On December 12, 2010, JCRC in partnership with the Jewish Community Federation and the Northern California Board of Rabbis, kicked off the Year of Civil Discourse with a day-long opening program. Over 200 participants attended workshops on topics ranging from Jewish meditation to marriage equality, to Israel on campus, panel discussions, and text study session. Participants left the opening program with the tools to have respectful, vibrant, and engaging conversations about Israel and emerging controversial issues in their homes and synagogues. Thank you to everyone who participated and to Brandeis Hillel Day School and Congregation Beth Israel Judea for hosting the event.
Thank you to Minh La for photographing the event.
Together Rachel Eryn Kalish and Abby Michelson Porth founded Project Reconnections, which served as the catalyst for the Year of Civil Discourse.
Event participants sported bracelets that read "Inspiring Civility."
JCF President-Elect, Nancy Grand, addressed the crowd.
Rabbis Jonathan Jaffe, Rosalind Glazer, Adam Naftalin-Kelman, and Yonatan Cohen spoke about what is at stake for our community.
Rabbi David Cooper, Judy Gussmann, and Michal Kohane presented a workshop entitled, "Engaging a Congregation Across Political Lines Through Fair and Balanced Israel Programming.
JCRC staff, Jessica Trubowitch, broke her group up into small discussion groups to better dissect "Interfaith and Inter-Ethnic Groups: Choosing YOUR Right Strategy for Dealing with Uncomfortable Moments."
One workshop focused on meditation as a way to foster emotional intelligence.
The Living Arts Playback Theater Ensemble guided participants through a conflict transformation process using personal story and interactive techniques.
Participants were encouraged to engage in conversation with people with different views than their own during lunch.
Thank you to all our YCD presenters!
