Engagement Conference

You may have heard the term Jewish Engagement; but what does engagement mean and how do we use it to enhance our work and make a greater impact? Jewish Engagement is the cultivation of relationships to support people in building a relevant form of Jewish Life that places the person –not an organization– at the center.

Buffalo Jewish Federation is pleased to present the Engagement Conference – for current volunteer and professional leaders of Jewish organizations – and for individuals who want to lead or create, using Jewish values. Let’s Engage! Together we will gain a foundational understanding of Jewish Engagement – why we need it and how to do it – we will workshop engagement skills, listen to a panel conversation with engagement practitioners from throughout Buffalo, and put what we have learned into practice.

Sunday, April 29 | 1:30pm-8:30pm | Murchie Family Football Center at UB Stadium – and –
Monday, April 30 |8:00am -12:00pm | Lippman Lounge, JCC Benderson Family Building

Through this two-day experience, both professional and volunteer leaders will have the opportunity to learn with Rabbi Mike Uram, author of Next Generation Judaism. Conference attendees are invited to join us on Sunday only or Sunday & Monday.

Pricing


Schedule


Sunday

1:30PM Registration
2:00PM Opening Remarks
2:30PM Keynote & Conversations: Rabbi Mike Uram
3:50PM Processing Time & Stretch Break
4:15PM Skill Building Workshops
5:30PM Dinner & Experiencing Engagement
6:30PM Panel Conversation
7:30PM Close & Setting Direction: Rabbi Mike Uram
8:15PM Celebration

Sunday’s participants will gain a foundational understanding of Jewish Engagement – why we need it and how to do it. Participants will learn from keynote speaker Rabbi Mike Uram, participate in one of six Skill Building Workshops, listen to a panel conversation with Engagement Practitioners from Outside of the Jewish Community, and practice engagement techniques.

Parve snacks (Kosher) will be provided. Dinner (Kosher-Vad Supervised) will be provided by Sabra Grill.

Monday

8:00AM Breakfast & Registration
8:15AM Welcome
8:30AM Checking In: What have we learned? What are our questions?
9:00AM Disruptive Innovation: Rabbi Mike Uram
9:45AM Thought Experiment Workshops
10:45AM Coffee/Schmooze Break
11:00AM Key Take Aways: Rabbi Mike Uram
12:00PM The End

Monday’s participants will focus on reviewing the Core Elements of Successful Engagement. We will learn about Disruptive Innovation in organized Jewish life and participate in a Collaborative Thought Experiment to put those learnings into practice.

Coffee and Breakfast (Kosher-Vad Supervised) will be provided by Luscious by Lori.

Jewish engagement is the cultivation of relationships to support people in building a relevant form of Jewish life that places the person—not an organization—at the center.

Workshops


The Art of the Coffee Date

A relationship between two people lays the foundation for personal, meaningful Jewish experiences. Learn the skills required to launch and nurture new relationships that pivot around Judaism.

Pop Up Judaism

Let’s play together with Pop up Park Buffalo, while we explore a core element of successful Jewish engagement: meeting people where they are – wherever life occurs, in places and spaces that are meaningful to individuals.

Disruptive Innovation

Dive deeper with Mike Uram and wrestle with the questions: Why is innovation so hard for establishment organizations? How can leaders incubate change from within?

Inclusive Engagement

Inclusion is both a Jewish value and a lens through which we can look at our work. Learn about the art of radical hospitality, inclusion of Jews of all backgrounds and those who are Jew-adjacent, and the openness required to embrace innovations in Jewish ritual and practice.

Engagement via Social Media

Why are your brand and your social media strategy essential components of effective Jewish engagement? Learn the basics of social media platforms, social media etiquette, and how to craft content that speaks to your Jewish Engagement goals.

What’s Your Jewish Story

Authentic engagement leads to meaningful Jewish growth. What’s your personal Jewish story? How can your Jewish story help you dive deeper when engaging others? Learn tricks for gently infusing Jewish content into engagement conversations.

Network Mapping

Let’s explore how to draw social network maps. How can network mapping help organizations reach post-institutional Jews and amplify the impact of our work?

Rabbi Mike Uram

Rabbi Mike Uram

Guest Speaker

Rabbi Mike Uram is the Executive Director and Campus Rabbi for the Hillel at University of Pennsylvania and the author of the new book entitled, Next Generation Judaism: How College Students and Hillel Can Help Reinvent Jewish Organizations, which recently won a National Jewish Book Award.  He is a sought-after speaker and consultant on the changing nature of the American Jewish community, Jewish innovation, cutting-edge engagement and how legacy organizations can reinvent themselves in the age of millennials.

Mike has offered key note addresses, led workshops and served as scholar-in-residence at dozens of Jewish organizations including Jewish Federations of North America, The Wexner Foundation, United Synagogue, The Rabbinical Assembly, Central Conference of American Rabbis, Hillel International and many local federations, synagogues and JCCs. Mike currently serves as lead faculty and Jewish coach for the Schusterman Fellowship, a prestigious leadership development program for the most promising talent in the Jewish professional sector.

