Submission #16170 by Temple Sholom Men's Club - Bridgewater, NJ (979)
I have read the 2021 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.
Build-a-Grogger
Youth Programming
Page 1
The Build-a-Grogger program engages youth and their parents to assemble their own keepsake wooden grogger for Purim. Our committee designed and fabricated 11-piece red oak grogger kits and assisted families in assembling their groggers at a "build-a-grogger workshop" held in conjunction with the synagogue's Purim Carnival. We sold individual kits at retail in advance, the day of the workshop, and before the Megillah reading. We also made the program available to other Men's Clubs in our region by accepting wholesale orders and delivering the orders in coordination with NNJR’s Yellow Candle distribution. For 2019/5779, we had a total of nine synagogues participate, produced 400 kits, and distributed 320 groggers.
I. Program Origin:
For years at Temple Sholom we had a congregant who was a retired high school shop teacher who custom made wooden groggers as gifts for youth whom he noted were regular participants at services. This tradition inspired our Men's Club to make this a hands-on program aimed at encouraging younger men with small children to participate. Inspired by the success of the FJMC Build-a-Pair program, we launched our Build-a-Grogger program in 2012 by fabricating 80 grogger kits and facilitating our first "build-a-grogger workshop" for Temple families. Given the significant level of effort to make the kits and the approach we took in offering the program to families of all ages, we put the program "back in the vault" for sabbatical. Fast forward to the 2019 NNJR Man-of-the-Year Dinner and several other clubs in the region expressed interest in our bringing back the program. This inspired us to expand the program to enable other clubs to participate and we found new committee members with advanced woodworking and manufacturing expertise to join the team, improve the grogger design, and improve our manufacturing techniques and overall quality. For 2019/5779, we had a total of nine synagogues participate, produced 400 kits, and distributed 320 groggers.
II. Program Goals:
The goals of the Build-a-Grogger program include:
- Engage children with a hands-on activity that encourages a love of Judaism.
- Engage parents and demonstrate Men’s Club commitment to our synagogue family.
- Engage Men’s Club members in a fun and challenging project.
- Provide a keepsake Jewish holiday object that children and adults can enjoy for life.
- Raise funds for participating Men’s Clubs.
III. Target Audience:
The principal audience for the Build-a-Grogger program is religious school children and their parents. However, teens and adult congregants also participated. Some clubs targeted the program to a subset of grades to setup an annual program as children reach that grade. Other clubs offered the program to all grades.
IV. Impact on Image of FJMC, Region, and Club:
The Build-a-Grogger program strengthened our Club by providing an ongoing project that required the sustained commitment and teamwork of the committee to execute. Our committee included a broad cross section of our membership – both “newbies” and “old timers”. Regionally, we executed a program with eight clubs participating and executing the Build-a-Grogger workshop at their synagogues. The program demonstrates that Men’s Club at the club, region and FJMC level can bring relevant programs that inspire men and their families.
V. Program Workplan:
The key activities and general timeline to participate in the program this year included:
1) Kick-off Announcement at NNJR Regional Board Meeting (12/3/2019)
2) Consult with Club and Religious School on target grade(s), order amount, and date of workshop
3) Begin promotion of program – flyers, emails
4) Take retail advance orders
5) Submit wholesale order quantity and payment (1/6/2019)
6) Pickup wholesale order at Yellow Candle warehouse pickup (2/24/2019)
7) Recruit workshop facilitators and review grogger assembly instructions
8) Collect retail order payments (if reselling)
9) Facilitate the Build-a-Grogger workshop. Take pictures!
10) Enjoy the groggers at the Megillah reading!
For the fabrication team, our workplan also included:
1) Design grogger and fabrication jigs
2) Take wholesale and retail orders
3) Collect wholesale order payments
4) Schedule fabrication sessions and recruit fabrication team
5) Assemble tools for fabrication shop
6) Purchase materials
7) Fabricate grogger parts*
8) Test fit and assemble groggers
9) Develop grogger assembly instructions
10) Disassemble groggers and package the kits with instructions
11) Count and box the wholesale orders
12) Deliver wholesale orders for pickup
*The timing of Purim, the magnitude of the fabrication job and the copious amounts of sawdust produced necessitated multiple fabrication sessions in the garage workshop often in sub-zero temperatures!
