are 27 elected voting
members plus honorary Trustees and others (non-voting attendees) designated
to attend Board meetings (e.g., key committee members and special consultants,
clergy and professional staff). The Board of Trustees is ultimately
responsible for the conduct of all affairs of the Temple, both internal
and external.
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee consists of the President, 6 Vice Presidents,
Secretary, Treasurer, and immediate past President. At the President's
option, two non-voting consultants to the Executive Committee may be
appointed. The Executive Committee is responsible for advising the
President and Board of Trustees on matters of policy and guidelines.
With the exception of certain personnel and salary matters, all matters
considered by the Executive Committee will be presented to the Board
of Trustees for their information and, where required, their approval.
In their roles as officers of the Temple, members of the Executive Committee
have power to administer the affairs of the Temple, subject to policies
and guidelines then in effect and approved by the Board of Trustees.
President
As the highest elected officer, the President is responsible for
all Temple operations. The President presides over all meetings of
the Temple membership, Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee;
appoints committees and members (with approval of the Board of Trustees,
as required); and assigns duties as necessary to the appropriate Vice
Presidents, professional staff, clergy, and/or committee chairs and
members.
Secretary
The Secretary keeps the minutes of all general and special meetings
of Temple membership, Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee.
Minutes are subject to review and approval of the Board or Executive
Committee, as appropriate.
Consultants to the President
The President may appoint up to two consultants to the Executive
Committee, who may also sit on the Board of Trustees, without vote on
either (unless also an elected member of the Board).
Treasurer
The Treasurer is responsible for the Temple's operating budget and
all accounting, auditing, collection and disbursement functions of the
Temple. The Budget and Finance Committee reports to the Treasurer.
The Financial Review Committee serves as an advisory group to both the
Treasurer and Vice President - Finance.
Vice President - Finance
The Finance Vice President is responsible for the Temple's capital
budget, capital funding programs and all endowment funds associated
with the Temple. The trustee committee of the Temple Beth El Endowment
Funds reports to the Finance Vice President, as does the Capital Funding
Committee. The Financial Review Committee serves as an advisory group
to both the Treasurer and Vice President - Finance.
Vice President - Education and Youth
The Vice President - Education and Youth is responsible for the coordination
of all youth programs, both social and educational. The Youth Committee
reports to this Vice President, who also has oversight responsibility
for the activities of the Board of Education. The Education Director,
to whom the Youth Director reports, will report to the Vice President
- Education and Youth as well as to the Board of Education (which has
responsibility for curriculum and religious school operational matters).
Vice President - Facilities and Administration
The Facilities and Administration Vice President is responsible for
the buildings and grounds of the Temple, communications with members,
public relations, and all personnel and administrative matters associated
with Temple operations. The Directors of Facilities and Administration
report to this Vice President. The Facilities Director has responsibility
for the buildings and grounds, both for capital requirements projections
and for operating maintenance; including catering facilities, pew administration,
and arts and beautification programs. The Administration Director is
responsible for risk management and insurance programs, administration
of catering contracts, drafting of legal contracts and by-laws related
to Temple and committee operations, and all personnel matters associated
with the Temple clergy and professional staffs. The Administration
director is also responsible for communications about Temple personnel,
services, programs to Temple members and to the outside world.
Vice President - Social and Services
The Social and Services Vice President is responsible for all inreach
and outreach programs of the Temple, as well as programming for Temple
social activities; working through Directors of Social Activities and
Service Activities. The organization under the Social and Services
Vice President will develop almost all of the activities which define
the non-ritual related aspects of Temple life to our members and to
the community. The current Men's Club and Sisterhood organizations
are joined in the new organization by several other groups (e.g., Young
Couples Club, Singles Group, Seniors Group) to sponsor and implement
the many social and fund raising efforts associated with Temple life.
Social programs aimed at the several membership segments of the Temple
will all be planned and implemented through the Social Activities Director,
ensuring coordination and cohesiveness of the agenda. The Service Activities
Director will be responsible for coordinating all of the Temple's outreach
and inreach programs.
