Congregation B'nai Jehoshua Beth Elohim (BJBE) in Glenview, IL started Panim el Panim, a congregation based community organizing initiative engaging hundreds of members in relational meetings to identify areas of shared values and concerns. Initially, the congregation is focusing on healthcare and education equity, joining other houses of worship and local organizations through United Power for Action and Justice in Chicago. The congregation now serves as a mentor to other congregations in the area seeking to organize for the common good. Through the initiative BJBE accomplished the mission of Building and Deepening Community through Pursuing Justice
The key tool BJBE used in this initiative was the "relational meeting." This tactic is a relational conversation in which two people build a relationship by indentifying shared values and core concerns through sharing stories. As a result, congregants have a deeper connection to the community and eachother. BJBE members have also participated in significant leadership roles during strategy sessions and cation swith top statewide leaders. On the community wide level, because of the "relational meetings" the congregation identified health care as a concern. Through their work with other organizations and programs 550,000 children and families approximatly a million people will recieve healthcare coverage.
