The 2009 JOI Annual Conference schedule:

NOTE: This schedule is tentative and will be updated as more content is added.
Last updated: May 7, 2009.

Every session will be sensitive to the needs of communities of all sizes, whether they are small, intermediate, or large.

Sunday, June 7, 2009 Inspiration

1:30pm Registration opens

2:45pm Mincha Service (Afternoon Service)

3:00pm Welcome and Introductions Five Motivations for Outreach: The Moral Imperative behind reaching out and welcoming in by Rabbi Kerry Olitzky The Jewish Values of Outreach by Rabbi Mayer Selekman

4:30pm Special Surprise Guest!

6:00pm Dinner Keynote address by Stuart Matlins, founder, editor-in-chief and publisher of Jewish Lights Publishing. Stuart will draw from his own personal experience and share the story behind his founding of Jewish Lights Publishing, a company that publishes books based on the Jewish wisdom tradition for people of all faiths and backgrounds. With his wife Antoinette, he is the co-founder and for 19 years the lay spiritual leader of Congregation Shir Shalom in Woodstock, Vermont.

7:15pm Evening Program The inspirational, personal journey of Stephanie St. James A performance by interdisciplinary artist Maya Escobar Panel on Integrating Intersecting Identities: Maya Escobar, moderator. With Stephanie St. James, Hilary Polak, Adam McKinney

9pm Networking and Dessert Hosted by Eva Stern A structured opportunity to connect with colleagues

10:00pm Maariv Service (Evening Service)

Monday, June 8, 2009 Transformation

7:30am Shacharit (Morning Service)

8:00am Breakfast

9:15am Effective Programs for Outreach Introduced and Moderated by Paul Golin. Panelists: Dana Lichtenberg, Roberta Matz, Shoshana Zonderman Hear from skilled outreach practitioners about their experiences implementing a variety of outreach programs in their communities. Learn the strategy needed to bring programs like The Mothers Circle, Grandparents Circle and Public Space Judaism to your community.

10:30am Implementing Outreach Programs: Workshops (Choose one) The Grandparents Circle and The Mothers Circle Facilitated by Rebecca Gross and Pippi Kessler The Grandparents Circle focuses on how to program for Jewish grandparents with interfaith grandchildren. The Mothers Circle is an educational and support program for women of other religious backgrounds raising Jewish children. THINK TANK: Men's Programming Facilitated by Deborah Meyer How to engage unaffiliated and intermarried men in the Jewish community. THINK TANK: Engaging Young Adults Facilitated by Adam Gaynor Strategies to reach teenagers and establish and/or maintain their connection to the Jewish community.

11:45am Implementing Outreach Practices: Workshops (Choose one) Transforming One Contact into a Lifetime of Engagement Facilitated by Eva Stern What do you do with newcomers once you've found them? Explore hands-on, take-home strategies to maximize the impact of the programs and services you already work so hard to create. Outreach Marketing Clinic Facilitated by Paul Golin How do your materials look to those on the outside? We will look at specific questions and provide direction on how to communicate your message to those on the periphery. It's Not Just About Fundraising: Finding New Resources for Compelling Outreach Programs Facilitated by Rabbi Bennett Miller Explore relationship fundraising and the need to elevate our work from the mundane to the sacred where it belongs and the resources that will help us do so.

1:00pm Lunch

2:15pm The Book of Ruth: an interactive group experience of a text that focuses on the issues of community, otherness, and welcoming. Guided by Peter Pitzele, this session will probe a familiar tale for new insights into ourselves and into our work as shapers of community.

3:30pm Becoming a "Big Tent Judaism" Organization: Workshops I (Choose one) Welcome All Newcomers Facilitated by Eva Stern How does your institution look to newcomers, especially those from interfaith families? Learn the key barriers to participation that keep newcomers from engaging with your organization and increase accessibility! Deepen Jewish Engagement Facilitated by Rabbi Daniel Brenner Learn effective models and best practices for deepening Jewish engagement. Lower Barriers to Participation Facilitated by Limor Hartman How can you be sensitive and inclusive of Jews with disabilities?

4:15pm Break

4:15pm Mincha Service (Afternoon Service)

4:45pm Becoming a "Big Tent Judaism" Organization: Workshops II (Choose one) Celebrate Diversity Facilitated by Adam McKinney How can your organization celebrate the diversity of the Jewish people and become more dynamic? Decision Making for Change Facilitated by Rabbi Shawn Zevit Are you trying to create change in your organization? Working through cultural, political and moral decisions that weigh heavily on your ability to engage those on the periphery? This problems solving session will be a clinic - working through your specific problems as a group. Increase Points of Access Facilitated by Rabbi Kerry Olitzky Jewish Programming in secular public venues to find people and reach them where they're at.

5:30pm Break

6pm Dinner

7:15pm Walking Tour of Historic Jewish Philadelphia Explore downtown Philadelphia and visit historic Jewish sites with expert commentary provided by Rabbi Lance Sussman and local Jewish historians.

8:15 pm Gather at the National Museum of American Jewish History for an informal presentation about the museum, followed by a dessert reception.

10pm Alternative Outreach Service led by Rabbi Rayzel Raphael

Tuesday, June 9, 2009 Collaboration

7:30am Shacharit (Morning Service)

8:00am Breakfast by Community Join others from your community to discuss strategies for collaboration.

9:00am Vision for the Jewish Future Facilitated by Rabbi Irwin Kula Rabbi Kula will give a presentation challenging all of us to rethink the labels we use and the boundaries of our community. Followed by an opportunity to dialogue with Rabbi Kula.

11:15am Voices of Collaboration Moderated by Lisa Hostein Panelists: Rabbi Rachel Ain, Lisa Apfelberg, Iris Koller, Rabbi Philip Warmflash Panelists will discuss how to facilitate direct partnerships between two or more local organizations so they can do outreach, how clergy can promote a culture of collaboration, and how you can serve as a gateway to your local Jewish community.

12:15pm Outreach Costs Less, Not More Outreach is one of the most important investments we can make in the future of the Jewish community. But it doesn't have to be expensive. Learn methods for funding and fundraising in today's economic downturn. Facilitator to be announced

12:45pm How do you Welcome a Newcomer? In a world premier video, Big Tent Judaism organizations from around the country demonstrate what welcoming looks like.

1:00pm Conference Ends Now is the time to take all that you have learned of JOI's signature outreach methodology and share it with your community.