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.

611 women rabbis

Posted by Eleanor on 11:45 am in blogpost | Comments Off

In the spirit of Passover when we sing who knows one Monday morning the CCAR conference honored the 610 women who have been ordained since the first, Sally Priesand was ordained in 1972. That makes 611 women rabbis. There are some who thought, “oh if only there were two more then there would be 613, a parallel to the number of commandments!” Then this morning, Rabbi Art Green, Ph.D., taught that the numerical value of the word תורה, Torah, is 611. How much Torah the world has known thanks to the role of women in the rabbinate....

Supporting the Hyatt workers

Posted by Jason on 12:45 pm in blogpost, Exhibitors | Comments Off

In case you don’t remember, there is a reason that we are having this convention in the Sheraton. Or, more precisely, why we’re not having it in a Hyatt. A few years ago, the Hyatt hotel fired it’s cleaning staff, and contracted out to an agency. They saved themselves money, but deeply hurt their workers. The Reform Movement was among many who protested, and we continue to do so in part by refusing to give Hyatt our business. I was reminded of this by someone representing the hotel workers’ union, who is here in our...

Rabbi Gunther Plaut z”l

Posted by Jason on 1:00 pm in blogpost | Comments Off

Durng the Azkarah yesterday morning, among the names was, of course, Rabbi Gunther Plaut. If you’re reading this, then you already know what a giant he was in our movement, and of the almost unfathomable impact he had as editor and primary author of “The Plaut Commentary” or, if you prefer, “The Plaut-Bamberger Commentary.” I had the privilege of serving as Associate Rabbi at Holy Blossom Temple, where he was the Senior Scholar, and when he passed, one of my old congregants posted his obituary, from one of the...

HIGHLIGHTS OF CONVENTION 2012 | Videos

Posted by Dee on 2:26 pm in blogpost | Comments Off

Revolutionary Lessons from Boston | Dr. Jonathan Sarna & Mr. Barry Shrage Sunday, March 18 5:00 PM Convention began with a dialogue between Dr. Jonathan Sarna, a leading scholar of American Jewish history, and Barry Shrage, the innovative President of Combined Jewish Philanthropies (Boston’s Jewish Federation). We explored what has transformed the Boston Jewish community and how that has been shaped through its unique history and present day culture. Dr. Sarna and Mr. Shrage spoke about the seeds of change in the Boston Jewish...