Building vibrant, connected Jewish communities
Why Kikar?
Kikar means “square” in Hebrew — like a village square or town plaza. We chose this name because a kikar is the heart of a community: a place where people naturally gather, where different voices meet, where ideas are exchanged, and where shared life happens in public, visible, and meaningful ways.
We Know
We believe synagogues and Jewish communities are meant to function i as vibrant, welcoming centers of connection, learning, creativity, and belonging. A kikar is not owned by one group or one perspective. It is shaped by the people who show up, speak, listen, celebrate, and sometimes even disagree — and still remain part of the same community.
We Help
Our work helps communities create and strengthen their own modern kikar: a space that honors tradition, invites diversity, encourages honest conversation, and brings people together across generations, backgrounds, and experiences
We Believe
Kikar reflects our core belief: strong Jewish communities are built not from the top down, but from the center out — in the shared square where community life truly happens.
Our Services
Empowering Synagogues through Coaching, Collaboration, and Learning
01
Community Coaching & Engagement Strategy
Visioning & Strategic Planning: • Facilitate leadership retreats and workshops to align synagogue mission, values, and community goals. Congregational Engagement: • Develop inclusive strategies to increase participation across demographics — from young families to elders. Communication Culture Audit: • Evaluate current communication practices and implement best practices to foster transparency, responsiveness, and trust.
04
Facilitation &
Retreat Services
Leadership Retreats: • Design and facilitate customized retreats for boards, staff, and lay leaders to build trust, vision, and collaborative strategies. Congregational Listening Circles: • Host guided forums for congregants to express hopes, concerns, and dreams in a respectful setting.
02
Teamwork &
Leadership Coaching
Clergy & Lay Leadership Alignment: • Provide one-on-one and group coaching to strengthen mutual understanding, shared goals, and decision-making processes. Leadership Development Workshops: • Train lay leaders in effective leadership, facilitation, and community-building skills. Conflict Transformation: • Guide respectful dialogue and healing when tensions arise between leadership groups or congregants.
05
Customized Workshops
& Trainings
Effective Communication in Sacred Spaces: • Teach listening skills, compassionate conversation, and feedback tools for healthy dialogue. Building Sacred Teams: • Workshop on best practices for collaborative teamwork in synagogue committees and task forces. Engaging the Next Generation: • Explore tools for engaging Gen Z, millennials, and interfaith families in synagogue life.
03
Adult Education Program Design: • Develop engaging, relevant curricula rooted in Jewish values, tradition, and contemporary issues. • Train facilitators to create interactive and learner-centered classes. Religious School Revitalization: • Assess current models and implement innovative, experiential learning strategies. • Offer professional development for religious school teachers focused on differentiated instruction and student engagement.
Educational Consulting Adult & Youth
06
Ongoing Coaching Packages
Monthly Coaching for Clergy, Educators,and Lay Leaders: • Support ongoing reflection, accountability, and leadership growth. Community of Practice Facilitation: • Create peer learning networks among synagogue educators, board chairs, or executive directors.
Sacred Spaces & Spirited Debates
Jewish congregations are at a pivotal moment. The challenges are real—but so are the opportunities to rethink what’s possible, strengthen your community, and shape a more vibrant Jewish future. This book is a practical guide for everyone who has a stake in congregational life—from board members and clergy to professional staff, volunteers, and engaged community members.
About Us
Rabbi Steven Bayar was Senior Rabbi at Congregation B’nai Tzedek in Potomac, MD. He is co-founder of Kikar, and Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation B’nai Israel in Millburn, NJ, where he served for 30 years. Ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Rabbi Bayar is a frequent commentator on synagogue life and has co-authored numerous books in the realm of Jewish education.
Rabbi Steven Bayar was Senior Rabbi at Congregation B’nai Tzedek in Potomac, MD. He is co-founder of Kikar, and Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation B’nai Israel in Millburn, NJ, where he served for 30 years. Ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Rabbi Bayar is a frequent commentator on synagogue life and has co-authored numerous books in the realm of Jewish education.
Rabbi Abi Taylor-Abt is an award-winning Jewish educator and curriculum developer who has worked in formal and informal Jewish education. She is co-founder of Kikar, has over 30 years experience working with synagogue boards and is the author of Lessons in Jewish Learning. Abi is widely published in Jewish spaces, having lived in the UK, Israel, South Africa and the United States.
What People Say
Sharon Brodkey
JCRC Omaha
“Reading Sacred Spaces and Spirited Debates after October 7, 2023, feels profoundly different. As a Jewish communal professional, I found its central lesson especially compelling: the way Jewish communities conduct themselves internally shapes how effectively they engage with the wider world. The book challenges readers to wrestle with difficult questions about Israel, community, and respectful disagreement without offering simplistic answers. It is a timely and worthwhile resource for clergy, educators, communal professionals, and lay leaders alike.”
Dr. Ari Kohen
Harris Center for Judaic Studies
"Sacred Spaces and Spirited Debates" should be required reading for everyone who has a volunteer leadership role at a synagogue, no matter where they live. The authors have taken a series of real-life challenges, thought about them critically, and provided practical solutions based on their decades of experience in Jewish communal life. While no two communities are likely to face the exact same issues, this book offers serious and thoughtful consideration of how communities function (or don't!) and what leaders can do to make improvements that will strengthen their holy work."
Naomi Eisenberger
Good People Fund
“Synagogues are complicated. So many voices, so many personal experiences that drive whatever is done … dissonance should be expected. I have witnessed firsthand what happens when that dissonance becomes overwhelming. Rabbi Steve Bayar’s honesty, compassion, intimate knowledge of the synagogue “psyche” and all of its disparate parts, combined with a strong working relationship with lay leadership can restore clarity and calm once again.”
Ready to Talk?
Contact Us to Begin Our Journey