The Kivvun La’Atid: Mount Zion 2040 Task Force has met since November 2021 to study and reflect on how to ensure that Mount Zion will be a vibrant, welcoming, and inspiring Jewish spiritual home in Minnesota for generations to come.

Now it is time to set our direction and commit to a path as Mount Zion prepares to adopt a new Strategic Plan. The Board will vote on this in May. We have drafted a new vision statement, described a general path toward the vision, and identified some key priority directions for the coming years.

We invite you to talk with us about our proposals and offer your feedback and priorities! Your opinion matters and your voice is important. We held three events to learn more and provide feedback. If you were unable to attend any of these events, you can still learn more from the important links section (on the right), and provide your feedback.

The Kivvun La’Atid Task Force

The Kivvun La’Atid: Mount Zion 2040 Task Force was charged by the Board of Directors to spend 18 months studying and reflecting on how to ensure that Mount Zion will be a vibrant, welcoming, and inspiring Jewish spiritual home in Minnesota for generations to come. We’ve been looking at demographics and trends, exploring the experiences of members and non-members, exploring what we love about our congregation and what we wish we could do differently.

We have held meetings focused on: the “Jewish awakening” of the late 1800s; possible roles, activities and relationships that Mount Zion could undertake in the future; interfaith families and “fellow travelers”; young and young adult Jews; Jews of Color; and what we can learn from the successes of mega-churches. Most of these meetings have included advance readings and data analysis, presentations by experts, and small-group discussions among participants. Several of the meetings have been open to all Mount Zion congregants.

In November 2022 we turned our attention to drafting a Strategic Plan to be proposed to the Board of Directors in May 2023. We have drafted a new vision statement, described a general path towards the vision, and selected some key priority directions for the coming years. We are sharing these drafts with the congregation to get feedback that will be incorporated into the draft Strategic Plan we present to the Board in May.

Kivvun La’Atid Task Force Members

Amy Schwartz Moore, Chair, Ed Abramson, Adam Bahr, Andrea Berg, Seth Berlin, Susanne Cohen, Steve Cohen, Josh Dorn, Dave Dubinsky, Florie Ellwein, Jennifer Farber, Robert Garfinkle, Siana Goodwin, Mitzi Gramling, Jessica Griffith, Elena Isaksonas, Abbey Kanzer, Amy Kaufman, Jason Kaufman, Joan Kinsley, Sue Koch, Joe Konstan, Anne Lifton, Rick Linsk, Sophia Lipset-Dean, Sarah McVicar, Alison Mellin, David Nathan, Mia Nosanow, Nate Ordansky, Joan Ostrove, Edith Pang, Sarah Parker, Adele Porter, Sara Rice, Kathleen Riley, Mandy Roll-Kuhne, Dan Schibel, Max Schibel, Jon Strauss, Michael Tortorello, D. Marcos Vital, Michael Wall, Chad Weinstein, Stephanie Wolken, Joel Wilke

Mount Zion Leadership Team

Rabbi Adam Stock Spilker, Rabbi Esther Adler, Cantor Jennifer Strauss-Klein, Cantor Rachel Stock Spilker, Shai Avny, Sue Summit, Abby Gore

Important links