CREATING A CULTURE OF WELCOMING

A Teleseminar

from the Keruv Committee of the Conservative Movement

For lay leadership, clergy and professional staff

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Noon to 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)

Judaism has a tradition of keruv (outreach and welcoming) that goes back to our ancestors Abraham and Sarah who would hurry to welcome travelers into their tent.  The Conservative movement continues that tradition and is committed to providing a welcoming atmosphere to interfaith families where everyone can feel engaged and involved. We warmly welcome anyone who shares our interest in Jewish life built upon our traditions and adherence to Jewish law.

Find out about the wealth of resources your congregation can employ to help congregants and their families confront life's challenges and celebrate life's joys. We want to share our Jewish traditions, culture and practices with all who are seeking personal connections or who want to help families with their Jewish development.

Join the members of the Keruv committee for a participatory webinar on August 18.

Highlights include:

·        Creating a Culture of Welcoming, Rabbi Michael Beals (Congregation Beth Shalom, Wilmington, Delaware)

·        Training Staff and Lay Leaders, Lynne Wolfe (mentor and communications facilitator for the FJMC keruv initiative)

·        Use of Discussion Groups, Dr. Gary Smith (Senior Keruv Consultant, Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs / Adath Israel, Cincinnati, Ohio)

·        Questions & Answers

·        Find out what resources are available from the organizations of the Conservative movement

to register

1)   Click on Ariella Brody's email address: neadmin@uscj.org

2)   Copy the "form" below into the new email

3)   Fill out the requested information and send

RSVP Form for "KERUV: Creating a Culture of Welcoming" Teleseminar:

Participant[s] name:

Synagogue position:

Participant[s] Email address:

Synagogue:

Synagogue city:

State/province:

Once you are registered we will email you a confirmation that includes the call-in number. There are a limited number of lines available so register early.

The Keruv Committee represents Federation of Jewish Men's Clubs, the Rabbinical Assembly, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and Women's League for Conservative Judaism.

The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

proudly presents

May All Be Inscribed

a guide for inclusion of people with disabilities

during the High Holy Days & beyond

a teleseminar

with

Shelley Kaplan(moderator)

Co-Chair, USCJ Commission on Inclusion of People with Disabilities

http://www.uscj.org/Accessibility7508.html

and

Shelly Christensen*

MA Manager, Minneapolis Jewish Community Inclusion Program for People with Disabilities

Thursday, August 19, 2010

4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Atlantic

3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Eastern

2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Central

1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Mountain

12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Pacific

The Jewish people are people of compassion. How we dedicate ourselves to meet the needs of our fellow Jews with disabilities is one true and accurate measure of how well we are living up to our legacy of compassion.

Join us for another informative session when we bring back our internationally-recognized featured speakers to share practical ideas about how to enhance the High Holy Day experience for our congregants with disabilities. Don't miss this interactive opportunity to learn from experts in the field of disability and Jewish education and hear what others are doing as we begin our introspection and prepare for the Yomim Noraim.

to register

1)   Click on Ariella Brody's email address: neadmin@uscj.org

2)   Copy the "form" below into the new email

3)   Fill out the requested information and send

RSVP Form for "May All Be Inscribed" Teleseminar:

Participant[s] name:

Synagogue position:

Participant[s] Email address:

Synagogue:

Synagogue city:

State/province:

Once you are registered we will email you a confirmation that includes the call-in number. Additional materials for the teleconference may be emailed to you prior to August 19. Please make certain that you configure your spam filter so that neadmin@uscj.org is not marked as spam. There are a limited number of lines available so register early.

*Shelly Christensen is Program Manager for the Minneapolis Jewish Community Inclusion Program for People with Disabilities, a program of Jewish Family and Children's Service of Minneapolis. Shelly supports all institutions in the Jewish community by providing consultation, resources, facilitation and support. The Inclusion Program is nationally recognized as a leader in the field of inclusion in faith communities. This cutting-edge program was awarded the Association of Jewish Family and Children's Agencies' prestigious Goodman Award, recognizing excellence in innovative programming that addresses a community-wide need. 

Shelly holds a Master of Arts degree in Developmental Disabilities from St. Mary's University of Minnesota. Her articles have been published in Exceptional Parent, Journal of Jewish Communal Services, TCJewfolk, various blogs, and she is frequently cited in articles. Shelly is the editor of the B'shalom column of the American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) Religion and Disability newsletter.

Shelly coordinates Jewish Disability Awareness Month (each February) to assist communities worldwide in raising awareness. Shelly facilitates seminars for synagogue professionals and lay leaders based on her book, The Jewish Community Guide to Inclusion of People with Disabilities. Her book was published in October 2007 and is widely used in Jewish and non-Jewish communities throughout North America, Britain and Australia. She recently received the Bettie and Bernard Farfel Award from Jewish Family Service of Houston for her contributions to the support of Jewish families. Shelly is the owner of Inclusion Innovations, LLC, where she is an international consultant to Jewish and other faith community organizations to strategize, develop and implement inclusion programs and initiatives.

Shelly and her husband Rick are the parents of three adult sons, one of whom has Asperger syndrome. She has personally navigated the Jewish and secular worlds and is passionate about working collaboratively to ensure meaningful participation by people with disabilities and their families. Shelly's philosophy is that people who have disabilities have hopes and dreams like everyone else. We do not do things for people with disabilities - we do things with them.