The mission of Temple Beth El is to fulfill the Jewish religious, educational, social and service needs of members of the Greater Stamford Jewish community who identify with Conservative Judaism, and to take its place in the area as a caring religious congregation that supports the social service needs of the community.
 
 
 
 

OBJECTIVES
 

To enforce, strengthen and promote the precepts of Conservative Judaism
 

To encourage members' understanding and appreciation of the importance of attendance at, and participation in, religious services
 

To encourage adult and youth education among its members, emphasizing the Hebrew language, Jewish history and traditions, and religious customs and ceremonies
 

To support charitable and benevolent causes within the Temple, local, national and international communities
 

To strengthen and promote egalitarianism in all congregational activities and organizational structures
 

To encourage and strengthen its members' ties to the State of Israel and to the Masorti (Conservative) Movement
 
 
 

VISION
 

Our vision of Temple Beth El in the year 2006 is:
 

The Temple is a thriving, gathering place that is:

The enthusiastically preferred spiritual home of a broad spectrum of households and individuals ranging religiously from liberal Conservative Jews to traditional Conservative Jews. Shabbat religious services are overflowing for Kabalat Shabbat and for Shacharit, there is always more than a minyan for daily services and full congregational participation in services is spontaneous and overwhelmingly moving and coalescing.

The preferred spirituality-related social venue for Jewish individuals in need of community, including teens, singles, young couples, young parents, seniors and families. Social opportunities - from those that surround religious services, to those that encompass education, heritage or just plain fun - are heavily subscribed to and attended.

The guiding light for parenting school age Jewish children.

The Jewish community's leader in heightening feelings of Jewish pride and nurturing Jewish heritage.

A leader in promoting the community's pride in and ties to the State of Israel.

The Temple's religious school is fully subscribed and is a major attraction for membership because it is the premier Jewish supplementary religious school in the community for the following reasons:

Children love to attend and parents love to send their children.

Whole families are involved in the learning experience and thrive on it.

The school experience is highly stimulating and very creative, covering both basics and more advanced areas.

The school's students graduate with a knowledge of familiar, common expressions in Hebrew that are interactive and responsive. In addition, there is an emphasis on learning prayer book Hebrew. Implementation of modern motivational techniques and applications of new learning technologies enhance Hebrew study.

Students and parents feel connected to the religious school through all of the children's elementary school, middle school and high school years, and look to the school for guidance even after that.

The school is a leader in non-resident, distance and individually guided learning, minimizing the inconvenience and difficulties caused by the previous intractability and conflicts of time and place, and of group teaching. Temple Beth El's religious school is a cornerstone of learning "any time, any place, at any pace".

Dealing with the business aspects of the school is so easy that they are almost transparent.

Temple Beth El is known as a congregation that "takes care of its own", including:

Overall and overwhelming feeling of kehilla - community - that is very much at the heart of the Temple and of each and every member.

Organized and spontaneous mutual support for all simchas and sorrows.

Clergy counseling that is qualitatively and quantitatively superior.

All members feel welcome at home and comfortable, regardless of their educational or religious level.

Temple Beth El is a leading religious institution in the area in dealing with community and social issues of all:

The atmosphere of tzedakah and tikkun olam is imbedded in the very essence of the Temple's character and in the lives of its members in ways that make life spiritually most fulfilling.

Outreach is extensive and well recognized.

Temple members are heavily involved, particularly youth.

The Temple is an exceptionally well managed business that delivers well understood value to its members, providing:

High quality responsiveness to every-day and special member needs.

A consistently comfortable financial picture that routinely enable the Temple to mature according to its vision and plans, including:

Financial management that is above reproach.

A congregational mindset that high levels of financial support of the Temple are an important and necessary investment.

Staff that puts the membership first at all times.

The greatest ease of Temple business communication by and to members through technology and people skills such that:

The Temple is a model for any organization in communicating with its "customers".

Dealing with business aspects of the Temple is effortless.

A facility that is always a source of great pride to Temple members.

Volunteerism is extensive, challenging the Temple's ability to put all to work.