A gathering of over 500 Reform rabbis – constituting the spiritual leadership of over 1.5 million North American Jews and several hundred thousand Jews around the world – will take place in Boston, March 18th through the 22nd at the 123rd Annual Convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR).

Though the majority of rabbis at this year’s Convention practice in North America, colleagues from Israel, Europe and other countries will also be in attendance.

This year’s gathering, the largest of its kind in over two decades, also marks an historical anniversary – the 40th anniversary of women’s ordination. The first woman in the world to receive the designation of rabbi, Sally Priesand will read Torah for the March 19th Monday morning prayer service and be honored at a special reception later that evening.

The 2012 CCAR Convention is also an opportunity to showcase the CCAR Press – which produces publications that relate to Jewish practice, as well as the Reform Jewish Quarterly: The CCAR Journal, and a wide-range of electronic resources including e-books, apps, and Visual T’filah. At the Convention, the bold and brand-new Haggadah, Sharing the Journey: The Haggadah for the Contemporary Family written by Alan S. Yoffie, with artwork by artist Mark Podwal, will be presented alongside a book on mindful food consumption, The Sacred Table: Creating a Jewish Food Ethic, edited by Rabbi Mary Zamore and a finalist for the 2011 National Jewish Book Award.