Category: Reform Judaism

Categories
General CCAR News Reform Judaism

Introducing…Ravblog!

Welcome to Ravblog, the blog of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.

The world in which we live continues to change rapidly, including shifts in the Reform Movement and broader Jewish community.  This includes changes in demographics, finances and religious practice, as well as the way we gather as communities.

The CCAR itself is changing, as are the 2,000 rabbis who make up our membership, and the 1.5 million Jews we now serve in all walks of life including congregational and community settings. The CCAR’s mission, as it has been since 1889, is to strengthen and enrich the Jewish community.  We do this in many new ways be it through life-long learning, liturgical and Jewish practice publications, as well as cutting edge digital publications and Apps. We are also anchored in tradition as we apply Jewish principles to contemporary issues.

One way we continue to learn and grow is through engagement — engagement with our own rabbis, with other Jewish professionals, lay leadership in the Reform Movement, and with members of the broader Jewish community.

It has been great to hear from you and engage in conversations when we see each other in person at CCAR Conventions, national Biennials, professional conferences, congregational visits, universities, and even on military basis (yes, our rabbis serve Jews in the military).

To talk more often, we¹ve created Ravblog, as an ongoing space for us to interact.  Together we¹ll look at issues facing the CCAR, the Reform Movement, Israel, and the Jewish world as a whole.  We¹ll look at issues of today, and of tomorrow.  What are we all thinking about?  What are we working on?  What challenges are you facing?  What are the big ideas on our minds?

Some of our staff members will blog, as will CCAR leadership, and you¹ll also hear from a number of guest bloggers.  To our members who are great bloggers, and others who participate in this great online Jewish conversation — you have inspired us and set the bar high.

Let us know what you think and keep teaching us.

Koltuv,

Rabbis Steve Fox, Hara Person, Debbie Prinz, Alan Henkin, and Dan Medwin

(The CCAR Rabbinic Staff)

Categories
General CCAR News Reform Judaism

2013 CCAR Convention

Rabbis Leading the Shift

Pre-Convention Programming, Sunday March 3rd 9:00 AM-3:00 PM

Convention will kick-off Sunday, March 3rd @ 4:00 PM and conclude Wednesday, March 6, 2013 @ 10:30 PM

In the past year, the Convention Committee listened to hundreds of our colleagues in face-to-face conversations and in small groups. We heard stories of shifting economic priorities, concerns about the relevance of synagogues and the Reform Movement, and questions about technology changing the nature of human interaction. We also heard stories of optimism, hope, and possibility – a desire for our colleagues to work together to shift focus, skills, and intentions so that we are ready to lead our communities through an ear of rapid shifts and change. Based on this input, the Convention theme has developed into Rabbis Leading the Shift: Jewish Possibility in a Rapidly Changing World.

As at Conventions past, you will have an opportunity to reconnect with friends, pray, and engage with some of the finest scholars, teachers, and learning opportunities in Southern California. We will also create opportunities for colleagues to listen, reflect, and meaningfully discuss the issues, concerns, and interests about which the CCAR members are most passionate. The Torah Lishmah and Professional Development learning will be integrated in three main areas: “finding my way through the shift,” “leading the shift in my workplace,” and “leading the shift in the larger world.” We hope that you will join us.