Welcome to the Ahavat Olam affiliation va’ad webpage – one of the ways that the Va’ad hopes to foster communication, discussion and eventual decision making about whether to affiliate with a Jewish movement. On this page you can find information about:

• The Va’ad Terms of Reference
• The community meetings
• Plans for communication
• How you can stay involved if you are unable to attend meetings
• Useful links

The va’ad has planned a process of learning for the community, which will include at least 5 community meetings – dates, times and location are posted on the Ahavat Olam Calendar of Events. We want to make this process as participatory as possible and see it as an opportunity for the community to continue a discussion on who we are, what we stand for, what we need and how best to achieve our goals.

Community meetings

The monthly meetings have deliberately been organized for different days and times throughout the months, in hopes that everyone who is interested will be able to attend at least one or two meetings.

Community Meeting #2 (February 8) is designed to promote general discussion about the potential advantages and disadvantages of affiliation, and to generate the questions we want the representatives of each movement to answer. We anticipate lots of lively discussion and many questions, but no answers at this session!

Community Meetings 3, 4 and 5 will focus on learning about the benefits, obligations, commitments, and responsibilities of affiliating with the different movements as well as to learning about their particular resources, values and stances.

Meeting 3: (March 16) Jewish Renewal (Aleph)

Meeting 4: (April 10) Reconstructionist

Meeting 5: (May 4) Reform

Community Meeting #6 (June 14 at 6184 Ash Street, near 45th and Cambie) will be dedicated to summarizing the dialogue that has occurred in the many forums used by the community and a determination of the readiness of the community to make a decision.

Plans for communication

In addition to the community meetings, these include:

• Regular Affiliation Va’ad Community Bulletins that will be posted on the listserve
• Detailed minutes after each Community Meeting will be posted on the website within one week of the meeting, together with any useful links
• The Va’ad will maintain copies of the minute books that will be available for people to sign-out whenever the A”O community comes together on Shabbat mornings or social gatherings
• After the first community meeting we will be launching a threaded discussion group on a website bulletin board, so that people who wish can contribute their additional thoughts
• And, of course, we hope that this process will motivate people to study and share their learning and opinions in informal discussions.

How you can stay involved if you are unable to attend meetings

• Check the website for updates and information
• Borrow one of the minute books to read over the notes
• Join in the on-line discussion

Useful links

http://www.aleph.org/ – Alliance for Jewish Renewal

http://www.jrf.org/ – Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

http://urj.org/ – Union for Reform Judaism

Terms of Reference

December 2005

(1) The Affiliation Process Va’ad is established consisting of 6 persons* appointed by the Board of Directors.

(2) The Affiliation Process Va’ad is responsible for:

(a) designing and facilitating a process by which the Ahavat Olam membership can determine whether it wants to affiliate with an established Jewish movement at this time, by:

(i) working collaboratively with members of the community,

(ii) ensuring a participatory process,

(iii) aiding in the community’s clarification of its core values, and

(iv) developing a process that promotes and facilitates informed decision making through various educational opportunities;

(b) developing and sustaining inclusive communication strategies including such vehicles as blogs, discussion boards, websites, study groups, community meetings, comprehensive recording of discussions, as appropriate; and

(c) recommending a decision-making mechanism to the Board of Directors that allows members to decide whether they want to affiliate, and their preferred movement, should they want to affiliate.

(3) The Affiliation Process Va’ad will maintain an ongoing process evaluation and will provide interim reports, on a quarterly basis, to the Board of Directors and the membership

(4) The work of the Affiliation Process Va’ad is anticipated to be completed by June 2006. The Va’ad has the right to recommend an extension to the process, to the Board of Directors, if it determines that insufficient time has been dedicated to the process.

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* Pam Ratner (chair), Jane Heyman, David Jacobs, Ana Policzer, Lorne Tyczenski

Ex-officio: Rabbi David Mivasair