Reconstructing Judaism, in partnership with the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association and Havaya Summer Programs, is excited to announce its next movement-wide convention, B’Yachad: Reconstructing Judaism Together, which is scheduled to take place March 23-27, 2022 in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Though it is far from now, please save the dates! We intend to gather on those days with a mix of on-screen and in-person ways to connect.
We plan to be truly B’Yachad, together – to gather the wisdom, talents, and varied perspectives of people across the Reconstructionist world, plus those in the wider Jewish and progressive universes. This will be an opportunity to delve into some of the most challenging questions facing our movement and the Jewish world – to hear diverse perspectives and new ideas – and to share effective tools and strategies for our communities.
The Convention Steering and Program Committees are accepting proposals for bold, engaging, and creative workshops at B’Yachad: Reconstructing Judaism Together, that reflect and amplify our collaborative spirit. We are looking for creative and interactive session ideas that include a diversity of voices, help participants build and practice skills, and provide clear learnings and takeaways. We are looking for discussions about the most pressing questions of the day, as well as opportunities for change. Your uniqueness is part of our movement’s strength. So, too, are efforts to pursue collaborative creation.
We are engaging our community members in this creative process now, in order to foster maximum collaboration in developing and leading these sessions. Please look below to learn more about the types of sessions, and range of topics, we seek. All sessions are scheduled to be 75 minutes in length.
Proposals should relate to the primary topics of the conference, including:
- Tikkun Olam: including racial justice, immigration, climate change, economic justice
- Life in our Communities: including skill building for congregational officers and boards, rabbinic – congregational relationships, finance, and membership models, and a look forward at congregational programming
- Education: including lifelong learning, synagogue schools, informal education and youth engagement
- Israel: including Reconstructionism and progressive Judaism in Israel; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (and civil discourse on the subject in our congregations); Israel-Diaspora relations; Israeli organizations to partner with; arts and culture; and more
- How radical imagination can sustain our movement
- Jewish values, practices, and identity
- Reconstructionist Theology, Thought, and Practice: Recon 101 and beyond
This call for proposals will be open until April 15th. Among the selected sessions, there may be blends of various proposals – don’t be surprised if we reach out and put you in touch with others tilling similarly fertile soil, in search of further collaboration and synergy.
If your proposal is accepted, the Convention Program Committee will work with you to build out the workshop or panel so that your idea – as well as the ideals of creating “b’yachad” are best supported. We look forward to seeing all your ideas for how we create meaning together!
Thank you for your interest,
- Jackie Land and Lani Moss, Convention Co-Coordinators