The FJMC Quality Club Award is given to Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods who meet certain established criteria. The Quality Club Award says to both your club members, synagogue members and greater community that your Men’s Club or Brotherhood and its activities demonstrate excellence.
The award, an engraved, 15 year, perpetual plaque, was developed to encourage Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods to offer specific types of activities at the local, regional, and international level. The 2022-2023 FJMC Quality Club Award criteria are based on the programs and activities of YOUR Men’s Club or Brotherhood from May 1, 2022 through May 1, 2023.
To qualify for a 2022-2023 FJMC Quality Club Award your Men’s Club or Brotherhood must complete certain required and other optional activities. The great news is a that your Men’s Club or Brotherhood may already be doing almost everything necessary to qualify for an FJMC Quality Club Award.
The first thing to do is register your Men’s Club or Brotherhood to participate in the 2023 FJMC World Wide Wrap, to be held on SuperBowl Sunday morning, February 12, 2023 when Jewish Men and Women around the world will gather together to pray, learn, celebrate and share the mitzvah of wrapping Tefillin. Do it live, or do it on Zoom, or both – there are no wrong answers.
Next, look at your annual Men’s Club or Brotherhood programming calendar and focus on April 2023 (Yom Hashoah). One of the requirements to earn a Quality Club Award is for your Men’s Club or Brotherhood to engage in holocaust commemoration and education program, such as distribution and lighting of FJMC Shoah Yellow Candles. Learn more about the Yellow Candle Program and view associated programming materials at: https://www.fjmc.org/content/yellow-candles-home.
The next requirement is for your Men’s Club or Brotherhood to conduct a Wellness program intended to provide physical health for your members and/or the greater community https://www.fjmc.org/content/you-your-club-and-fjmc-wellness-program, a Hearing Men’s Voices program https://www.fjmc.org/hearing-mens-voices or an Inclusion activity such as Keruv program https://www.fjmc.org/keruv-understanding-intermarriage or a special needs Shabbat.
Next, FJMC wants to meet and get to know your members. Invite an FJMC International or Regional representative to come to your Men’s Club or Brotherhood for a meet and greet, or as a speaker at your next Club meeting. Participate in an FJMC regional retreat, or an FJMC consultant-led regional or individual club training program. This can be live, or on Zoom, or both – there are no wrong answers. The FJMC and FloridaRegionFJMC.org have regional consultants available to facilitate a training program for your Jewish Men’s Club or Brotherhood. Learn more at: https://www.fjmc.org/content/consultants-help-your-club-region.
Your Men’s Club or Brotherhood must also complete at least ten of the following twenty optional requirements under the categories of Programming Activities, Club Administration and Regional & International Participation. Your Men’s Club or Brotherhood may already be doing most of these types of programs – make them count toward a Quality Club Award.
Some examples of Programming activities that qualify can include (1) the FJMC Minyan of Comfort program, or collaborate with synagogue clergy to develop an alternative Shabbat Experience as outlined in “Building Shabbat Community” program; (2) host a Joint Program with Sisterhood/Women’s League – almost every Men’s Club or Brotherhood already does this; (3) Jewish Observance – Conduct a Jewish Observance Program that includes active participation, such as the FJMC Hebrew Literacy program; Torah study with the Rabbi; selling Sukkah kits; Build-A-Pair, Program, Yad Shel Chai Program, etc..
(4) Lead or participate in a Community Service Project to benefit your local community outside your congregation (deliver food to the needy; hold religious services at an assisted living home; collect books and toys and deliver to a group home; etc.); (5) Lead or participate in a synagogue service project that enhances or benefits your synagogue or congregation (provide ushers for services; sort tallisim and/or siddurim to find those that are worn and need to be retired; etc.).
Other programming activities that qualify include (6) Men’s Club Shabbat; (7) Keruv; (8) Attracting Younger Members to Your Club – Encourage younger men to lead or organize a program of their choosing (ie: Daddy-Daughter Dance, rock climbing, rafting, Olympics, etc.); or (9) Father-Child or Youth Support – Conduct or participate in a father-child program or youth support activity (ie: Father-child group sports event / attendance at a professional sports game; youth art contest, etc.).
(10) Collaborate on a “Program” with another Men’s Club or Brotherhood. This can be with a Men’s Club/Brotherhood outside of the Conservative/Masorti movement; or (11) host a “Steak and Scotch in the Sukkah”, Pub night or “Beer and Bible” program.
