Joseph Greenberg
I'm a shul consultant. I started Congregation Consulting because I kept meeting synagogue staff who'd been sold a system and then left alone with it.
Almost everyone consulting to synagogues on technology arrived from one of two directions. Some came out of the synagogue office and learned the software. Others came out of the software company and learned synagogues. I've worked inside both — as the main trainer and financial expert for the most widely used synagogue management platform, where I built the training protocols, and inside multiple synagogues.
It matters because the two vantage points fail in opposite ways. Someone who only knows the shul will live with a bad configuration because they don't know the system could do otherwise. Someone who only knows the software will recommend a feature that assumes staff time your office does not have. Knowing both is how you tell a technology problem from a process problem — and in my experience most of them are process problems.
Behind that sits over two decades in organizational psychology, with an advanced degree in the field. That's the reason my recommendations tend to be about people and process as often as about software.
My model is partnership. I listen first — to your goals, your constraints, and the politics you're operating in — and then we identify options together, including the obstacles nobody wants to name. I'd rather tell you a project is a bad idea than sell you one.
I work with congregations across movements and sizes, from shuls with one part-time administrator to large congregations with full professional staff. I'm based in New Jersey and travel for on-site work.
"Joseph understands that behind every record, transaction, and process is a member of our kehillah, and he approaches the work with that same level of care. There is no one else I would trust more to ensure that the digital backbone of our congregation is organized, accurate, and functioning as it should. He is worth every penny."
Hilary Rosen
Director of Operations, Temple Beth Shalom of Orange County, Santa Ana, CA
"Joseph is far more than a consultant. He is a trusted partner in our work, and we are deeply grateful for his knowledge, responsiveness, and care. He has taken the time to truly understand the unique needs of our community, and consistently goes the extra mile to help us find solutions."
Sarah Sokolic
Co-Founder & Executive Director, Lab/Shul, New York, NY
Contact
shalom@congregationconsulting.com
201.755.3716