Congregation Shir Ami in Castro Valley and Congregation Emanu-El in San Francisco received awards at the Union for Reform Judaism Biennial in San Diego last week.
Shir Ami was one of eight congregations that won a Belin Award, which recognizes outstanding outreach and membership programs. Synagogue president Jon Zimmerman noted that Shir Ami’s membership has increased from 49 families to 58 over the past year, “But the award wasn’t for the increase. It was for activities that our membership outreach committee has instituted to make more connections — on Facebook and our website and through emails.”
Emanu-El received one of five Epstein Communicate Awards for its “Emanu-El in the Neighborhood” program, a network of community liaisons who coordinate activities among members who live nearby. “It’s a way to break a large synagogue down into smaller groups,” said Sandy Rechtschaffen, the synagogue’s director of community engagement.
In conjunction with the awards, Shir Ami and Emanu-El each received a $1,000 grant. The URJ North American Biennial was held Dec. 11 to 15 at the San Diego Convention Center.