The WCJCS Quadrennial Conference, which opens in Jerusalem today, will be broadcasting a number of sessions live:

PLENARY II – Your People Shall be My People – Notions of Jewish Peoplehood

Sunday, June 24 – 6:45-9:15 am EST; 11:45-14:15 GMT; 13:45-16:15 Israel time

If much of the data is to be believed, the ties that bind Jews together are becoming increasingly unraveled and frayed. Links between Jews in Israel and the Diaspora, between different denominations, between those with different Jewish outlooks, are all breaking down. Has the powerful idea of ‘one people with one heart’ become consigned to the dustbin of history? Can it be rebuilt and renewed? If so, what needs to be done?

The Social Protest of 2011 and the Trachtenberg Government Committee: When Democracy Meets Bureaucracy

Sunday, June 24 – 9:45-11:15 am EST; 14:45-16:15 GMT; 16:45-18:15 Israel time

This session will explore the tent city movement that swept Israel during the summer of 2011 and caused half a million Israelis to take to the streets and demand “Social Justice.” The panelists, representing opposite sides: protestors vs. the government committee charged with addressing the demands, will discuss the roots of the protest, Israeli civic participation, protestor-government relations, and the road ahead.

Nurturing jewish peoplehood in the 21st century – what should we do differently?

Sunday, June 24 – 11:15am-12:30pm EST; 16:15-17:30 GMT; 18:15-19:30 Israel time

This panel will feature contributors to the 8th issue of the Peoplehood Papers which focuses on the theme “Nurturing Jewish Peoplehood in the 21st Century – What Should We Do Differently?”

The panelists will present their views about the changes Peoplehood nurturing needs to undergo in order to be inspiring and impactful in today’s world. They will share innovative approaches in terms of vision and method which also capitalize on modern developments in social networks and the media.

Plenary III – From Vision to Reality

Monday, June 25 – 2:00-3:15 am EST; 7:00-8:15 GMT; 9:00-10:15 Israel time

We will open the day that will focus on Professional Development with a keynote presentation on strategies for turning a vision into a stable reality.

The Art of Donor Cultivation for Major Gift Giving

Monday, June 25 – 3:30-5:00 am EST; 8:30-10:00 GMT; 10:30-12:00 Israel time

Explore topics such as: the Integrated Ask: Planned giving, ongoing annual support, special capital campaign; fund raising for sustainability, and more.

PLENARY IV – Special Pinterest Judaism: Jewish Identity, Social Entrepreneurship, and Activism Meets the iPod, Twitter, and Occupy

Tuesday, June 26 – 2:00-3:00 am EST; 7:00-8:00 GMT; 9:00-10:00 Israel time

TED style talks – are very interactive, engaging, dynamic presentations. This plenary will include two inspiring, thought-provoking 20 minute presentations of new ideas and trends in the Jewish world.

Speakers:

Jay Michaelson – Author, God vs. Gay?; Contributing Editor, Forward

iSpirituality: Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love DIY Judaism

Traditional Jewish institutions are in trouble. American denominations are struggling financially, Federations are challenged to attract the younger generation, the old model of the synagogue is increasingly being questioned, and new forms of identity threaten historic bonds between American Jews and Israel. Is this the end of the Jewish world, or the beginning?

Jay Michaelson, the writer and activist recently named to the Forward 50 list of the ”people creating the Judaism of the 21st century,” thinks this is a moment of great opportunity. Transcending conventional movements, ideologies, and labels, Do It Yourself (DIY) Judaism is an empowered, wired, and eclectic movement of Jewish identity and community. How do these changes impact Jewish communal service? How has social entrepreneurship changed the face of American Judaism, and how can Israeli communal leaders learn from and adapt to these shifts?

Anat Hoffman – Executive Director, the Israel Religious Action Center, Israel

From the Back of the Bus to the Top of the Agenda

What are the strategies used by women and men who wish to end discrimination, silencing and exclusion of women from the public sphere in Israel. How are these heroic men and women like the “CHALUTZIM”, the pioneers, who demonstrated courage, selfless commitment and wisdom in the founding of the state? Why is there a new tendency to exclude women from the public sphere in Israel today? What can be done in Israel and abroad to change that? Who are the religious powers that demand exclusion of women and what are the tools that Israel’s democracy have to counteract them.

Social Media: A Practical Discussion of Techniques and Issues for Jewish Communal Organizations Translation Offered

Tuesday, June 26 – 6:30-8:15 am EST; 11:30-13:15 GMT; 13:30-15:15 Israel time

Social media is more than just technology, it’s a gift that helps us connect better and more deeply with the members of our individual communities. In this session, you’ll learn more about social media culture, how its theory and practice relate to Jewish communal life, and have the chance to crowdsource solutions to your challenges. Come with questions, and we’ll find the answers as a community.

CLOSING PLENARY – Energizing the Present, Envisioning the Future: Strengthening Jewish Community – How do we do it?

Tuesday, June 26 – 8:45-10:15 am EST; 13:45-15:15 GMT; 15:45-17:15 Israel time

For three days we have been engaged with critical issues facing world Jewry: strengthen the sense of Peoplehood – that we are one people; deepening the meaning and quality of Jewish Identity; attracting the younger generation and preparing future leaders; dealing with mega-shifts and new paradigms in building community and Israel-Diaspora relationships. As we become an ever smaller percentage of the global population how can we best work together to address our growing challenges and how can the World Council of Jewish Communal Service, as a unique organization cutting across professional lines, establish more meaningful connections among professionals serving Jewish communities worldwide.

The webcast is available on the WCJCS website.
The webcast will only be viewable during the dates/times indicated above.
The full conference program and schedule is available in the Program Book.