Auerbach Central Agency for Jewish Education

NESS

Program for Organizational Development
(POD)

The Program for Organizational Development (POD) focuses on building the leadership capabilities of synagogue professional and lay leaders and facilitating their efforts to transform the synagogue school in order to provide the highest quality of meaningful Jewish education.

The POD approaches this initiative from a systems perspective, viewing the school as a web of relationships that, over the years, has developed a set of integrated practices or customary ways of doing things. Practices in one part of a system impact those in other parts and, while systems strive to maintain stability and consistency, to thrive they must also adapt to change.

At the start of the NESS initiative, each synagogue/school assembles a POD team that represents the organization's major constituencies. The team may include the educational director, rabbi, synagogue president, cantor, youth leaders, teachers, school committee members, a teenage student, and other interested synagogue members. Using a creative yet focused process, the team clarifies a shared vision of excellence for the school and develops a mission statement that is a clear and concise expresssion of the school's purpose. Then, using feedback from the Jewish School Assessment and School Improvement Process (JSASIP), the team sets goals and develops plans to implement changes that will realize their vision.

While change initiatives start within the POD team, members take on additional leadership roles by promoting discussion and sharing ideas and perspectives with the larger synagogue community. They may also organize and facilitate committees to develop specific programs and initiatives.

Throughout this process, team members gain expertise in leading sustainable change that can be transferred to future projects.

Please direct all questions to Anita Block, Director of the NESS Initiative, at 215-635-8940, ext. 1235 or ablock@acaje.org.