Vice President - Membership
The Membership Vice President has the singular critical assignment
of attracting new Temple members and bringing them into the Temple Beth
El family. This Vice President will work with the Director of Social
Activities to devise and implement programs to attract interest in the
Temple by prospective members, and to stimulate active relationships
with the Temple for those who join.
Vice President - Ritual
The Ritual Vice President is responsible for programming and implementation
of the religious activities of the Temple. Working closely with the
Senior Rabbi and with the Ritual Advisory Committee, the individuals
and committees reporting to this Vice President are chartered with ensuring
that all services are appropriately staffed and operated; including
daily minyans, Shabbat services, holiday services, the High Holy Day
services, and children/youth services.
Board of Education
The Board of Education is responsible for all Temple youth education
activities, working through an Education Director to manage the Temple
Beth El Religious School and its staff, family education programs, and
liaison with Merkaz Torah, the Hebrew High School of Stamford. The
Temple religious school is managed by the Board of Education, which
meets regularly to develop and implement school policy in conjunction
with the professional leadership of the school. The Temple Board of
Education functions according to its own by-laws, which are subject
to approval of the Board of Trustees. It consists of a Chairperson,
12 members, and such ex-officio members as may be appointed (e.g., from
amongst the Education Director, clergy members, representatives of key
Board of Trustees committees). Members are subject to approval by the
Board of Trustees, which maintains overall budget authority for funding
Board of Education managed activities.
Financial Review Committee
The Financial Review Committee provides an independent body to advise
the Treasurer and Vice President - Finance on all issues relating to
the fiscal health of the Temple. They are appointed by the President,
with Board of Trustees approval. They will be kept abreast of all Temple
financial matters through periodic reports and meetings, and will meet
periodically with the President, Treasurer and Vice President - Finance
to offer their advice and counsel.
Standing Committees
A number of operating committees should
be constituted on a permanent basis. Their membership should be reconstituted
annually by the Board of Trustees, to include some members carrying
over from the prior year to provide for continuity.
Youth Committee
The Youth Committee is responsible for social activities for youth,
working with the Youth Director, who reports to the Education Director.
The Youth Committee will coordinate their programming with the Board
of Education through the Vice President of Education and Youth, to whom
the Youth Committee reports.
Ritual Advisory Committee
The Ritual Advisory Committee is an independent committee that acts
in an advisory capacity to the Temple's clergy on all matters associated
with the religious ritual of the Temple.
Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee is responsible for providing the slate of
board and officer candidates for the annual Temple Beth El election.
Strategic Planning Committee
The Strategic Planning Committee serves as an advisory arm to the
President. . The Strategic Planning Director is responsible for maintaining
current and projected community and Temple membership demographics and
psychographics, and to utilize that information to recommend strategic
plans for Temple direction to meet emerging needs.
Operating Budget Committee
The Operating Budget Committee is responsible for preparation of
the annual operating budget of the Temple and for initiating recommendations
for changes to that budget as actual operating experience during the
year requires.
Capital Budget Committee
The Capital Budget Committee is responsible for the forecasting and
budgeting of capital expenditures for the Temple.
Operating Committees
A number of operating committees are needed
to carry on the work of the Temple. These should be created as needed
and maintained as long as their work is needed. Some may be in existence
for long periods of time, and their memberships should be reconstituted
annually by the Board of Trustees, to include some members carrying
over from the prior year to provide for continuity.
The list of committees then in existence
should be the starting point for annual review of the operating committee
structure relative to the Temple's needs for work on programs.
Key Roles
And Responsibilities: Clergy And Professional Staff
The Senior Rabbi is the spiritual leader of the Synagogue, serving
the religious, educational, spiritual and pastoral needs of the membership.
He/she is the chief interpreter of Jewish Law for the Synagogue, represents
the Synagogue as its primary spokesman before the community, supervises
pastoral responsibilities regarding congregant's life cycle events,
supervises the educational and youth program of the Synagogue, and supervises
the day-to-day operations of the Temple. The Senior Rabbi reports to
the President and works through professional staff which includes the
Hazzan, Assistant Rabbi, Executive Director, Youth Director and Education
Director. He/she is active in and will work through the many individuals
and committees of the Temple in all areas of programming which define
Temple life.
