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A recent survey of JCCH shows a diverse congregation with members having many different points of view in their interests, behaviors and satisfaction with the synagogue. The survey, done by the JCCH Strategic Planning Committee to get members’ current feelings and suggestions for the future, was answered by 188 members before the survey’s November 2 close date, a response rate estimated at over 40% of all congregants.
Three quarters of the members say they are satisfied with the JCCH overall. At the same time, members’ answers to many questions along with their write-in comments were quite varied. However, three major issues and a few minor ones received special attention from congregants. These issues include:
- The desire for a warmer, more welcoming environment in the JCCH
- An interest in easier access to participation in the religious services
- The role of the Rabbi in engaging congregants
The Strategic Planning Committee focused on these issues in the parlor meetings it conducted during December.
Overall Satisfaction The majority of JCCH members are quite satisfied in general. Although there are no comparison norm data, the results seem impressive.
- When asked, “Would you recommend JCCH to a friend moving into the area?” 77% said they were likely or very likely to do so. Only 4% said they were unlikely, and the remaining 19% were “not sure.”
- Nearly as many, 73%, said they were likely or very likely to remain members of JCCH over the next five years (if they did not move). Just 4% said that was unlikely and 23% were not sure.
- Asked about their overall satisfaction with JCCH, 72% said they were satisfied or very satisfied. Another 19% said they were “neither satisfied nor dissatisfied” and dissatisfied responses totaled 9%.
Satisfaction with JCCH is highly correlated with attendance at JCCH Services. The most satisfied members come most frequently. Of respondents who come to services twice a month or more often, 87% say they are satisfied with JCCH overall. This drops to 74% for those who come once a month, and to 60% for those who attend less than once a month. The survey data does not show causality. It is not clear if more frequent attendance produces more satisfied members or whether the more satisfied members attend more often. It may be that both ‘formulas’ are working.
Diversity
The congregation is not a homogeneous body. Religious orientation was one area of diversity. Asked to describe their religious preference for JCCH, not surprisingly the vast majority say “Conservative.” However, half the members (50%) say “Liberal Conservative” and over a third (35%) say “Traditional Conservative.” At the extremes, 7% opt for “Conservadox” and 8% choose “Reform.”
There is also a wide spread in how often members attend services at JCCH. One of every three comes twice a month or more often. This includes 21% who come about twice a month and 12% who come four times or more per month. One in five (21%) say they come about once a month. At the other end, 29% say they come once every two or three months, and 17% say they come 2 or 3 times a year.
JCCH members are most keen on those views and values of Conservative Judaism that reflect today’s times. When asked “How interested are you in exploring and knowing more about each of (eight choices)?” The most popular choice was “Jewish values and ethics for living in the modern world,” with 49% rating it of “high” interest and only 8% saying “low” interest (the rest said “medium”). Second most popular was “importance of modern Israel,” with 45% rating it of high interest, and 7% “low.” \
By contrast, the least popular choices were “traditional prayer format (siddur and machzor in Hebrew)” rated of “high” interest by 29% and “low” by 32% of the members. At the bottom was “Jewish religious law (Halakhah) and its contemporary interpretation,” picked by 24% as being of “high" interest while 31% rated it “low.”
Naturally, there was a wide spread in how long the respondents have been members of the JCCH. About one in five (21%) respondents says 9 or fewer years. Over a third (35%) have been members 10 to 19 years, and 44% for 20 years or more. (This tracks reasonably close to actual membership records for the entire congregation.)
Specific Satisfactions and Suggestions for the Future
Congregants were asked about the reasons they belong to a synagogue and how satisfied they are at JCCH on that reason. Looking at both importance and satisfaction provides many insights about congregant’s feelings.
Two aspects (of 21 aspects listed) stand out as being rated most important and also as most satisfying. These are:
- Having a synagogue available for life cycle events (such as baby-naming, bar and bat mitzvahs, and marriages).
- Having a synagogue available for High Holiday services.
Another aspect rated highly important, “Providing a Jewish religious education for one’s children,” received above average ratings of satisfaction.
Three other aspects rated among the top six in importance did not do so well in satisfaction ratings.
- "Wanting to be part of a warm and welcoming congregation” was rated a bit below average, compared to most aspects.
- "Feeling a relationship to the Rabbi” was rated about average, and
- "Hearing interesting and meaningful sermons from the Rabbi” got well below average satisfaction ratings.
Write-in comments help to explain these ratings and are helping the Strategic Planning Committee to understand the issues more deeply and work on solutions for the future. When asked “What would make JCCH a better, more appealing synagogue for you and your fellow congregants in the future?” 109 people answered, many with multiple comments. In all there were 205 comments, each of which researchers read and put into one of twelve categories.
The most popular theme had to do with being a warm and welcoming congregation. Forty percent of the respondents made a related comment, usually asking for an improvement. For example, one person wrote in “…consider how to have a warm and welcoming approach as a key part of the planning of all educational, religious, and event activities at the synagogue. We should develop unique strategies for members as well as visitors.”
Other comments and statistical analysis of some questions also indicate that not being fluent with Hebrew in the prayers, or not being able to join in the singing, keep people from being comfortable with the services and make those people feel unwelcome. Suggestions were made for different prayer books, more use of English and explanations of various parts of the service.
An equally popular theme, also with 40% commenting, concerned connecting with the Rabbi and also his sermons. Most of these asked for or suggested improvements. One such comment asked for the rabbi to be “...more engaged with the congregation on a more personal and warmer level.” Another asked for “shorter and more pointed sermons.”
As one might expect from a diverse congregation like the JCCH, there were many opinions on both sides of these issues, and many other issues as well. For example, some people expressed great pleasure with the “choir” at High Holiday services, while others wanted to do away with a choir. There were split opinions on music at services, the time of Friday night services and even the length of services.
The Strategic Planning Committee is using these results to plan and conduct its parlor meetings with a wide cross-section of congregants to get more information and suggestions on the issues coming out of the survey. The write-ins included many specific recommendations, some of which are already being implemented, according to the JCCH’s president, Karen Goldstick. For example, there are now “greeters” at each service to welcome attendees and help visitors get oriented. The Strategic Planning Committee, chaired by Florence Kraut and Jonathan Goldstick, will continue to use the survey data to help plan for the long-term future of the synagogue.
Allen I. Kraut, Ph. D., conducted the survey. He is a noted survey expert and a Professor of Management at Baruch College, CUNY. He is a member of JCCH.
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