movement for reform judaism · web view2016/06/10 · empowering jewish practice initiative leo...

Programme of Events

Welcome to Chagigah 2016!

This weekend we hope that you will relax, be spiritually uplifted, learn something new, meet new friends and be inspired to take lots of ideas back home with you.

We encourage you to participate in as much of the weekend as you wish. We have produced a full and varied programme and hope there is something for everyone as we create a community together. Please feel free to go to any session that appeals to you but remember you can dip in and out of sessions as you feel fit and if you want a break, take one!

If you need anything, please look for those of us in teal polo shirts.

Shabbat shalom from all of us on the planning team.

2

Friday

16:00 Registration Opens Reception

16.00

onwards

Getting to Know You; Enjoy a drink in the bar, a quiz and make new friends.

Bar

17:00 Early Dinner; For under-fives (pre-booked) Restaurant

17:00 –

18:00

Orientation Tours; Will leave from the bar between 17.00 and 18.00 to show you around this year’s venue

Bar

17:30 –

18:15

Kuddle-Up Shabbat Service; For our youngest participants, with Student Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen

Alfreton

Music Session; Learn the Chagigah melodies. If you would like the opportunity to get in the mood for Shabbat with a bit of singing come along and learn some of the melodies we will be using this evening

Barber

Navigating Chagigah whether it’s your first time or your umpteenth conference this session aims to help you get the most from your weekend. With Rabbi Mark Goldsmith and Irit Burkeman

Introduction to the Initiatives Ambergate

18:30 – 19:40

Kabbalat Shabbat; Led by Rabbi Danny Freelander (WUPJ) & Cantor Zöe Jacobs

Chatterley

19:55 – 20:00

Kiddush and welcome Lawrence

20:00 – 22:00

Dinner Lawrence

22:15 – late

Oneg; Celebrating Shabbat with song Chatterley

Late Night Study; So the spies came back and chaos set in...Were Moses and Aaron right to at least 'seem' to abdicate responsibility? Was Moses actually such a good leader? Should he be our role model? Was it a clever ploy to let Joshua and Caleb take control? Would you have followed the Ten or the Two, are fear tactics useful? And what would have happened if The Boss had not intervened? Come and discuss our sedra for the week with Rabbi Jackie Tabick

Long Hall 1

Having God Conversations – Tools and Anchors for the Spiritually Curious and Educators; God talk can be daunting, and hard to find the words for, especially if we are being asked difficult questions! This session won't promise any answers but together we will explore ways we can begin to have conversations about God with ourselves and with others.

Ambergate

3ProgrammeKey: Leo Baeck College @ 60

Empowering Jewish Practice Initiative Adult Social Care Initiative

Re-Imagining Leadership Initiative

Does Judaism offer us any help? Can we exist as a community together when we hold such a diverse collection of beliefs? With Debbie Young-Somers

Saturday

07:00 – 09:45

Breakfast Restaurant

07:30 – 08:15

Jogging Minyan with Rabbi Celia Surget; Exercise your body as well as your mind

Meet at Reception

08:30 – 09:15

David, Bathsheba and Uriah: Babies, Baths and Corrupt Kings; We will explore the afterlife of one of the most iconic stories in the life of King David. We will begin by studying a variety of rabbinic responses to the text of 2 Samuel 11-12, and end by exploring some reactions to the story in the context of the English Civil War (including Thomas Hobbes and John Milton), and see how they might affect modern political thinking. With Student Rabbi Elliott Kardstadt

Lawrence 1

Saturday (contd)

08:30 – 09:15

(contd)

Mindfulness, Contemplation, Tefillah and Me; Danny will guide us through a contemplative and reflective experience where we will take some time for ourselves before the day begins. This session is designed to model that which we can repeat ourselves at home and help us begin to think about how we might develop our own personal spiritual practices. With Student Rabbi Danny Newman

Lawrence 2

Torah Tots; Who is your favourite Superhero? We would like to invite you to come and celebrate Shabbat dressed as your favourite superhero! We won’t leave you out if you haven’t got a costume with you, but we will be thinking about what makes a superhero, as well as singing and dancing our way through some fun Shabbat songs! All welcome but ideal for 5’s and under! Babies welcome too! With Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers

Ambergate

Beit Din Surgery; Do you have any questions about the work of the Beit Din? Maybe about conversion? Or divorce? Or surrogacy? If so, pick a 10 minute time slot from outside the door and grab a chance to talk privately to the Convenor, Rabbi Jackie Tabick

