Succos is coming, the holiday of happiness, so it might be appropriate to lighten up your members Chol HaMoed with some special activities. Here are some ideas that might make sense for your Shul.
Chol HaMoed Trips
Chol HaMoed is a great time for a Shul outing. Many people don’t work, the kids are off from school, and people have the time for activities and socializing. The main problems are that it’s hard to find things that are at a reasonable costs for the entire family and of course you need somebody to organize it. We’ve had success with a fishing trip, but don’t tell that to the people who had boat sickness.
Simchas Beis Hashoeva
This one’s almost a no brainer except you need a big enough Succah, people to organize it, and a program with the right combination of singing, Torah and good food. And of course you have to figure out how to cover your costs. Another alternative is to keep it simple with some soda and snacks in whatever Succah is available. As with all events, make sure you publicize it, send out a lot of emails and press the flesh to make sure people come.
Chol HaMoed Torah
With all the fun Shul and family activities, you might overlook the opportunity to encourage people to learn a little more Torah with their holiday time. A short halacha shiur after davening might be successful. Torah oriented videos can also provide a night activity to which people will come out.
Chal HaMoed is a great time and some of the above ideas can be implemented relatively quickly, so it might not be too late with the help of a few well placed email blasts to your members.