Jewish Community Relations Council of New York
What is a mission
statement?
Guidance for the DHS 2013 Nonprofit Security Grant Program
Applicants for the 2013 Nonprofit Security Grant program are required to submit their mission statements
with their Investment Justifications. Many nonprofit organizations already have mission statements, so it is
simple to satisfy this requirement.
Note: To calculate the final score, the sum of each applicant’s Federal and State
scores will be multiplied by a factor of three for nonprofit groups that are at a
high risk of terrorist attacks due to their ideology, beliefs, or mission, by a factor
of two for medical and educational institutions, and by a factor of one for all
others.
Counter terrorism experts acknowledge that the ideology, beliefs and mission of many Jewish groups and
those that support Israel contribute to a higher risk of terrorist attack.
If you don’t think that you have a mission statement, you can probably find one in your Certificate of
Incorporation or your bylaws. Otherwise, you can readily create one.
Click to 50 Example Mission Statements for some inspiration. They define a mission statement as a “onesentence statement describing the reason an organization or program exists and used to help guide decisions about priorities,
actions, and responsibilities.” They post many examples on the website.
Here are some examples:
Synagogues
 _________ is a vibrant, welcoming, inclusive and growing ______________ congregation that is
grounded in Torah observance, and encourages ongoing commitment to spiritual growth, enhanced shul
involvement, support of the State of Israel, and participation in our broader local community
 With a committed to excellence, we value:
o
o
An unwavering devotion to Jewish Law and tradition
Embracing and contributing towards the positive components and aspects of modernity
o
o
o
o
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The totality of the Jewish community no matter what level of observance, knowledge or
commitment.
Society at large and recognize our obligation to contribute positively.
Providing a warm, welcoming and non-judgmental atmosphere in which Jews of all levels of
knowledge and observance will be attracted and inspired.
The great religious significance and redemptive nature of the State and land of Israel.
A feeling of family in which every individual is appreciated and valued and invited to participate
and contribute towards our community.
 Click to Mission Statements of Cleveland Synagogues.
 Read the United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism guidance here.
 Hassidic congregations can add to the standard language with a phrase, such as, “in accordance with the
teaching of our Grand Rabbi ___________.
Schools
 ______________ is a Jewish, dual-curricular school committed to providing Jewish children of all
backgrounds with an outstanding Judaic and secular education in a warm and caring environment. We share
with other fine preparatory schools an emphasis on the importance of developing within each student the
qualities of gratitude, optimism, and creativity, and the social skills necessary to work collaboratively and
succeed in the 21st Century.
Our mission is to partner with parents to instill in our students strong Jewish values fundamental to personal
growth and moral development, to nurture each child’s intellectual curiosity and foster lifelong love of Jewish
learning and living. We believe that engaging the child in Torah study is integral to inspiring Jewish pride and
appreciation of the importance of Jewish law and observance to the continuity of our people.
We strive to imbue our students with our guiding principles: the centrality of Torah in daily life, the
significance of Israel to the Jewish people, self-respect and respect of others, and a sense of responsibility to
contribute to the betterment of our world.
 __________ is committed to fostering a lifelong love of learning. It seeks to engender the understanding
that the discovery of personal meaning and the growth of individual identity can emerge from the rigors of
study.
o
o
o
__________ is dedicated to creating an environment of intellectual challenge and academic
excellence.
__________ seeks to create an ethical learning community that encompasses students, staff, parents,
and all those who join in the work of the school. The school values both the uniqueness of each
individual member and the relationships they form with one another.
__________ is dedicated to cultivating the spiritual lives of its students and nurturing their
commitment to Jewish values. The school helps students learn about and respect a range of Jewish
practices and encourages them to embody these traditions in the way they live their lives; students
learn the skills that enable them to participate fully in Jewish life.
What is a mission statement?
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o
o
__________ is dedicated to building bridges between different sectors of the Jewish community and
between the Jewish community and other communities, as expressions of our religious imperative to
unite human beings through justice, shared humanity, and mutual respect.
__________ is dedicated to engaging our students in a relationship with the language, culture, land,
and people of the State of Israel.
__________ is dedicated to inspiring its students to become responsible, active, compassionate citizens and
leaders in the Jewish and world communities.
 The philosophy of the _______________ School is to provide an education in which Jewish Studies are
taught in Hebrew and which encourages and helps its young men and women to grow as benai and benot
Torah, full human beings committed to a Torah-halakhic lifestyle based on:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
the observance of mitzvot and allegiance to God 's Torah, both shebikhtav and shebe-alpeh, as
interpreted by hazal;
the understanding of the parity of the mitzvot between God and men and those between man and
man;
the value of ahavat Yisrael and areivut as motivating principles among Jews and the need for active
leadership and involvement in the Jewish community;
the appreciation of the establishment of medinat Yisrael as the at-halta deg 'ula, and the obligation to
support and strengthen the State;
the love of learning and the ability to study traditional sources independently;
the capacity to communicate orally and in writing, in modern Hebrew
the commitment to mastering the natural sciences and secular disciplines as part of the halakhic
imperative;
the participation in the contribution to American society as equal and loyal citizens.
What is a mission statement?
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