Barber

9:30 – 11:30

Shabbat Morning Service; We will all join together as one community and be led in t’fillah by Rabbis Paul Freedman, Esther Hugenholtz, Miriam Berger and Fabian Sborovsky

Chatterley

Session 1

Session 1

Tackling Adult Social Care Initiative: The Big Picture – It isn’t Pretty; Step beyond your own responsibilities or that of your community and allow

Chatterley 1




11:50 – 12:50

Merav to share her knowledge from the coal face. Understand the realities of adult social care and the repercussions of loneliness and isolation on the NHS and on local authorities. If that doesn't alarm you let's take a look at the future if we do nothing. With Merav Dover

Empowering Jewish Practice Initiative: My Jewish Practice; Let’s dig deeper into our Jewish practice by looking at why we care about it and the different ways in which we experience it. In this session we’ll explore, through some inspiring texts, the ways that we can engage with Torah, Tefillah and mitzvot in our lives. We’ll also be listening carefully to what participants want from this process. And we will attempt to answer the big question – what is Jewish spirituality and how can we bring it closer into our lives? With Rabbi Benji Stanley

Re-Imagining Leadership Initiative: Cultures and Communities; Every organisation has a culture but have we become prisoners of our own? Communities have all invested time and money in events and programming yet still haven’t managed to engage as many members as they hoped to. Why is it case? What could be changed? Join us to explore how we can create cultures of participation and meaning through building relationships with our members which will leave them eager to pursue leadership roles

Leo Baeck College @ 60: Keep calm and Study the Zohar; The Zohar is the cornerstone of Jewish mysticism and has had a remarkable impact on Jewish and non-Jewish culture (even on Madonna!). Yet, how can this obscure, riddling book be relevant to Reform Judaism? To get the answer, be prepared to embark on an inspiring journey which will lead you to the depths of the Zohar, and unravel its hidden layers. With Dr Alinda Damsma




Saturday (contd)

Session 1

(contd)

11:50 – 12:50

Scriptural Reasoning: A Text Based Session Bringing in Voices and Perspectives from Three Faiths; Based on a Scriptural Reasoning model, this session will see three faith leaders bring their Scriptures to life, spoken or chanted in their original languages. Texts from Islam, Christianity and Judaism teach on the issue of poverty and we will have the chance to discuss and question how we make our sacred texts relevant in the UK at a time of increasing need. With Reverend Anna Alls, Sajid Mohammed and Student Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen. Chaired by Rabbi Sybil Sheridan

Chatterley 2

Step Back in Time; People look back on their youth movement days with such joy, but how many of us get a chance to step back in time and experience a peula (session) from our summer camp or youth club days? Join us as we engage in chinuch (education) in an immersive experiential way. It will be fun and educational all at the same time! With Libby Burkeman and Naomi Raanan

Zen and the Pen Spend some relaxing time exploring the freedom of your mind and losing yourself in this perfect Shabbat morning activity. No artistic skills needed with Kathryn Michaels

Bar area

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch Restaurant

14:00 –

15:00

Free time

Colouring is not just for kids What is all the fuss about? Crafting with Kathryn Michaels

Bar

Beit Din Surgery; Do you have any questions about the work of the Beit Din? Maybe about conversion? Or divorce? Or surrogacy? If so, pick a 10 minute time slot from outside the door and grab a chance to talk privately to the Convenor, Rabbi Jackie Tabick

Hazelwood

Meet the Team If you would like any help, advice or ideas from the MRJ team here is an opportunity to get to know who is who:

Yon Borthwick – RSY-Netzer

Libby Burkeman – Informal Education Director

Martin Dix – Communications Manager

Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner – Senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism

Geoffrey Marx – MRJ Vice-Chair

Daniel Raphael – Head of Fundraising

Gilly Shulman - Head of Community Partnership and HR

Bar




Rabbi Benji Stanley – Rabbi for Young Adults

Robert Weiner – MRJ Chair

Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers – Community Educator

Open Beit Midrash Bring a question, follow an issue - a bunch of Reform Rabbis will be on hand to help you to find an answer through classical and contemporary sources. Whatever you would like to study we are there to learn with you. Facilitated by Rabbi Mark Goldsmith

Barber

Session 2

15:00 – 16:15

Session 2

Tackling Adult Social Care Initiative: How does the issue of isolation and loneliness present itself in our communities?: The impact of ageing relatives, the increasing pastoral needs of our members, the new challenges that changing demographics present us with are just a few of the headlines this session will allow us to plot across our Movement. Come and explore what challenges we share and which we are future proofing ourselves from

