Spotlight on CLAL Archive

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Spring, 1999

Dear Friends,

There is nothing quite as gratifying as seeing a vision become a reality. Over the past few months, we at CLAL have been especially blessed in this regard. Our vision of being a catalyst for re-imagining the Jewish community has been enhanced by the creation of a major new component, the Jewish Public Forum at CLAL. We have also expanded and deepened our vision of creating a cadre of North American rabbis and professionals devoted to pluralism and to building creative environments for Jewish life. Whether working with Jewish professionals or with individuals just beginning their Jewish journeys, CLAL is helping the Jewish community to meet the material, spiritual, and communal challenges of an exciting future.

I. The Jewish Public Forum: The Conversation Begins

We are proud to announce the Jewish Public Forum at CLAL, made possible by a generous grant from the Eleanor M. and Herbert D. Katz Family Foundation. Three years in the making, the Jewish Public Forum is best described as an "open conversation on Jewish possibilities."

The Jewish Public Forum at CLAL is an ambitious framework for discussions, seminars and publications on issues critical to the future of the North American Jewish community and society as a whole. The Forum is intended to identify high-achieving and thoughtful Jews whose voices are rarely heard within the existing structures of North American Jewish leadership. The result will be a "brain trust" of talent and expertise that will help rabbis, volunteer leaders and professionals re-imagine how to be Jewish and how to revitalize Jewish communities for the future.

The first event of the Jewish Public Forum, a two-day conference held in January on "Leadership in a Time of Great Change," featured stimulating discussions among academics, specialists in the field of leadership, CEOs of companies, founders of non-profits and significant community leaders. "I was a newcomer and not connected to the Jewish community, but I could sense that you were forging something new with people who were interesting, lively and thoughtful," said Barbara Kellerman, Director of the Center for the Advanced Study of Leadership at the University of Maryland. The excitement was shared by a community "insider" as well. Jonathan Sarna, Chairman of Brandeis University's Near Eastern and Judaic Studies Department, said: "In many respects the Jewish community is searching for a new mission, and this kind of forum, engaging outsiders, is precisely the way this new mission is going to be created."

The first year's events have also included consultation sessions with notable leaders in Washington, D.C., New York, and Los Angeles. Among the participants in the Washington session were Stuart Eizenstat, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs; Jacob Lew, Director of the Office of Management and Budget; and Lynn Cutler, Deputy Assistant to the White House for Intergovernmental Affairs. An academic seminar is planned for June. Based on the enthusiastic reaction to the Jewish Public Forum among participants and in the press, CLAL is poised to assist the North American Jewish community in reaching a new stage of self-understanding, growth and imagination.

The Jewish Public Forum at CLAL is being directed by Dr. David Elcott and Dr. Shari Cohen, with faculty support from Rabbis Tsvi Blanchard, Brad Hirschfield and Irwin Kula. The chairman of the Jewish Public Forum is Thomas O. Katz, Associate Chairman of CLAL.

II. RABBINIC AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

CLAL's Rabbinic and Professional Education initiatives are intended to create a cadre of Jewish leaders able to transform the theory of pluralism and creative leadership into practice.

Rabbinic Retreat: Building Bridges Across Denominations

Imagine 21 rabbis, representing every Jewish movement, coming together to study, debate and pray-yes, pray. That's exactly what happened for five heady days at the CLAL Rabbinic Leadership Retreat, held in Newport, Rhode Island on February 7-11. The Rabbinic Leadership Retreat was made possible through the generosity of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, and Anita and Ronald Wornick.

Now in its seventh year, the Rabbinic Leadership Retreat is a remarkable setting for cooperation, dialogue and transformation among North America's Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Renewal and post-denominational rabbis. Over 300 rabbis have taken part in past Retreats. This year's participants included rabbis from Arcadia, Burlingame, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Redondo Beach and Woodland Hills, CA; Vancouver, BC (Canada); Denver, CO; Miami, FL; Needham and New Bedford, MA; Ann Arbor, MI; St. Paul, MN; St. Louis, MO; Somerset, NJ; New York, NY; and Milwaukee, WI.

