NEWPARADIGMSPIRITUALCOMMUNITIESINITIATIVE

Na4onalConsulta4on,March6-8,2016

IsabellaFreedmanJewishRetreatCenter,FallsVillage,CT

Co-sponsoringOrganiza4ons:

March2016

TheconceptfortheNewParadigmSpiritualCommuni4esIni4a4ve(NPSCI)hasbeenpercola4ngforaboutayearbutitwasnotun4lwesecuredfundingfromtheWilliamDavidsonFounda4oninlateNovemberthatwecouldbegintoinvitepeopletothefirstNa4onalConsulta4on.Newventuresareastrangeadmixtureofexcitementandanxiety.MyanxietywaslargelybasedonwhetheraphenomenonthatIinterpretedasapoten4alnewstageinAmericanJewishlifewasseenthesamewaybyothers.

Inlargemeasure,thejuryiss4lloutonthatques4on.Itwillbetheprimaryfocusofourconversa4onsandexplora4onoverthenextfewdays.Iexpectthatattheendofour4metogetheratthisConsulta4onwewillhavesomegreaterclarityaroundwhatweholdincommonandwhereourpathspointindifferentdirec4ons.AnODconsultantwhousedtodotrainingformystaffatPANIMwouldcallwhatweareabouttoengageina“conversa4onforpossibility”.Indeeditis.

ButwhateveranxietyIwasholdingaboutwhetherpeoplewouldbeinterestedinbeingpartofthisconversa4onforpossibilitywasallayedbytwofactors.FirstwastheresponseoffourfriendsandcolleaguesforwhomIhavethehighestrespect.NigelSavage,LisaGoldstein,ElieKaunferandStoshCotlerareeachtalentedandvisionaryleadersofJewishorganiza4onsthataremakingasignificantcontribu4ontoJewishlife.TheirwillingnesstopartnerwithClalonthisIni4a4vewasatrueblessing.Thesecondfactorwastheoverwhelminglyposi4veresponsewegottoourinvita4ontothisConsulta4on.Icertainlydidnotexpectthatwewouldfillandexceedourprojected50personConsulta4oninlessthanoneweek,butwedid.Evenmoreso,thetalentofthosewhocommibedtotheConsulta4onandtheworkthateachofyouisdrivinginyourrespec4veorbitsisareasontobeveryop4mis4cabouttheJewishfuture.Iamsoexcitedtoexplorethatfuturewithyouoverthenextthreedays.

Iwanttoofferafinalapprecia4ontoIrwinKula.IrwinandIhavebeenfriendsformorethan25years.Butitisonlyinthelastfewyears,acerIjoinedtheClalseniorteam,thatweactuallygottocollaborateinanongoingway.Irwinhasbecomemytrustedthoughtpartnerandhiswillingnesstogivemecarteblanchetotakerisksandtodevelopnewprojectshasbeenatruegic.Weareallinhisdebt.

RabbiSidSchwarzProjectDirectorSteeringCommibee:StoshCotler,CEO,BendtheArc:AJewishPartnershipforJus4ceRabbiLisaGoldstein,Execu4veDirector,Ins4tuteforJewishSpiritualityRabbiElieKaunfer,Execu4veDirector,MechonHadarRabbiJasonKimelman-Block,DeputyDirector&RabbiinResidence,BendtheArcJewishAc4onRabbiIrwinKula,President,Clal:TheNa4onalJewishCenterforLearningandLeadershipNigelSavage,CEO,HazonAdamSher,DirectorofTransforma4veExperiences,Hazon,IsabellaFreedmanJewishRetreatCenter

Consulta)onGoals/DesiredOutcomes

1.Exploremodelsofnewparadigmspiritualcommuni4esinarangeofsectors,iden4fyingthecommoncharacteris4csthatmightbesharedacrosssectors.

2.Iden4fythecondi4onsforsuccess,challengesbeingfacedandtheleadingedgesthatcanexpandthework.

3.Determinehowbestto:(a)supportnewparadigmspiritualcommuni4esonana4onalorregionalbasis;and(b)gaugetheappe4teforgrowingthenetworkofpeoplewhoareconvenedundertheaegisofthisIni4a4veinthecomingyears.

Sunday,March6,201626thofAdarI,5776

2:00-4:00pm Arrivals,CheckIn&Snack GuestServices

4:00pm

BuildingtheContainerUnderstandingthedesiredresultsandprogramagenda;par4cipantintroduc4ons;andseingnorms.

FacilitatorforthissessionandthroughouttheConsulta3on:ClaudiaHorwitz

BeitKnesset

6:00pm Dinner DiningRoom

7:15pm

FramingtheConsulta)onContext-seingtalkfromConsulta4onProjectDirector,RabbiSidSchwarz,followedbypar4cipantreac4ons.Whatisresona4ng?Whatisprovoca4veorchallenging?Whatques4onsdoyouhave?

