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.