MJCCA Shabbat Policy Frequently Asked Questions
In response to our recent announcement to expand our current hours of operation, we have received an overwhelming number of emails and calls. We are pleased that so many of have been in favor of this decision and wanted to provide additional information about the decision-making process that led to our newly expanded hours. We hope the following questions and answers will help guide you in a greater understanding of the details of this decision.
Why did the MJCCA decide to open on Saturdays?
The MJCCA's lay leadership's decision is grounded in the belief that opening our doors to the community for Shabbat-oriented programming in the afternoon will further our mission to inspire and enhance the personal Jewish journeys within our community. In addition, the MJCCA recognizes its unique role in attracting and engaging broad-based segments of the Jewish community, including the more than 70,000 unaffiliated. The lay leadership wanted the MJCCA to be open and accessible during the times the community wants to learn, socialize, and be physically fit in a Jewish environment.
Who made the decision to open on Saturdays?
The Agency Policy Committee is a standing committee of the MJCCA. It is comprised of a diverse group of lay leaders representing various facets of the Jewish community. The committee met six times over a 10-month period, in addition to many conference calls and interviews with other communities and local Jewish leaders. The committee established guiding principles and operating assumptions that included consideration of the communal and financial impact of extending hours of operation. The MJCCA vision statement was also ever-present in order to ensure that any recommendation met the vision of the Agency. The committee's unanimous recommendations were approved by the MJCCA's Executive Committee, Advisory Board, and Governance Board.
Was this a financial decision?
This was not a financial decision. In fact, the costs of opening and staffing our buildings will, most likely, far exceed any projected revenue. In addition, we are not increasing our membership fees to accommodate opening an additional day. This is a mission-driven decision that has been shaped by our shareholders.
As a Jewish institution, how can the MJCCA be open on Shabbat?
Changing our hours of operation on Saturday enables the MJCCA to be more inclusive to a rapidly growing, extremely diverse Jewish community and encourages more people to be in a Jewish communal environment during Shabbat. The MJCCA continues to serve as a place where all can gather and participate, including the large number of unaffiliated.
What are the new hours?
The MJCCA will expand its Saturday hours of operation for the indoor and outdoor facilities to 8 am – 6 pm. The MJCCA will also continue to be open on select Friday nights for programs developed to enhance Shabbat-related Jewish experiences and on some Saturday evenings for Center Theatre performances and other related cultural activities.
When will the extended hours go into effect?
Saturday, September 6, 2008.
What facilities will be available during these hours?
All Zaban Park and Shirley Blumenthal Park grounds and facilities will be open the full day for unstructured utilization – pools, tennis courts, gymnasiums and fields. The Zaban Park Fitness Center will be open for Total Health members, and the Shirley Blumenthal Park Fitness Center will be open for Recreational Plus members. There will be Shabbat-specific programming open to the community in the afternoon.
What types of programs are being planned for Saturday afternoons?
Staff is currently charged with developing a meaningful Saturday afternoon Shabbat experience. The programming will be based on the concept of Shabbat menuchah (Sabbath rest). Each Saturday afternoon the MJCCA will be transformed into a special Shabbat environment. From the lobby throughout the rest of the building, the building will be alive with different activities, happening simultaneously, for children, teens, young families, and adults of all ages.
Out of respect for the diversity of Jewish practice in our community, each week, several spaces in the building (including the lobby) will offer an array of program offerings consistent with Jewish law. The success of this multifaceted approach reflects the richness of the Jewish community being built within the walls of the JCC.
Are we changing our holiday opening/closing policy?
No, the holiday closing schedule will not change.
Will staff be required to work Saturdays?
Staff will not be required to work on Saturdays.
Will money be exchanged on Saturdays?
The MJCCA will maintain its restriction on exchanging money on Shabbat.
Will the MJCCA Kashruth policy change?
The MJCCA will continue to maintain current kashruth policies and standards.
FOR SHABBAT AND JEWISH HOLIDAYS
Shabbat:
With the goal of advancing the vision of the MJCCA, and an understanding of the critical role the MJCCA plays in involving and engaging a broad based section of the Jewish community, the Agency Policy Committee recommends extending the hours of MJCCA operations on Saturdays in order to: (i) increase the amount of hours during the week in which the MJCCA can fulfill its mission of creating Jewish experiences for the Atlanta community, (ii) create the opportunity for Shabbat-oriented programming that would reinforce the Jewish connections cultivated at the MJCCA, and (iii) enable members of the Atlanta Jewish community who might otherwise not make Jewish connections during the time when the MJCCA is closed to seek those experiences in a communal environment. We specifically recommend:
- Facilities and grounds are open from 8:00 -6:00 pm on Saturday and Saturday evenings for theater and other relevant programs.
- The MJCCA will open on Friday nights for programs that are developed with the goal of enhancing Shabbat related Jewish experiences such as a Shabbat dinners.
- Staff is charged with the explorations, development and implementation of a Saturday afternoon Shabbat experience with family oriented programming open to the community (with the exception of the fitness center, which will be available for total health members).
- MJCCA maintain a strict restriction on exchanging money on Shabbat
- MJCCA staff will not be required to work on Shabbat
- All Shabbat related programming will be inclusive
- MJCCA continue to maintain current kashruth policy and standards
Jewish Holidays:
It was unanimously decided that the MJCCA continue its current Jewish holiday closing schedule.
Approval:
Executive Committee: June 11, 2008
Advisory Board: June 17, 2008
Governance Board: July 15, 2008