Convention Info

THE Convention for Rabbis Who Care About:

  • Changing landscapes of our communities and rabbinates
  • Engaging 20s and 30s
  • Creating meaningful ritual
  • Utilizing music, art and technology
  • Developing dynamic collaborations
  • Building partnerships in the greater Jewish community
  • Re-envisioning the future of Reform Judaism
  • Studying with world renowned scholars
  • Challenging ourselves to rethink personal theology
  • Exploring creation, revelation and revolution through diverse and cutting-edge thinking

DERECH ERETZ Details

Schedule Changes and Daily Announcements:

Session locations are listed on this site, and any changes or announcements will be reflected here and posted at the Ayelet Registration Desk. Convention Program Committee members will also have daily updates.

Badges:

All registered rabbis and spouses/partners may participate in the various programs and need to wear badges for identification and security purposes. (And to help colleagues remember our names!) Meals are served only to those wearing badges.

Punctuality:

With such a complex program we all need to work together to make sure sessions begin on time. Please be prompt.

Cell Phones and Pagers:

Please be sure to set your phone, pager or laptop alarms and reminders to silent or vibrate during sessions and t’filot.

Feedback:

Members of the Convention Program Committee value your feedback. Please talk to us during the Convention and respond to the online survey you will receive after the Convention.


Please Make a Note of the Following:

Dinner With Friends

For those desiring dinnertime companionship Monday–Wednesday evenings, members of the CCAR Board look forward to going out with you. Sign up by lunchtime at the Ayelet Registration Desk and then meet at the Concierge Desk at the times indicated in this schedule.

Evenings in Boston

Our local colleagues have prepared a list of favorite restaurants and entertainment for your enjoyment. Copies are available at the Ayelet Registration Desk.

iT’Filah

Follow along in the Convention Service from the updated iT’filah app for the iPad, now including a weekday morning service. Visit ccarnet.org/itfilah on your iPad.

Blogging

Several colleagues will be blogging about the Convention throughout our four days together, and after. Read their posts.

Tweeting

We would love to hear your feedback! Tweet or direct message us at @reformrabbis, or use the official Convention hashtag #CCAR12 to join the conversation.

PR

Please help us spread the word about Convention! We have created a press release template that you can use to send to your local media. Please feel free to send it as far and wide as possible.

Program

View the full Convention Program (print version) online. For specific session details, please browse by category or by day using the navigation of this website.

Can’t wait for Boston!

Posted by on 2:48 pm in blogpost | Comments Off on Can’t wait for Boston!

I am so excited for our Boston Conference! I am looking forward to seeing friends and colleagues and the workshops look fantastic. Have you checked the schedule yet? So many choices. It is hard to know where to begin. Don’t forget as well to sign up for Keter Torah which is recognition of the continuing education and Torah learning that you do. The hours are recognized by the Conference and in fact if you had tracked your hours and submitted them you would have gotten a discount on this year’s registration fee! Go to our CCAR...

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Welcome to Boston!

Posted by on 3:45 pm in blogpost | Comments Off on Welcome to Boston!

Boston inhabits a distinctive space in Jewish history: a space of tradition, transformation and extraordinary scholarship. Its many learning institutions, congregations, and community organizations inherit the revolutions of the past and foster future revolutions, with an eye toward new definitions of community engagement. Boston’s scholars, teachers and community members are paving the paths of leadership. Our time together in Boston is an opportune moment to explore Jewish communal change. Professional Development and Torah...

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Shipping Up To Boston (for CCAR12)

Posted by on 9:06 pm in blogpost | Comments Off on Shipping Up To Boston (for CCAR12)

Heading up tomorrow for CCAR and it’s St. Patrick’s Day, so a little Dropkick Murphys seemed appropriate. See y’all tomorrow! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-64CaD8GXw  

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Life is a Challenge?

Posted by on 10:48 am in blogpost | Comments Off on Life is a Challenge?

So on my way to T’fillah I stopped by the gym for my morning workout I saw the words painted on the side of the wall: “LIfe Is a Challenge”. I’m sure it was meant to be a motivator for exercise, but at the CCAR it gives me pause. Sure it makes for good blues riffs, but good theology it ain’t. Yeah, I know if I’m looking to the wall of the gym for theology (especially in a hotel) then I’m in trouble, but if we take seriously the Chasidic notion that God is everywhere and opportunities for elevation are...

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Boston: Here we are

Posted by on 9:47 am in blogpost | Comments Off on Boston: Here we are

I am so excited to be here in Boston! It started great with an upgrade on the flight here. And I can see Fenway from my room! I think this is a great omen. I have already registered and visited with some dear friends! I’m loving this convention already! Congratulations to Brian Z and Debbie B. You have worked so hard to make this convention the best yet. The program looks terrific. I look forward to seeing you!

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Sweet as honey

Posted by on 5:36 pm in blogpost | Comments Off on Sweet as honey

“Sweet as honey on our tongues” is what we wish for the words of Torah and Torah study to be per Dan Nichols’ popular tune and it was with these words the CCAR conference in Boston began. And it was right into study and presentation the convention began. Dr. Jonathan Sarna of Brandeis University and Barry Shrage of Combined Jewish Philanthropies were guided in dialogue by Rabbi Denise Eger about the Boston Jewish community, what it can teach us in terms of collaboration between organizations and synagogues. When asked about...

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Update available for iT’filah app!

Posted by on 7:04 pm in blogpost | Comments Off on Update available for iT’filah app!

iT’filah, the Mishkan T’filah app for iPad, now has weekday morning service available! ccarnet.org/itfilah

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Art Green at CCAR: Theology as Personal Story

Posted by on 9:51 pm in blogpost | Comments Off on Art Green at CCAR: Theology as Personal Story

Art Green spoke this morning at the CCAR, which was (along with being in Boston and seeing classmates) the biggest draw for me. I’ve been studying his works–both his theological works and his books on chasidut–since I was in college. He started by pointing out the delicacy of speaking as someone outside the movement, which reminded me of Heschel’s speech to the CCAR in the 1950s. While that speech was not particularly well received, I would argue that this one was something of a no-brainer. As Green himself pointed...

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The Central Conference of American Rabbis Responds to the Shooting in Toulouse, France

Posted by on 10:15 pm in blogpost | Comments Off on The Central Conference of American Rabbis Responds to the Shooting in Toulouse, France

Tragic News Reaches 500 Reform Rabbis Gathered in Boston At the Start of Morning Prayer Service of the Annual Convention of the CCAR FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Shira Dicker shira.dicker@sd-media.com  917.403.3989 March 19, 2012 (New York, NY) –  The 500 Reform rabbis gathered in Boston for the annual conference  of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) received news of the shooting in Toulouse, France while going into the Schacharit morning prayer service in the Grand Ballroom of the Boston Sheraton. “We pray...

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Harold Kushner and Seeing the Invisible God

Posted by on 8:01 pm in blogpost | Comments Off on Harold Kushner and Seeing the Invisible God

Managed to get to Rabbi Harold Kushner’s session on Seeing the Invisible God this afternoon (after hanging with the wife on Newbury St., catching up with my coach, and seeing my parents and son who’d spent the day together. My dad (Rabbi Harold Robinson) described the talk as a series of ‘petichtot and nechemtot’, and I’d say that was pretty accurate. As a result I’ll give you some of the various pithy quotes–may they find their way into a sermon of yours soon! The question we’re often asked is:...

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