Saturday (contd)

Session 2

(contd)

15:00 – 16:15

Empowering Jewish Practice Initiative: The Amidah from a range of angles; Come and experience a close reading of the Amidah and use other texts to get at its range and meaning. Gain the confidence to be creative with it and look at ways of bringing it into your own daily life. And how can we bring our enhanced understanding of this central prayer back into our communities? With the Jewish Practice team; Sherry Ashworth and Rabbis Celia Surget, Mark Goldsmith and Benji Stanley

Re-Imagining Leadership Initiative: If only leaders grew on trees (Part 1); Many synagogues told us they felt that they rely on the same leaders time and time again or are worried about who is going to fill the next position on their Council. The Pentecostal leader Bishop Wayne Brown hasn’t quite managed to find seeds to that tree but he has been able to build thoughtful leadership trajectories for members at his successful Pentecostal black majority church, New Testament Church of God, with Bishop Wayne Brown

Leo Baeck College @ 60: Hope and Despair in Times of Crisis; Looking through the prism of the biblical book of Lamentations Rabbah, we will explore our complex reactions to extreme difficulties, allowing our sacred texts to give voice to our darkest fears and our keenest hopes. With Dr Laliv Clenman and Rabbi Dr Deborah Kahn-Harris

Making Change Without Making Any Changes! Familiarity is what makes services comforting for many whilst others crave something new. How can we keep the familiar feeling of our t'fillah (services) and yet change




the energy, without even changing the melodies? Join us as we investigate a new toolbox for change and go home with a set of new possibilities - all without changing a thing! No musical experience necessary, just enthusiasm to participate. With Rabbi Danny Freelander and Cantor Zöe Jacobs

Meaningful Engagement With Israel; The Alliance for Progressive Judaism is in the midst of establishing an Israel Desk. This is an essential step forward in supporting the Reform and Liberal Movements, in collaboration with Leo Baeck College, deepen their Israel engagement. Explore the potential of this project and discuss how it can respond to the current multiple dialogues and needs within our community. Can the Progressive Movement be at the forefront of a paradigm shift in Diaspora/Israel relationship? With Rabbi Charley Baginsky (Chair), Dr Keith Kahn-Harris (LBC), Kalela Lancaster (NIF) and Roy Graham (UJIA). In partnership with UJIA, Leo Baeck College and New Israel Fund UK

Other ways to inspire in the classroom; Bringing stories alive through craft, whether for cheder or for the home you will be enthused with Kathryn Michaels

16:15 – 17:15

Seuda Shlishit; Time for relaxation as we fulfil the Sabbath obligation of eating even more food. Eat, relax and enjoy varied discussion topics on each table:

Educational Challenges and Opportunities for Our Communities with

Rabbi Debbie Young Somers and Libby Burkeman;

New Israel Fund with Kalela Lancaster and Amal Elsana Alh’jooj

RSY-Netzer Movement Workers

Supercarers with Adam Pike

UJIA with Roy Graham

Discussion tables in Lawrence, Just nosh in the bar area

Saturday (contd)

Session 3

17:30 –

Session 3

Tackling Adult Social Care Initiative: Sharing Inspirational practice; Come and hear all about it. We will unpack some great initiatives being used to tackle some of the major issues we highlighted in Session Two. Your synagogue will be grateful as this session will give them answers to problems they didn't know they had! There will be plenty of tangible, take home pieces from this session

Empowering Jewish Practice Initiative: The Shema from a range of angles: We will return to the shema, using other texts to help us interpret




18:45 it. We’ll also include the use of tefillin, tallitot and the mezuzah. And again, as with the Amidah, we will consider how we can use our enhanced understanding of this prayer both personally and in our communities. With the Jewish Practice team; Sherry Ashworth and Rabbis Celia Surget, Mark Goldsmith and Benji Stanley

Re-Imagining Leadership Initiative: If only leaders (in our shuls) grew on trees (Part 2); Join Bishop Wayne Brown again as, with you, we unpack with you lessons on building a trajectory of membership for communities and explore with the teams how this might be translated into our communities, with Bishop Wayne Brown

Leo Baeck College @ 60: Joseph and Asenath: A Story of Love Across Boundaries and Through the Ages; Join the faculty of the Leo Baeck College for a unique and dynamic study session exploring the story of Joseph and Asenath through biblical, Hellenistic, Second Temple, targumic (Aramaic), midrashic and talmudic texts. We will explore and study the challenges posed by this famous marriage from the ancient world all the way through to our Jewish communities today. With Rabbi Dr Deborah Kahn-Harris, Dr Alinda Damsma, Rabbi Neil Janes, Rabbi Shulamit Ambalu, Dr Laliv Clenman and Dr Keith Kahn-Harris