VI. Program Acknowledgements:
We acknowledge the contributions of the following to the success of this year’s Build-a-Grogger program:
- Fabrication Team Leader: Walter Levy
- Fabrication Team: Rich Millman, Lou Krilov, Ron Slosberg, Glen Gold, Jonathan Slass, Stu Greenberg, Rachel Keats, Sam Keats, Adam Millman, and Rob Blitzer (East Windsor)
- Assembly Instructions: Tyler Bonus (Neve Sholom)
- NNJR Club Build-a-Grogger Chairs: Arthur Fliegelman (East Brunswick), Alan Greenberg (Marlboro), Robert Schweitzer (B’nai Jeshurun), Seth Farber (Cranford), Matt Bonus (Neve Sholom), Michael Margolin (Scotch Plains), and Mike Schloff (South Orange)
- Promotion: Dorit Yehudai
- Cashier & Accounts Payable: Alan Rubin
- Wholesale Distribution: Howard Schrieber and Larry Klioze (Highland Park)
- Program Chair: Mike Keats
VII. Attachments
1) Build-a-Grogger Program 5779 photo montage (see download in Photos section)
2) NNJR Wholesale Build-a-Grogger Program 2019_5779 (see download in Detail Program Documents section)
3) Workshop facilitation tips (see download in Detail Program Documents)
4) Grogger assembly instructions (see download in Detail Program Documents)
5) Build-a-Grogger Promotional Flyer 5779_2019 (see download in Marketing section)
6) Link to 5771_2011 Build-a-Grogger Promotion video on You Tube (see ppt download with link in Marketing section)
For years at Temple Sholom we had a congregant who was a retired high school shop teacher who custom made wooden groggers as gifts for youth whom he noted were regular participants at services. This tradition inspired our Men's Club to make this a hands-on program aimed at encouraging younger men with small children to participate. Inspired by the success of the FJMC Build-a-Pair program, we launched our Build-a-Grogger program in 2012 by fabricating 80 grogger kits and facilitating our first "build-a-grogger workshop" for Temple families. Given the significant level of effort to make the kits and the approach we took in offering the program to families of all ages, we put the program "back in the vault" for sabbatical. Fast forward to the 2019 NNJR Man-of-the-Year Dinner and several other clubs in the region expressed interest in our bringing back the program. This inspired us to expand the program to enable other clubs to participate and we found new committee members with advanced woodworking and manufacturing expertise to join the team, improve the grogger design, and improve our manufacturing techniques and overall quality. For 2019/5779, we had a total of nine synagogues participate, produced 400 kits, and distributed 320 groggers.
II. Program Goals:
The goals of the Build-a-Grogger program include:
- Engage children with a hands-on activity that encourages a love of Judaism.
- Engage parents and demonstrate Men’s Club commitment to our synagogue family.
- Engage Men’s Club members in a fun and challenging project.
- Provide a keepsake Jewish holiday object that children and adults can enjoy for life.
- Raise funds for participating Men’s Clubs.
III. Target Audience:
The principal audience for the Build-a-Grogger program is religious school children and their parents. However, teens and adult congregants also participated. Some clubs targeted the program to a subset of grades to setup an annual program as children reach that grade. Other clubs offered the program to all grades.
IV. Impact on Image of FJMC, Region, and Club:
The Build-a-Grogger program strengthened our Club by providing an ongoing project that required the sustained commitment and teamwork of the committee to execute. Our committee included a broad cross section of our membership – both “newbies” and “old timers”. Regionally, we executed a program with eight clubs participating and executing the Build-a-Grogger workshop at their synagogues. The program demonstrates that Men’s Club at the club, region and FJMC level can bring relevant programs that inspire men and their families.
V. Program Workplan:
The key activities and general timeline to participate in the program this year included:
1) Kick-off Announcement at NNJR Regional Board Meeting (12/3/2019)
2) Consult with Club and Religious School on target grade(s), order amount, and date of workshop
3) Begin promotion of program – flyers, emails
4) Take retail advance orders
5) Submit wholesale order quantity and payment (1/6/2019)
6) Pickup wholesale order at Yellow Candle warehouse pickup (2/24/2019)
7) Recruit workshop facilitators and review grogger assembly instructions
8) Collect retail order payments (if reselling)
9) Facilitate the Build-a-Grogger workshop. Take pictures!
10) Enjoy the groggers at the Megillah reading!
For the fabrication team, our workplan also included:
1) Design grogger and fabrication jigs
2) Take wholesale and retail orders
3) Collect wholesale order payments
4) Schedule fabrication sessions and recruit fabrication team
5) Assemble tools for fabrication shop
6) Purchase materials
7) Fabricate grogger parts*
8) Test fit and assemble groggers
9) Develop grogger assembly instructions
10) Disassemble groggers and package the kits with instructions
11) Count and box the wholesale orders
12) Deliver wholesale orders for pickup
*The timing of Purim, the magnitude of the fabrication job and the copious amounts of sawdust produced necessitated multiple fabrication sessions in the garage workshop often in sub-zero temperatures!
VI. Program Acknowledgements:
We acknowledge the contributions of the following to the success of this year’s Build-a-Grogger program:
- Fabrication Team Leader: Walter Levy
- Fabrication Team: Rich Millman, Lou Krilov, Ron Slosberg, Glen Gold, Jonathan Slass, Stu Greenberg, Rachel Keats, Sam Keats, Adam Millman, and Rob Blitzer (East Windsor)
- Assembly Instructions: Tyler Bonus (Neve Sholom)
- NNJR Club Build-a-Grogger Chairs: Arthur Fliegelman (East Brunswick), Alan Greenberg (Marlboro), Robert Schweitzer (B’nai Jeshurun), Seth Farber (Cranford), Matt Bonus (Neve Sholom), Michael Margolin (Scotch Plains), and Mike Schloff (South Orange)
- Promotion: Dorit Yehudai
- Cashier & Accounts Payable: Alan Rubin
- Wholesale Distribution: Howard Schrieber and Larry Klioze (Highland Park)
- Program Chair: Mike Keats
VII. Attachments
1) Build-a-Grogger Program 5779 photo montage (see download in Photos section)
2) NNJR Wholesale Build-a-Grogger Program 2019_5779 (see download in Detail Program Documents section)
3) Workshop facilitation tips (see download in Detail Program Documents)
4) Grogger assembly instructions (see download in Detail Program Documents)
5) Build-a-Grogger Promotional Flyer 5779_2019 (see download in Marketing section)
6) Link to 5771_2011 Build-a-Grogger Promotion video on You Tube (see ppt download with link in Marketing section)
Page 2
Original Program