Your Men’s Club or Brotherhood is likely engaging in many of these activities -make them count towards a Quality Club Award.
Club Administration activities that count toward the FJMC Quality Club Award qualifications include (12) Submit the name of your successor club president to FJMC by May 1, 2023; (13) Submit valid email addresses for 90% of the members on your club membership list to “Chaverot”, the FJMC Membership system database; (14) Conduct regular communications to inform club members of activities and/or meetings (Your Club Facebook page, newsletter; email, website, etc.); (15) Produce and adopt a budget for the 2022-23 program year; (16) Publish (online or print) a calendar of planned club activities for the 2022-23 program year, and (17) Conduct a membership recruitment effort such as direct calls/visits to potential members, hand out bagels at Sunday School drop-off.
In the category of Regional and International Participation, (18) at least one member of your Men’s Club or Brotherhood leadership must be either an elected International FJMC officer (i.e., Executive Committee member), an elected Regional FJMC officer or an active member of an International FJMC committee (past International FJMC presidents must serve on a committee to qualify for this criterion). There are many ways for your Men’s Club or Brotherhood to get involved on an FJMC Committee – any of the members of the FJMC Executive Committee are available to assist you: https://www.fjmc.org/2021-2023-executive-committee.
(19) At least one member of your Men’s Club or Brotherhood must to attend a Regional honoree program, such as a Man-of-the-Year event, Men’s Night Out, or another Regional event that is not training or a board meeting. Florida Region FJMC planning several live Regional gatherings and events over the next few months to help you meet this goal, including Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers hockey games, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat basketball games and the World Baseball Classic in 2023.
On the (20) International level, your Men’s Club or Brotherhood can participate directly in an activity internationally to promote or enhance Masorti Judaism – you can contribute mezuzot, FJMC books, siddurim, tallisim, tefillin, etc., to foreign congregations; correspond with foreign clubs or congregations to encourage their participation in the World Wide Wrap; contribute funds to Masorti synagogues or other institutions affiliated with the international Masorti/Conservative Movement….. the possibilities are limitless.
The final required task to earn an FJMC Quality Club Award is for your Jewish Men’s Club or Brotherhood to be, or become, a member in good standing of the FJMC. If your Men’s Club or Brotherhood is not already a member of the FJMC, then we sincerely hope after reading this article you will chose to join us. Learn more about what FJMC affiliation can offer your Men’s Club or Brotherhood at: https://www.fjmc.org/content/affiliating-fjmc.
FloridaRegionFJMC.org wants to give every Jewish Men’s Club and Brotherhood in the State of Florida the opportunity of earning the FJMC 2022-2023 Quality Club Award for your outstanding activities and programs.
We also want your Men’s Club and Brotherhood members to come to the International Awards Ceremony and Gala to take place at the next biennial FJMC International Convention in Philadelphia, PA from June 29 to July 2, 2023. Begin your journey to earning an FJMC Quality Club Award for your Jewish Men’s Club or Brotherhood today and learn the many benefits of affiliation with the FJMC. Register for FJMC Convention 2023 today at https://fjmcconvention.org/.
FJMC Convention IS an investment in the future of your Men’s Club or Brotherhood. The Florida Region of FJMC is currently offering a subsidy of up to $500 per affiliated Florida Men’s Club or Brotherhood member to attend FJMC Convention 2023 in Philadelphia so Muster your Men and Bring your Brotherhood to FJMC Convention 2023. For more information please contact Florida Region FJMC Convention Focal Rich Nebb at RichNebb@Gmail.com.
This message is brought to you by the Florida Region of the Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs (FJMC). We are part of a global confederation of over 200 Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods representing over 20,000 members across the United States, Canada, Latin America, and beyond. Learn more about how your Jewish Men’s Club or Brotherhood can affiliate with the FJMC at: https://www.fjmc.org/content/affiliating-fjmc.
The Florida Region of FJMC serves the needs of affiliated Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods throughout the State of Florida. Get to know more about the FJMC Florida Region and our growing network of Jewish Men’s Clubs and Brotherhoods at www.floridaregionfjmc.org and please visit and LIKE our Florida Region FJMC Facebook Group at www.facebook.com/FloridaRegionFJMC.
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