Assembly: we build community.

Our latest podcast is a little bit different. Rather than telling you about how Elul Circles work we’re giving a sneak peek into one.

Already listened to it and want to learn more? Sign up to host an Elul Circle – we promise, it will be fun!

https://rss.com/podcasts/assembling-community/3061503/

Last week, we wrapped our July Master Class on the Lifecycle of Building a Community, and we're still thinking about something that came up.

So much of the work of community building happens before anyone shows up. Before the invite goes out, before the date is set, before you've even figured out what you're building.

It starts with a simple question: Who are my people, and do I actually know them?

That's the heart of what we discussed together — using the lens of exploration to replace imagined people with actual people. If you missed it, we're already thinking about how to share more of what we learned.

And… we’ll be hosting another Master Class in November!

More info at the link:

https://assembly.community/reimagininggatherings/

Every year, Elul arrives slowly… and then all at once.

Elul Circles are a free, simple way to gather a small group — and to open up four meaningful conversations in the weeks leading up to (or during) the High Holidays.

You bring the people. Assembly and IYUN provide the curriculum, facilitator guidance, and support.

You don't need every participant recruited or every detail settled before registering. You just need a group you want to gather — or a community that could use a little more depth.

Circles need to begin before Rosh Hashanah. What are you waiting for?

https://iyun.us/elul-circles/

You’ve been emailing your same people over and over but they’re just not showing up. ✉️

Sound familiar?

In our latest episode of Assembling Community, you’ll hear a snapshot of a community builder that was facing that very challenge.

Click through to learn how she responded. Hint: it has to do with picking up the phone! 📞

https://rss.com/podcasts/assembling-community/3012753/

People say it takes a village to do difficult things: raise a child, sustain a community, build a barn.

But we don't often talk a lot about what it takes to be a villager. What does it mean to not just be in a community, but to help create one?

We recently came across this interview with Priya Parker on NPR and it really resonated. (Here at Assembly, we often call her “Morateinu Priya,” i.e. “our teacher, Priya” — we’re, shall we say, big fans)

In her work, Parker explores how to build connections and community in today’s world. It can seem hard, but a simple question (like inviting a neighbor over for Shabbat dinner!) is all it takes to get started.

Check out the article and let us know what you think:

Want to be part of a village? You might need to get out of your comfort zone If you've always dreamed of having a village but feel disconnected from your community, try these five tips. Plus: We want to hear from you. Tell us how you cultivate community where you live.

We’re putting the final touches on our latest newsletter and we don’t want you to miss it!

Click through to subscribe for community building insights from a Jewish lens. You’ll also be the first to hear about upcoming events, learning opportunities and more.

Scroll through the bottom of this page to sign up:

Home - Assembly We’ve built, incubated, and nurtured many initiatives including: Base, Civic Spirit and Atra: Center for Rabbinic Innovation.

How can we navigate change and confront difficult realities as community leaders?

That’s what Adaptive Leadership is all about.

In episode 4 of our podcast, we dive into this concept and what it looks like on the ground in real Jewish communities.

Give it a listen:

https://rss.com/podcasts/assembling-community/3012753/

So you held a great event… but how do you keep people engaged and coming back after that? Asking them to do something.

Shared ownership does not only mean asking for help with tasks you don’t want to do. It means coming up with small, meaningful roles, because the role itself helps someone feel needed.

That ask could look like asking someone to help choose the location for the next event, design the invitation or greet people at the door.

It works because people are more likely to return when they feel that their presence made a difference.

For many community builders, one of the hardest parts of the work is not the one-on-one
conversation itself.

It is figuring out where to find new people to meet, how to move beyond the people we already know. That’s where the Leads List comes in.

A Leads List is not only a list of people in your network. It is also a map of doorways: people, places, networks, groups, and trusted nodes that can help you reach the people you are trying to gather.

Have you tried putting together a Leads List? Let us know in the comments:

Mini missions. Sounds like a spy movie plot line but this technique is actually a great way to keep people connected between gatherings.

Mini missions are basically small assignments – asking people to go out in the world and do or notice or try or think about something that they're doing in between those sessions.

They should be small, doable and are a great way to integrate what participants learned into their day-to-day lives.

For example, if you’re teaching about relational recruitment, you could have people set up a few one-on-one meetings with people in their community to practice.

Give it a try (you may even feel a little bit like a spy!) and learn more in our latest podcast episode:

Sticky Cohorts | Podcast Episode on RSS.com We often like to talk about the importance of rituals for community building. But what does that look like in practice?In our latest episode of Assembling Community, our ED Erica dives into this with Spencer Kaseff, Senior Outreach Manager at Mazon.It could be as simple as giving people an opportuni...