Call for Workshop Proposals

Join us at the United Synagogue's upcoming convention taking place November 13-17, 2015 at the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center in Schaumburg, Illinois, where we will come together in Chicagoland to build a community and shape our Jewish future.

 

What are the goals of the Convention?

 

Judaism evolves and grows through the lived experiences of an inspired people.  

 

From November 13-17, 2015, thousands of lay leaders, professionals, USY, Schechter and Ramah alumni, representatives of Jewish organizations, and Jews passionate about the Jewish future will create the largest Jewish workshop in the world, where we will serve as artists, crafters, workers and builders, shaping the radiant center of North American Jewish life.    

 

The convention aims to touch the mind, body and soul - shaping our own Jewish selves and our communities' future. We will begin with a multi-generational Shabbaton filled with spirited music and tefillah. Following the Shabbaton, we will convene for the conference component of the convention, which will include single session workshops and multi-session intensive tracks designed to empower participants to continue to strengthen and transform their kehillot when they return.

 

We invite YOU to help Shape the Center

 

The program will be organized around programmatic centers, including innovation and change, Jewish learning in the Beit Midrash, inclusion, emerging Jewish communities, millennial engagement, leadership development, social justice, and financial sustainability.  

 

We are inviting proposals for individual 60-90 minute workshops that will focus on how to shape the center of one's Jewish self, an individual kehilla (sacred community), or the wider Jewish world.  Workshops should:

 

  • Combine tools that leave the participants empowered and prepared to do transformative work in their kehillot, reflecting a positive vision for the future of Conservative Judaism;
  • Be practical, experiential, and interactive;
  • Be structured around hevruta learning, and designed to jumpstart an ongoing relationship between participants and presenters; and
  • Maximize direct engagement between presenters and participants.        

 

We will strive for balance in our presenters in terms of gender, sexual orientation, geography, backgrounds and institutional affiliations so that we can showcase a mosaic of outstanding leaders, professionals, and kehillot.

 

 

Applications are due on Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 5:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time.

More About the 2015 USCJ Convention

 

* November 13-15, 2015 - Shabbaton

* November 15-17, 2015 - Conference

 

The United Synagogue Convention is the largest gathering of Conservative Jews in the world, an opportunity to celebrate the transformative work taking place in kehillot around the globe, and to develop connections to strengthen kehillot at a critical time in the history of the Jewish people.   

 

In addition, the USCJ Convention will offer opportunities for consultations with United Synagogue specialists and selected consultants, launch new projects and program cohorts, and highlight the innovation and creativity of kehillot in North America and Israel.   

 

We hope that you will join us and look forward to your workshop proposal.