Leading Through Communications: Conservative Rabbis in the 21st Century

“Presentation matters and public speaking and multimedia skills are becoming a bigger determinant of an individual’s success.  The substance of a presentation is important, but how you communicate the information is what really matters.”
(Wall Street Journal - January, 2015)

Faculty | Schedule

So much of our work as rabbis, no matter what the nature of our rabbinic position, is about communication. Rabbinic communication for the 21st century utilizes both new techniques and familiar ones that embrace new possibilities. Join the Rabbinical Assembly for an intensive, energizing, and supportive experience where we will acquire skills that will reinvigorate our teaching, speaking, leadership, and pastoral communications.

This comprehensive seminar will also address issues of communication in individual and group meetings to help us utilize every interaction to lead, inspire, comfort and engage. Our opening evening program will provide us with the opportunity to be in conversation with Leon Weiseltier, writer, critic, speaker on contemporary Jewish topics, and contributing editor at The Atlantic. Together with Rabbi Dr. Norman Cohen and Dr. Marjorie Lehman, we will study texts that will renew and deepen our commitment to enlightening and inspiring others with the wisdom of Torah.

Dan Broden and the team at Broden Communications will guide us towards new skills and methodologies that will enable us to draw on our own talents and instincts to maximize our ability to lead and inspire at every communication opportunity. He will also provide training that will better prepare us for those occasions when we are called upon by the media for comment.

In other sessions we will consider the use of social media in developing new strategies for sharing Torah and effectively responding to events as they arise. Most importantly, in our time together we will be able to offer each other support in reimagining how we can effectively impact the communities we serve.

There are significant costs in creating a conference like this, but thanks to a generous grant we are able to invite a wonderful faculty and provide comfortable surroundings at a significantly reduced cost (approximately 46% of the real costs per person). The conference will be limited to 40 participants, so reservations will be taken on a first come, first served basis up to the 40th reservation.