The Massachusetts Board of Rabbis has been fortunate this year to have consultant Robert Leventhal of the Washington DC-based Alban Institute guide us through a process of strategic planning. Funded by CJP, this process included research of other boards of rabbis, face-to-face meetings with Leventhal and our general membership here in Boston, and several conference calls with MBR's Executive Committee. Through this series of conversations, we were able to identify programs and initiatives that are working well, as well as areas for potential growth. The initiatives were divided between "internal"-those areas that support the members of the MBR-and external-areas in which the MBR speaks or should speak in the community.
While there was considerable discussion, some areas emerged with strong consensus. Most important was the desire among all present to build more collegiality, create an atmosphere of trust, enable rabbis to discuss common issues across movement lines, and deepen our knowledge of one another. Of equal importance is the need to find a strategy and structure that would allow the MBR to speak with a strong voice in areas of public policy to the broader community (see Public Policy menu).