BeitKnesset

Monday,March7,201627thofAdarI,5776

7:15am MorningGatherings

RabbisLizziHeydemannandLeeMooreTradi2onal/EgalMinyanDavenningwithniggunim,kavanotandmomentsofquiet.IntheTorahreading,thekavod(glory)ofHashematlonglastfillsthemishkan(tabernacle)andwecompleteExodusnarra4ve!Leyningwillbeexperien4al,renewal-styleto‘getcloser’tothetextanditsteachings.

BeitKnesset

ShirYaakovFeitMedita2veMinyanWewillweaveahandfulofchantswithamplesilence,followingthedeepstructureoftheprayerbook.Medita4vekavvanotwillbeoffered.Noexperiencenecessary,justawillingnesstoplungeintos4llness.Bringyourprayer-aphernalia(tallit,tefillin,etc.)andpleasearrivepromptly.

RedYurt

8:00-9:00 Breakfast DiningRoom

9:00am

StoriesofPossibilityAnopportunitytoconnectwithpeersaboutanexperienceyou’vehadaboutdeepcommunity,rootedinmutualityandpurpose.Whatcondi4onsmakethesecommuni4espossible?Whatimpactdotheyhave?

BeitKnesset

BREAK

10:45am

Themes/PortalsfortheWorkMee4ngacrosssectorstodivedeeplyintoonetheme/portal:Chochma/WisdomTzedek/SocialJus4ceKehilla/CovenantalCommunityKedusha/SacredPurposeTarbut/CultureandtheArts

BeitKnesset

11:45am

ResearchfromtheFieldAngieThurstonandCasperterKuilefromHarvardDivinitySchoolwillsharerelevantfindingsfromtheirresearch.FollowedbyQ&A,discussion.

BeitKnesset

12:30-1:30 Lunch DiningRoom

2:15pm

LeadingEdgesintheSectorsPar4cipantswillmeetbysector(asselectedbypar4cipantsaheadof4me).Facilitateddiscussionwillfocusonwhatisneededtotaketheworktothenextlevel.

BeitKnesset

con2nued:Monday,March7,2016

27thofAdarI,5776

3:30pm

Mincha-SoulBreak

RabbiJessicaMinnenEcsta2cMinchaJoinusforatasteofEcsta4cMinchaandbemovedbythejoyofmusic,thewarmthofcommunity,andthespiritualpossibili4esofdanceasembodiedprayer.

Library

YavilahMcCoyJewishGospelAnexperiencewith“JewishGospel”thatwillaidinthereflec4onuponthenatureofJewishsoulmusicanditspowertotransformpercep4onsofself,community,andourworld.

BeitKnesset

4:00pm FreeTime

5:00pm

SeedsfortheFutureSectorgroupswillsharehighlightsfromtheacernoonaffinitygroups.Thenthegroupwillgaugeitsownenergyformovingforwardandwhatformthatmighttake.

BeitKnesset

6:00pm Dinner DiningRoom

7:15pm

NightHike-JakirManelaandfriendsImmerseyourselfinthenewspiritualparadigmofthelegendaryTevanighthike.LeadbyveteranTevaeducatorsandalongsideourpeers,wewillheadintothenightforestwithoutaflashlight,sensespiquedandheartsopen.DressWarmly!

MeetinBeitKnesset

8:30pm

TrendingwithJews:#StoryTelling&Singing- HelenBenneTandBlairNosanIt's4metospill:Comeshareastoryaboutwhenthatobviouslybrilliantideafailedmiserably,whensomethingunexpectedhappenedtomakecommunityflourish,oranythinginbetween!Songsarealsoencouraged!Aceralltheseriousbusiness,let'sgatherbythefiretohearabouteachother'ssillyand/ordeepcommunity-buildingendeavors.

GreatHall

Tuesday,March8,201628thofAdarI,5776

7:15am MorningGatherings

RabbiShawnZevitandSarahChandlerMorningIwillSeekYouAcrea4ve,musicalandcontempla4veservice,blendedwiththetradi4onalstructureofthesiddurandmorningservice.

BeitKnesset

RabbiDavidJaffeTurnTorahintoPrayerCometryoutthisclassicBreslovHassidicprac4cethatconnectscogni4velearningwiththeheart.

Library

8:00-9:00 Breakfast DiningRoom

9:00am

Orien)ngtoNextStepsPar4cipantreflec4onsontheirownnextsteps,nextstepsforNPSCI,seingupforthetwotracksofthemorning.

BeitKnesset

9:45am

Thegroupwillself-selectoneofthetwofollowingtracks:

1.WorkgroupsforthoseinterestedinadvancingtheworkoftheNPSCIinacollec4veandstructuredway BeitKnesset

2.PeercoachingonapplyinglessonsoftheConsulta4ontopar4cipants’currentwork. Library

11:00am Reconvene,Highlights,Closing,Evalua)on BeitKnesset

12:30pm Lunch DiningRoom