Spotlight on CLAL
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Rabbi Brad Hirschfield To Speak At National UJC Young Leadership Conference In Washington, D.C.
By Judy Epstein, Director of Public Affairs
On February 11,
CLAL Vice President Rabbi Brad Hirschfield will speak at the United Jewish Communities
(UJC) National Young Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. (February 9-12). The event,
now in its 13th year, is expected to draw more than 3,000 young and emerging
Jewish leaders.
The theme of the
conference is “Abracadabra” – using words to create change. It comes from the ancient Hebrew (Aramaic) word
meaning “…with these words I shall
create it.” The phrase speaks to the
underlying message of the conference – make your voices heard on Capitol Hill and be
a catalyst for change. In addition to visits
with members of Congress, the program will feature such key speakers as Senator Joe
Lieberman, ABC News analyst Cokie Roberts, Emery University Professor Dr. Deborah
Lipstadt, triple Olympic gold medallist Lenny Krayzelberg, and comedian Richard Lewis. There will also be numerous presentations and
breakout sessions over the three-day period.
“In a
transitional period, it is critical that we to listen to new voices,” said Rabbi Brad
Hirschfield, who will focus his session on the wisdom of Miriam. “In the tradition, Miriam was easily
overshadowed by her brothers, Moses and Aaron. Yet,
she teaches us that sometimes we have to stretch to hear the voices that may have been
overlooked – such as those of women. We
also need to confront the challenges in our own lives and find the internal spiritual
resources -- again, a lesson we learn from women. To
remain vital, we must be bold and creative in our next steps, both as Jews and as
Americans.”
Other topics at the conference will include finding God outside the synagogue, terrorism threats and what’s next, peace and the Middle East, Jews on the tube: popular images of Jews on television, and a leadership development forum.
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