by Jill Huber
NJJN Bureau Chief/Monmouth

January 22, 2008

With an estimated 1.5 million members spread over nearly 900 congregations, Reform Judaism would seem like an American success story.

But when he spoke to delegates at the Union for Reform Judaism’s biennial convention in San Diego in December, Peter Weidhorn of Manalapan warned against a precipitous decline in family membership after a child’s bar or bat mitzva.

“The most pressing challenge for congregations is attracting and retaining members,” Weidhorn told the delegates.

Now it is up to Weidhorn to lead efforts to meet that challenge as the newly elected chair of the URJ’s board of trustees, the top lay leadership position in the Reform movement.

In his two-year term (candidates may run for a total of two successive terms), Weidhorn said he plans to help congregations attract and retain members, increase fund-raising to reduce the pressure on membership dues, and improve interaction between URJ and the leaders and members of its congregations.

“We have to stop the revolving door of membership,” he told biennial attendees. “In this effort, and in all things, I believe that the measure of our strength is found in the strength of our individual congregations. Every congregation has its unique needs and challenges, but as part of the Reform movement, each can draw on the experiences of others. Being part of the movement means that together we can accomplish what none of us can do alone.”

And the strength of the Reform movement can result in a host of positive outcomes, Weidhorn told NJ Jewish News when he returned from San Diego.

“Whether we achieve our ultimate purpose, which is to create and sustain Reform Jewish congregations, depends at its core upon the talent and skill of our professionals and their ability to communicate Judaism’s rich teachings to the broader movement,” he said.

Weidhorn served as URJ board vice chair for four years and succeeds Robert Heller of New York City. Before his retirement several years ago, Weidhorn served as chair, president, and CEO of WNY Group, Inc., an equity real estate investment trust.

Weidhorn has been actively involved in URJ for more than 15 years and, in addition to his position as vice chair, also served in a variety of other capacities, including treasurer and chair of the budget and management committees and as a leader of the effort to strengthen and expand URJ’s summer camp system.

Weidhorn also oversaw the sale of URJ’s headquarters in New York, the proceeds of which enabled URJ to establish an endowment.

A former president of Temple Shaari Emeth in Manalapan, Weidhorn also was a member of the executive committee of the World Union for Progressive Judaism. He is currently a board member of the Foundation for Jewish Camping.

Camping remains high on his list of priorities. In 2000, Weidhorn brought URJ’s 12 summer camps into a unified system in North America. In addition, he and his wife, Joan, began a scholarship fund for camp-related programs and Israeli activities.

“Both my daughter Elyse, and my son Ira, are alumni of URJ Camp Harlam in Pennsylvania, and they and their families are active members of Reform congregations,” Weidhorn told convention delegates. “My four grandchildren are still quite young, but I am confident that their parents will make sure they get the right Jewish foundation by attending a URJ camp, going to Israel with the National Federation of Temple Youth, and, most importantly, seeing on an everyday basis just how important Judaism is to their parents. This is what Reform Judaism is all about — keeping Judaism alive.”

The camp system should always include the enhancement of Jewish programming and the exploration of Israel education, he said.

“The summer camp experience plays an integral role in the development of the future of Reform Judaism,” Weidhorn told NJ Jewish News. “We have to be aware that the needs and interests of teens are constantly changing and that URJ needs to adapt to them to broaden the impact and involvement of our youth.”

Sense of inclusion

Weidhorn also said he strongly supports the URJ campaign to “reclaim” the Shabbat, an effort that was the centerpiece of URJ president Rabbi Eric Yoffie’s speech to last month’s convention.

“I encourage this, I support it, and I want it to happen,” Weidhorn told NJ Jewish News. “It represents family linkage, and it’s important for family members to gather together on Shabbat and talk about what went on during the week, along with the day’s activities. It provides an opportunity for different generations to interface in a spiritual environment.”

The Shabbat morning service also should provide a sense of inclusion, he added.

“Although the Saturday service can often seem to revolve around bar and bat mitzva ceremonies — which are certainly important personal and spiritual experiences in their own right — many other temple members choose to attend the daytime service because their own personal desires or needs result in their choice to worship on that day,” Weidhorn said. “Shabbat services must not communicate a sense of exclusion.”

A recent URJ survey revealed that 87 percent of respondents believe that having a rich spiritual life is essential to being Jewish, but only 53 percent said they try to make Shabbat a special day, he added.

“The next time we come together, I wonder if the numbers will be any different,” Weidhorn said to the convention attendees. “Will we be willing to commit to making the next Shabbat different from the one before we came to San Diego — and then making a habit of it?”

The URJ faces other challenges, including an ongoing effort to embrace communications technology that will raise awareness of the organization among lay leaders and congregants. In addition, URJ will continue to explore ways in which the movement’s congregations can express their support of healthcare initiatives and strengthen their commitment to Jewish education.

Ultimately, Weidhorn said, all these efforts demand that congregations be more engaging and welcoming to new members.

“We need to learn how to make everyone feel that the congregation is an extension of his or her family,” Weidhorn said after the convention. “Change is never easy, but the union is ready to face these challenges. We have the will, and we’ll find the resources to accomplish what needs to be done.”