Social/Digital Media in Jewish Life

Exeter Room

Jordyne Wu Your congregants are online -- are you?  Learn how to use internet marketing and social media to reach out to new members and engage existing members.  Use simple tools to educate and inspire participation on- and offline.  Before long, your congregants will be following you instead of Kim Kardashian!

On-Camera Media Training for Rabbis: What to Do When a Reporter Calls

Board Room

Dennis Ross and Sarah Standiford This session requires pre-registration. “Should I take this interview? How do I craft my message and avoid tricky questions? What works on-camera?” Even a little media training helps clergy become more comfortable and effective on-camera, in-print and on-air. This workshop is open to all. Group size for afternoon camera training […]

Liturgical Uses of Poetry: Sometimes It Works, Sometimes It Doesn’t

Hampton Room

Shelly Marder and Janet Marder with Peter Berg, Eddie Goldberg, Leon Morris, and Elaine Zecher Many of us use poetry in our services. Poetry has the power to take us to new heights. Whether it can help us ascend to heaven is not a guarantee though – not every poem is a prayer. How do […]

Divorce and Get: Current Legal and Religious Possibilities to Reduce Pain and Provide Support

Jefferson Room

Rachel Goldman, Amy Scheinerman This informative workshop will combine many elements designed to be useful in your rabbinate, including both legal and religious information regarding divorce and get options. On the legal side: Collaborative Law (a constructive alternative to the Acrimonious Litigation model); mediation (facilitated dialogue instead of a court battle); and legal concerns rabbis […]

Making the Most of the “Wet Hair Moment:” Orchestrating a Meaningful Immersion Experience For Your Conversion Candidate

Berkeley Room

Lisa Berman This workshop will explore a variety of questions about the conversion immersion experience.  How do conversion candidates prepare for the actual immersion?  Is it appropriate for family and friends to attend and what is their role?  How does the clergy’s role change at the time of the immersion?  This workshop illuminates the hopes […]

Transforming Reality – The Potential of Leadership Guided by Love

Clarendon Room

Ebn Leader In a world torn by violence and division, what form of leadership can guide us to healing? Come learn with Rabbi Ebn Leader as he explores an approach to leadership that could be useful for our times. Rabbi Leader turns to a surprising place for his insight, wrestling with the charismatic, miracle-working rabbi/teacher […]

Spirituality and Social Justice: Striving for Integration

Dalton Room

Or Rose Drawing on teachings from the traditions of Kabbalah, Mussar, and Hasidism, as well as the writings of such modern religious activists as Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, and Abraham Joshua Heschel, we will explore the ongoing challenge of Tikkun Ha-Middot and Tikkun Olam.  How do we understand the relationship between the practices of Torah […]

Touchstone Texts on Leadership

Fairfax Room

Rick Jacobs From Rabbi Eleazar in the Talmud to contemporary teachers of leadership including Abraham Joshua Heschel, Marge Piercy, Rabbi Jack Stern, Rabbi Elka Abrahamson and others, we will bore down on what it means to exercise Jewish leadership in our holy work.