Mike recently won the Edgar Bronfman Award that recognizes outstanding achievement and leadership within the Hillel movement. In 2012, Mike was named to the Forward list of the 50 most influential leaders that year. In the spring of 2012, Mike received the Ally of the Year award from AIPAC for his campus work during the Penn BDS Conference.  In the winter of 2007, Mike received Hillel’s highest award for professional achievement, the Richard M. Joel Exemplar of Excellence. He has written a number of articles and is currently writing a monthly column for philly.com.  Mike helped to create a Jewish engagement ‘start-up’ called the Jewish Renaissance Project (JRP) that reaches thousands of students on the Jewish periphery with cutting-edge methods for building alternative Jewish communities and delivering content-rich Jewish experiences.  JRP was recently included in the 2014-2015 Slingshot guide for most innovative Jewish organizations in North America.

He has spent time in all of the different denominations and is most passionate about breaking down the personal, spiritual and intellectual boundaries that prevent people from having full self-actualized Jewish identities.

Mike holds a BA in History and Religious Studies from Washington University and Rabbinic Ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary.  He lives outside Philadelphia with his wife Leora and their children Avital, Benjamin and Coby.

Engagement Task Force


Engagement Task Force

The Buffalo Jewish Federation Engagement Task Force is representative of the many communities which exist in, around and throughout Jewish Buffalo, and was charged with the planning and execution of Buffalo’s first Engagement Conference.

  • Ellen Weiss, Engagement Task Force Chair
  • The Buffalo Jewish Federation’s Engagement Task Force: Marc Adler, Rabbi Ori Bergman, Hadar Borden, Beverly Holtz, Rabbi Alex Lazarus-Klein, Merredith Levin, Nina Lukin, Jason Palevsky, Robin Raphael, Rabbi Sara Rich, Sheri Rodman
  • Miriam Abramovich, Director of Engagement
  • Nicole Bard, Engagement Associate
Jewish Engagement starts with authentic relationships that pivot around Judaism and asks us to meet people wherever they are, wherever life occurs . . . at home, at SPoT coffee, at . . .

FAQs


Who should attend the conference?
  1.  Current professional and volunteer leaders – leaders of Jewish organizations and those who lead using Jewish values but in non-Jewish settings!
  2. Individuals interested in leading and creating using Jewish values in Buffalo.
  3. Teams of professionals who would like to innovate their Jewish organization.
What will I get out of the conference?
  1. A working understanding of the theory driving new forms of Jewish Engagement.
  2. A vocabulary of engagement terminology that is applicable to practice.
  3. Introduction to innovative ideas and models of Jewish life and Jewish community from around the United States.
  4. Opportunity and Encouragement to begin experimenting Jewishly or creating something new for Buffalo right at the conference!
I don't know anything about engagement - can I still attend?
YES! At the conference we will do a deep-dive into Jewish Engagement – starting at the very top by defining Jewish Engagement, down to exploring how you as an individual, or you as a professional/volunteer leader, can use engagement practices throughout your life and work.
Do I need to attend both days?
You can join us for Sunday only -or- Sunday and Monday (No Monday Only Option).
What will we do on Sunday?
Sunday’s participants will gain a foundational understanding of Jewish Engagement – why we need it and how to do it. Participants will learn from keynote speaker Rabbi Mike Uram, participate in one of six Skill Building Workshops, listen to a panel conversation with Engagement Practitioners from Outside of the Jewish Community, and practice engagement techniques. Parve snacks (Kosher) will be provided. Dinner (Kosher-Vad Supervised) will be provided by Sabra Grill.
What will we do on Monday?
Monday’s participants will focus on reviewing the Core Elements of Successful Engagement. We will learn about Disruptive Innovation in organized Jewish life and participate in a Collaborative Thought Experiment to put those learnings into practice. Coffee and Breakfast (Kosher-Vad Supervised) will be provided by Luscious by Lori.
I have special dietary needs -- who is catering?
On Sunday-

  • Dinner + dessert will be catered by Sabra Grill (Kosher and Va’ad Supervised)
  • Snacks, water + coffee (granola bars, fruit, etc.) will be available throughout the day

On Monday-

  • Breakfast will be catered by Luscious by Lori (Kosher + Va’ad Supervised)
  • Snacks, water + coffee (granola bars, fruit, etc.) will be available throughout the day

*All meals will be vegetarian AND will have gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan options.

HELP - I don't know where to park!
Engagement Conference - 29342388 10208887617986062 38483602756861952 nParking on Sunday:

  • Please park in the STADIUM LOT on the South side of the Football Stadium. This parking lot is outlined in blue in the photo to the left.
  • You do not need a parking pass.
  • There will be signs leading up to the entrance. The entrance is marked with a yellow dot in the photo to the left.
  • Click on the image for a FULL map

Parking on Monday:

  • Please park in the JCC Benderson Family Building Lot
Do I need to bring anything with me?
  1. An open mind
  2. 20 business cards to share
  3. A notebook + writing utensil
What should I wear?
There is no dress code; come as you are! Engagement is all about meeting people where they are. . . we want to meet you as you — be yourself, dress in your personal style.
Questions? Contact Miriam Abramovich