Creating a Program Model for Men?s Engagement

The Jewish Outreach Institute (JOI) is dedicated to creating a more welcoming and inclusive North American Jewish community for all, including unaffiliated and intermarried families through outreach, advocacy, education, and support. In order to achieve its mission, JOI offers a myriad of innovative programming that spans across the United States and Canada. To address the widely known issue in the Jewish community of men's decreasing involvement, JOI requested that the Capstone team develop a model for men's programming with the intent of launching the program nationally. The Capstone team conducted an extensive literature review, researched existing programs, and interviewed Jewish leaders to identify the qualities of a successful program to engage unaffiliated or disengaged Jewish men or non-Jewish men married to Jewish women. The exploration stage of the project produced insights and best practices that the Capstone team used to develop its recommended program model and accompanying research report.