Kenissa: Communities of Meaning Network is an independent project housed at Hazon, led by Rabbi Sid Schwarz. Co-sponsors of the Initiative are the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, JOIN for Justice, Hadar and UpStart. Kenissa’s mission is to support the growth of the Jewish innovation ecosystem by building a network of innovators and entrepreneurs who can learn from each other and support one another. Kenissa’s national mapping project helps to raise the profile of the entire innovation ecosystem to the organized Jewish community. Kenissa has two national gatherings each year, one in December and one in March. The gatherings have been described as “transformative” for participants who are delighted to find so many fellow-travelers and soul-mates. Numerous collaborations have been seeded at Kenissa gatherings.

Kenissa gatherings are limited to 50 participants and are “by invitation only.” Yet, in our effort to uncover as many new Jewish organizations as possible, we are inviting individuals pioneering new models of Jewish life and community to nominate themselves for the upcoming Fifth Kenissa National Consultation, March 1-3, 2020 at Isabella Freedman Retreat Center in Falls River, CT. Your organization must be in its first 15 years of existence with budgets under $1M. Program fees are highly subsidized and some travel scholarships are available. If interested send a note explaining your interest to RabbiSid@Hazon.org. Include a link to your website.