The retreat allowed rabbis to experience how their roles might be expanded within and beyond the synagogue, and how to meet the challenges of building spiritually compelling communities in North America.

Early sessions built mutual respect and a sense of "safety" in opening up to one's colleagues. Text study raised the common challenges faced by rabbis and the major trends shaping North American Jewish life. Participants explored how significant Jewish experiences take place outside of synagogues and at work, in leisure activities, at home and in nature, and how rabbis can discern and cultivate the Jewish dimensions of the everyday. Pluralism was discussed and experienced, whether in the respectful tenor of the conversations or in the sensitive accommodations made in preparation for morning prayers. "I was astonished and moved by the davening," said Rabbi Irving "Yitz" Greenberg, President Emeritus of CLAL. " I did not expect in my lifetime another opportunity for rabbis of all denominations to pray together, but the dynamic of the relationships and their desire to be together overcame the obstacles that lately have led to polarization."

According to Rabbi Rachel Sabath, CLAL's Director of Rabbinic Programs, rabbis returned from the retreat determined to cooperate with colleagues from other denominations, and to engage with Jews who are expressing their spirituality outside of synagogues. Said one of the four Orthodox rabbis taking part in this year's retreat: "What the conference really is about is stretching-Jewishly, rabbinically, institutionally."

Rabbinic Interns: The Next Generation of Leadership

Open, safe and comfortable conversation across the denominational divides is also the hallmark of the Resnick Rabbinic Internship Program at CLAL. The Rabbinic Internship Program is the only setting in North America where senior year rabbinic students from every stream of Judaism learn together and establish enduring relationships. This year's interns represent six institutions: the Academy for Jewish Religion (non-denominational), Drisha Institute (multi-denominational), Hebrew Union College (Reform), Jewish Theological Seminary (Conservative), Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (Reconstructionist) and Yeshiva University (Orthodox). The program is being directed by Dr. David Kraemer and Rabbi Benay Lappe.

The rabbinic internship is a life and career shaping experience for the future rabbis. During an opening daylong retreat and in subsequent weekly two hour sessions conducted by CLAL faculty, interns learn to appreciate the multiple ways people are finding meaning in Judaism. In an effort unique to CLAL, these rabbinic students are brought to a national communal leadership conference, such as the National Young Leadership Cabinet of the UJA, where they meet the volunteer and professional leaders (outside the synagogue world) who are also working to transform Jewish life. And this year, for the first time, the interns opened the CLAL library for a weeklong beit midrash, or study hall, and created a setting where Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist Jews studied together in the spirit of Torah lishma, Torah learning for its own sake.

Student Chevra: The Do-It-Yourself Experience of Pluralism

A central element of the Rabbinic Internship Program is the Student Chevra Program, made possible by a grant from The Joseph Alexander Foundation. Three times a year, the interns invite their fellow students to an evening of study and conversation conceived, organized and facilitated by the rabbinic interns themselves. In December, 60 participants took part in the year's first Student Chevra, held at the home of CLAL Associate Chairman Fern Hurst. In February, students gathered at the home of Phyllis and Barnet Liberman for a Chevra with a Purim theme. Participants talked and laughed together, confronted their disagreements, and found areas of common ground in a trusting, non-coercive atmosphere. The Chevra program also gives the interns practical experience in community organizing and program development, turning classroom theory into working models of pluralism.

CLAL Fellows: The Class of 1999

Each year the Rabbi Irving S. Greenberg CLAL Fellowship recruits outstanding rabbis, academics and professionals for an immersion year of work and study in Jewish culture and theology with CLAL faculty.

Dr. Shari Cohen joins us after two years as an assistant professor in the Political Science Department at Wellesley College. Her book, Politics Without a Past, on the memory of the Holocaust in communist and post-communist Eastern Europe, will be published in the fall of 1999 by Duke University Press. Shari earned her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in Political Science. She has been instrumental in planning the Jewish Public Forum at CLAL.

Robert Rabinowitz's reputation as a teacher and scholar reached us all the way from England. Robert was Program Coordinator for England's Jewish Continuity agency. He received his B.A. in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University and his Ph.D. in the philosophy of religion from Birkbeck College, London University. Robert recently edited New Voices in Jewish Thought, a collection of essays by young British scholars of Judaica. His busy schedule at CLAL includes teaching and program evaluation.

