More than 100 participants attended the Jewish community’s first Community Conversation, which was organized as a town-hall meeting by a grassroots committee, and held last month at the JCC.

The event, which attracted community leaders and members both young and not so young, gathered feedback and ideas for creating a new and improved model of organizing the community.

In preparation, the organizers gained the support of synagogues, agencies and Federation, conducted a community survey, and recruited volunteers to help facilitate the fourhour event.

The key objectives were to start the process and commit to improving the organization of the Jewish community. The attendees helped to identify and clarify eight key concerns. Working in teams, they then developed recommended solutions for each of these concerns. By the end of the event, the attendees shared their commitment to moving ahead collectively on solutions.

A full report of the Community Conversation, including the results of the survey, the eight concerns and their corresponding recommendations is being prepared for presentation to the community within a few weeks. This report will be available on the www.jewishbytheshore.com website and in the Jewish Times.

The grassroots committee will broaden its representation, keep the community informed of progress and anticipates a follow-up community meeting in mid-Winter.