Unconscious Bias and Diversity Training: Overcoming Implicit Bias

The Joint Placement Commission of the RA, USCJ, Ziegler and JTS is committed to fair and equitable hiring processes and pay scales for all rabbis. We are pleased to offer this session for search committee members designed to help you and your community overcome implicit bias in the hiring process. 

Our Jewish tradition calls upon us to see each person as a unique manifestation of God. Still, it can be hard to avoid holding implicit biases - assumptions, stereotypes, and unintentional actions we make toward others (positive or negative) based on identity labels like race, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, or ability. In a rabbinic search, this can be detrimental to finding the best candidate fit for your community. In this session, we will identify the biases people sometimes hold as they evaluate and interview rabbis, explore ways to overcome them, and provide tools for you to use in your own community to raise awareness and overcome unintended biases toward candidates.