Hazzan
The Hazzan is a leader of the Synagogue worship experience, and serves
the religious, educational, spiritual and pastoral needs of the membership,
reporting to the President for day-to-day activities and to the Senior
Rabbi for matters of ritual. The Hazzan also works closely with the
religious school and in children's services programming, as well as
teaching Bar and Bat Mitzvah classes.
Assistant Rabbi
The Assistant Rabbi acts as an arm of the Senior Rabbi, taking on
assignments as delegated. He/she also has an active role in the religious
school and in programming and conducting children's services.
Education Director
The Education Director administers the educational affairs of the
Temple, including the religious school (K-8), Beth El participation
in Merkaz Torah (High School), and adult education. He/she develops
and coordinates curriculum, recruits and supervises teaching staff,
motivates parents and adult members to participate in family Jewish
education, and coordinates activities and programs with Hebrew Day School,
Merkaz Torah, and other outside educational organizations. The Education
Director reports to both the Senior Rabbi for day-to-day supervision
and to the Board of Education for school policy and curriculum direction.
The Education Director also supervises the youth social activities programs,
working through the Youth Director.
Youth Director
The Youth Director is responsible for all of the Temple youth activities,
including internal programs, and outside participation of Beth El in
Kadima and USY activities. He/she reports to
the Education Director and the Youth Committee in developing programs,
and to the Vice President of Education and Youth for matters of policy
and liaison with the Board of trustees.
Executive Director
The Executive Director is responsible for Temple operations and administration.
He/she directly supervises the office and custodial staffs, and works
with outside vendors to ensure that ongoing operations are both effective
and efficient. Areas of activity are broad, encompassing fiscal management
and fund raising, facilities management, catering, maintaining the Temple
calendar, communications with members and public relations releases,
and coordination of all aspects of Temple life among the various constituencies
involved. The Executive Director works closely with the President and
Executive Committee members. The Executive Director reports to both
the Senior Rabbi for day-to-day supervision and to the President in
matters of Temple policy.
The organization
of Temple Beth El will require that some formal processes and procedures
be in place for its governance, primarily to ensure consistency and
continuity of operations. These processes are best implemented through
a set of documentation which is maintained for reference by those involved.
Among the documents which must be collected or created and subsequently
maintained are:
Job descriptions for all lay leadership,
clergy, professionals, office and custodial staff personnel. At a minimum,
the roles and responsibilities of the position should be defined, along
with lines of authority and reporting relationships. In the case of
personnel under contract, their contract provisions should clearly reflect
the related job description.
Policies and procedures for the office
and custodial staff. At a minimum, these should reflect the policies
established by the Board of Trustees over the years (e.g., in the form
of resolutions passed at meetings of the Board). They should cover
the full breadth of ongoing operations supported by these staff members
and form a consistent framework for their interaction with members,
lay leaders, clergy and professional staff.
Policies and procedures for the clergy
and professional staff. These should reflect the policies established
by the Board of Trustees over the years and cover the full breadth of
Temple operations for which these people are responsible. All of the
key activities in their job descriptions which are guided or constrained
in some way by Temple policy should be documented for the sake of continuity
and consistency.
Program information. This should be
centrally archived, regardless of the sponsorship of the activity.
By having a central file of past programs, documented in sufficient
detail for others to follow, a collective memory is established. This
will be more effective than reliance on individuals who had past involvement
in similar programs as an enabler of organizational learning over time.
Committee membership descriptions.
All volunteers for a committee position should receive a written description
of their assignment. At a minimum, this should contain the mission
statement for their assigned committee, how it fits in the overall Temple
organization structure, the roles and responsibilities of the committee
members, and some examples of specific programs they are expected to
move forward with.
Trustees and officers manual. All officers and trustees should have in their possession a manual outlining their roles and responsibilities. At a minimum, this should include a copy of the Temple mission statement, by-laws, organizational structure and governance processes, financial data for the past and current years, and an overview of key Temple policies. Also helpful would be materials relating to the Conservative movement - both religious and secular.