SCHEDULE & HIGHLIGHTS

(Breakfast on own) 

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Fifty Years from Now: What’s the future we’ve built? What’s the legacy we are leaving?  

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9:00 - 10:15 AM GENERAL PLENARY SESSION

Shaping Vibrant Religious Communities in the 21st Century 

Sunday will begin with Rabbi Rick Jacobs in conversation with multi-faith leaders from across North America sharing the transformative work they are doing while facing similar realities that we in the Reform Movement face. How have they navigated their work? What does the landscape of opportunities look like? What resonates as you think about the future? 
 

Panelists: Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, Senior Minister and Public Theologian, Middle Church, NYC; Dr. Simran Jeet Singh, Executive Director, Aspen Institute's Religion & Society Program: Nadia Bolz-Weber, Lutheran Pastor, founder of House for All Sinners & Saints in Denver, CO and author.

  

10:30 AM - 11:30 PM breakout sessionS ROUND 1

We will then move into two rounds of workshops on topics surrounding the overarching theme of building vibrant Jewish communities with a Mindset of Abundance. Learning from the faith leaders in the general session, how do I, in my community, shift the discussion to recognize opportunities as we think about the future? How do we do this while balancing realities that are out of our control? ​

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Vibrant, Diverse Jewish Communities: The Key to Membership and Belonging 

How do we engage people, both those within our congregations and communities, and those outside our walls, to create a deeper sense of belonging and more vibrant communities?  

• What makes us a vibrant community? 

• What does belonging look like in my community? ​

 

Creating a Pipeline to Community: Leaning into Joy and Spirituality 

• How do we realize the potential for growth in our community when the realities are sometimes daunting?

• How do we look at the landscape of opportunities with a mindset of abundance and not scarcity?

• How do we engage new individuals?  

• How do we cultivate a more diverse Jewish community? 

• What are new communities we could be building and supporting?  

• What are different ways of gathering we need to experiment with (I.e. online)?
   

Workshops may include: tools/skills, URJ resources, as well as opportunity for networking with other participants and leaders.

 

11:30 AM - 12:15 PM LUNCH (GRAB & GO)

12:15 - 1:15 PM breakout sessionS ROUND 2

See sessions above for description.

1:30 - 3:00 PM CLOSING GENERAL SESSION

Thinking about "The Next 50" in the Current Climate  

The events of the Fall of 2023 (and indeed, of the past few years since the global pandemic) have reinforced for us the need for a Reform Jewish community. We also need to keep looking forward to the future to grow, deepen engagement, and keep our vision of peace and wholeness, justice and equity, and belonging and joy in sharp focus. How do we do this in the face of epic challenges, in North America, Israel, and abroad? How, in this moment, do we lean into a mindset of abundance and cultivate relationships, and foster constructive discourse that help move us into the future?    

 

Panelists: Rabbi Galit Cohen-Kedem, Rabbi and Community Leader, Kehilat Kodesh Vechol – Holon, Israel; Rabbi Esther Lederman, Vice President, Leaders in Action, URJ; Rabbi Jonathan Roos, Senior Rabbi, Temple Sinai – Washington, DC; Evan Traylor, Rabbinical Student, Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion. Moderated by Amy Asin, Vice President, Congregational Engagement and Leadership Experiences, URJ 

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Closing and Call For Action: What Kind of Ancestor Do You Want to Be? 

At the end of the day (and our celebration) we will consider a for a call tfor action. We will also share a musical send off that will be both empowering and inspirational.