Rabbi Dan Judson is the Associate Dean of Professional Development and Placement at The Hebrew College Rabbinical School where he teaches history, oversees the professional development program, and serves as the placement director for the rabbinical school. He received his doctorate in Jewish history from Brandeis University where his research focused on the history of American synagogue finances. His book, Pennies for Heaven: A History of American Synagogues and Money, will be published next year. Dan served on the national faculty of the Union for Reform Judaism, consulting to synagogues across the country on financial matters. His research on synagogues which have eliminated dues was featured in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, NPR, The New York Jewish Week, and Reform Judaism Magazine. He was also the Rabbi of Temple Beth David in Canton, MA for 10 years and co-authored a number of books on Jewish rituals for Jewish Lights Publishing, including: The Rituals and Practices of a Jewish Life: A Handbook for Personal Spiritual Renewal and The Jewish Pregnancy Book: A Resource for the Soul, Body and Mind During Pregnancy, Birth and the First Three Months.
Rabbi Judson is conducting a study under the auspices of UJA Federation of New York on those synagogues which have eliminated dues. It is a follow up to a study he wrote in 2014 which garnered a good deal of attention from synagogues interested in changing their funding models.
Contact Rabbi Judson:
djudson [at] hebrewcollege.edu
Connections, Cultivation and Commitment: New Insights on Voluntary Dues
Podcast Episode:
Rabbi Dan Judson discusses the history of finances and the model of voluntary dues contributions in synagogues.
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It's Who You Know! The Podcast 