A Bedouin Leader Against All Odds: Amal grew up in, and became a leading activist for, the Bedouin community in Israel. As a fifth girl in a traditional Bedouin family, Amal has never taken ‘no’ for an answer and became a pioneer in advancing community development and women's rights in her Bedouin community. She is the former Executive Co-Director and founder of AJEEC-NISPED (Arab-Jewish Centre for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperative). For her incredible work she has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, together with other social activists. Amal also sits on the International Board of New Israel Fund and was awarded its Human Rights Award in 2013 with Amal Elsana Alh’jooj

Amal is briefly in the UK and will discuss the current and historical issues facing the Bedouin communities in Israel as well as Jewish-Arab relations. Amal is an inspiring activist with a remarkable story.

In partnership with New Israel Fund UK

Music Session with Cantor Zöe Jacobs and Judith Silver

Heirlooms have to start somewhere we all have those treasured things left to us by past generations, make your Jewish heirlooms out of clay with Kathryn Michaels

19:00 Group Photo; Meet on the grass by the bar




Saturday (contd)

19:15 –

23:00

Dinner and Chagfest ending with Havdallah marking the end of Shabbat Hopefully the sun will be shining for our barbecue

Join the fun in our very own festival with music by Shir and Judith Silver and everything from bouncy castles to text study

Outside

23:00

Learning After Dark; Grab a drink and get deep. A no holds barred discussion, can you be Jewish and not believe in God? With Student Rabbis Kath Vardi and Deborah Blausten Long Hall 2

Sunday

07:30 – 09:00

Breakfast and Check Out (by 10am)

08.45 – 10.00

AGM

10:00 – 10:30

Shacharit with student Rabbis Daniela Touati and Yaera Ratel

Session 4

10:40 – 12:00

Session 4

Tackling Adult Social Care Initiative: Be part of the next chapter; The MRJ are committed to combating isolation and loneliness but this session is the first step towards how we can we do this as 42 communities, effectively and strategically. When we celebrate the impact we have had at Chagigah 2018 you will have wanted to be at this session so you can say you were one of the pioneers

Empowering Jewish Practice Initiative: Growing inspiring practice; It doesn’t end here! Come to this session to reflect on the ways your spiritual practice has developed over Chagigah. We will use these reflections to plan how you will take back your gains to your communities. We’ll also set up a network so we can all support each other as we start on our journeys towards more meaningful Jewish practice. With Sherry Ashworth

Re-Imagining Leadership Initiative: Successful leadership and Congregational habits; Aristotle taught, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence therefore is not an act but a habit”. But who is a leader and what does successful leadership look like? We will be looking at this and will be reflecting on 8 congregational habits that we are all now familiar with. Understanding these habits will allow us to create a congregational map that will identify strengths and weaknesses; this in turn will develop




the future path to successful leadership and excellence

Leo Baeck @ 60: From Dinah to Tamar: Women’s Voices Reimagined; Join us for this hands-on study session of talmudic and midrashic tales connecting Dinah to Tamar and beyond. Through study of these rabbinic texts we will explore how women’s voices may re-emerge and be reimagined for our times. With Rabbi Neil Janes and Dr Laliv Clenman

L’Chaim A chance to pilot the newest unit in the L’Chaim (To Life) educational programme. This unit is about social justice and will enthuse and equip you to bring this easy to lead educational unit of 2 hours to your community and to use it as a springboard for more social action and social justice ideas and change. With Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner

Sunday (contd)

Session 4

(contd)

10:40 – 12:00

Refugees; Rooted in Text, Inspired to Action:

Throughout history Jews have taken refuge, how has this past shaped our present and what, if any, is our resulting obligation to refugees? From Kindertransport to private sponsorship and loving thy neighbour to creating and developing community through good coffee, good food and good conversation. Come along and join the conversation with those who are already doing so, with Anna Dyson (ToastLoveCoffee) and Andrew Jacobs (Citizens UK)

Design a Biblical Landscape to embroider or paint Using a very simple technique, design a landscape relating to a Bible story or modern Israel. There should be time to begin to embroider or paint this, so that you can complete it when you get home. Maximum 10 people with Lana Young

Bar Area

12:15 – 12:50

Closing Tekes (Ceremony)

13:00 –14:00

Lunch




movement for reform judaism · web view2016/06/10 · empowering jewish practice initiative leo...

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