Relationship-Based Engagement

At Gather we talk a lot about relationship-based engagement. But what does it really mean?

Relationship-based engagement (RBE) is a systemic approach to centering relationships and building connection, trust, and belonging. It is the act of reaching out to others, getting to know them based on their interests, ambitions, and passions, and then weaving together a relational community where everyone is seen and valued.

This definition was generated through a collaborative process with stakeholders, thought leaders, and field research across Jewish and non-Jewish communities.

Core Principles of Relational Work

  • Through relationships, we can activate deep Jewish learning and meaning-making and support individuals in discovering their own relevant, active, and meaningful Jewish identities. Read more about our educational vision here.

  • The people are the work. We orient everything we do around building personal connections rather than programming. People-first experiences differ from programmatically-centered in that the main purpose of the gathering is for people to meet and connect with each other. The experience offers the foundation to facilitate these connections, rather than impeding or getting in the way of relationship building.

  • People’s Jewish lives and identities matter to us whether they “show up” or not. We cultivate a culture of connection and reach out to our community members regularly to let them know we care.

  • We lead with curiosity and care to build trusting, deep relationships. We meet our community members where they are emotionally, physically, and Jewishly to create access points to Jewish life that are meaningful and unique to them.

  • We seek to understand people holistically in order to guide them towards offerings and/or experiences that are individualized and responsive to their needs. We don’t “sell” Judaism.

Read the GatherDC Impact Report to learn more about the proven success of the RBE model.

Relational work is a systematic approach to building human connections that is embedded into everything we do. If you are curious about how you can bring relational practices to your community - reach out! We would love to meet you.

“We don’t need more programs to go to, we need more people to go with.”

— Rachel Gildiner, former CEO of Gather, Inc.