Andrew Silow-Carroll, a veteran journalist for Jewish newspapers and magazines, is this year's Spielberg Fellow. He recently completed two years of study in Israel as one of the Jerusalem Fellows, a program for senior level Jewish educators. Andrew was senior editor of Moment magazine and managing editor of the Washington (D.C.) Jewish Week. As a Fellow, he has been developing CLAL's communications program.

III. LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

An important aspect of CLAL's community building work is inspiring and educating potential and emerging lay leaders and helping them connect to Jewish life and institutions. According to Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, Director of Leadership and Communities, CLAL is preparing these individuals to help construct new opportunities in Jewish life, nurture new approaches in programming, foster boundary-crossing relationships in the community, invigorate existing institutions and energize new entities.

Portland, Oregon

CLAL has begun a two year program of meetings, retreats and a symposium for emerging Jewish leaders in Portland, Oregon. These young philanthropists and entrepreneurs are only just beginning to envision a role for themselves in supporting Jewish community institutions. CLAL faculty members are helping them to feel more connected to their Jewish journeys, and to explore the Jewish meanings behind their so-called "secular" activism. The Portland Initiative has been made possible thanks to the bridge-building efforts of local leaders Steve Rosenberg and Jordan Schnitzer with the guidance and encouragement of Charles Schiffman, Executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Portland. This new initiative is also being supported with funding from CLAL's grant from the Righteous Persons Foundation, earmarked for the development of CLAL programming in new communities.

Washington, D.C

A successful CLAL initiative helps transform the community through a long-term partnership. That is what has happened in Washington, D.C. Eight years ago CLAL President Rabbi Irwin Kula, together with CLAL Board member Mark Levitt and his brother Randy Levitt, founded the Heritage program. The Heritage program is a two year program intended to recruit and guide the next generation of community leadership. Today, 250 men and women have graduated from the program. A report by the UJA Federation of Greater Washington (UJAF) on the first six Heritage classes revealed the following remarkable figures: Total giving to the annual campaign by Heritage participants nearly doubled after their participation. Graduates of the program include 27 UJAF board members and 140 UJAF committee members. Fifty-four of the graduates sit on one or more agency or synagogue boards.

IV. CLAL HIGHLIGHTS

Rabbi Irwin Kula delivered the keynote at the Founders Forum of the United Jewish Communities (UJC), the new organization formed by the merger of the Council of Jewish Federations, United Jewish Appeal and United Israel Appeal. Executives and presidents of every Federation in North America were present at this historic first meeting of the UJC. Rabbi Kula's talk outlined the central challenges to the UJC leadership as they embark on the challenging task of restructuring the most important philanthropic institution in North American Jewish life.

We are delighted to welcome Marla Egers to the staff as our new Director of Community Development. Together with Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, Director of Leadership and Communities, Marla will be working to bring CLAL initiatives into communities across the country. Marla served most recently as Director of the Young Leadership Department of the United Jewish Appeal.

CLAL faculty members have become frequent guests on the PBS television program "Religion & Ethics Newsweekly." In December, Rabbi Rachel Sabath discussed the meanings of Chanukah, and in March appeared in a segment on Passover. In February, Rabbi Kula discussed religious and ethical perspectives on adultery in light of the impeachment trial of President Clinton.

The CLAL World Wide Web site, www.clal.org, continues to be a major showcase for CLAL and a meeting-ground for our friends and supporters. We are adding more than 100 names a week to our weekly e-mail Update, which alerts recipients to the original essays, divrei Torah and on-line discussions appearing in the weekly magazine CLAL-Ha'Shavuah.

With the countdown begun to the year 2000, we can't help but be caught up in the spirit of anticipation over what the future may bring. That has always been the CLAL spirit, and you have helped to turn that spirit into action. Thank you for your support in helping turn our visions into reality.

Charles R. Bronfman, Chairman

Rabbi Irwin Kula, President

Donna M. Rosenthal, Executive Vice Chairman