2011 Conference

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Speakers

Some Thoughts on the 2011 Conference
from David Bryfman and Jonathan Woocher
We believe that one of the principles that links innovation and education is that it's all about learning and reflective practice. For us, the recent Jewish Futures Conference was very much a learning experience. Many things went well, but we were disappointed in the orchestration and the overall feel of the Conference.

In the spirit of full transparency, and especially with a view toward ongoing improvement, we want to lay out some of our own critique of the Conference. Though we've already heard impressions from a number of people who were in attendance, we'd also like to ask you – whether you were there in person, viewed the Conference on the livestream, followed it on Twitter, or didn't participate at all -- some questions about how we might be able to improve going forward.

These are some of our thoughts:

1. Practice what we preach. If the topic is prosumerism then it is obvious that we should give people in the room a chance to be active prosumers. It didn't happen, certainly not nearly enough. Participants weren't given the opportunity to interact and to co-create their experience. There was no time for discussion, for processing what was being said from the stage, for raising questions. So, what activities would you suggest that would help participants in a conference become active producers of their experience and not only passive consumers of the event?
2. Less is more. We became carried away with all the voices we wanted to be present at the conference: keynoters, Competition winners, teen voices, videos, music… We wound up with a 2½ hour program crammed with talking heads and somewhat disparate presentations. And, we saw the resulting flagging in energy in the room. So, a shorter event seems called for. But, the amount of time and resources needed to put together a 90 minute event is not so different from what is required to put together a 150 minute event. So, is it worth that much effort if the event only lasts an hour and a half? What's the right balance here? Is it better to go deeper and narrower? How long do you think a Jewish Futures Conference could or should be?
3. Too many introducers. We chose to honor sponsors by giving them the opportunity to introduce speakers and speak briefly about their own mission. This added to the density of the program. How else might we honor the sponsors who invested their time and their resources in the Jewish Futures Conference?
4. Including youthful voices is noble and the right thing to do, but in what way? We're pleased that we gave teens a chance to speak at the Conference. However, their message seemed to get lost, and perhaps they would be better served in a different format that acknowledges and allows them to express their youthful enthusiasm. Are there other ways beyond speeches that their voices and fresh ideas generally can be expressed in forums like these?
5. Honor and use the talents of the people in the room. From table hosts, to volunteer leaders, to teenagers, to college students, to federation executives, to educators, there were many and diverse talents in the room. How can we honor and utilize these talents more effectively?
6. Open strong and close strong. Chris Lehmann, the principal of the Philadelphia Science Academy and our final keynote speaker of the Jewish Futures Conference was inspiring. Chris's passion and vision for education is one that every person should be exposed to and that has enormous implications for the future of Jewish education. He is also a high energy, dynamic presenter and we knew that. We made a mistake by not putting Chris up front, but two questions remain: First, how do we build on the momentum that excellent speakers produce? And second, how can we end a Conference like this on a high note?

The Jewish Futures Conference program went exactly to schedule. But, being on time clearly didn't keep people in the room, given all the other issues we cite above. It's always great being a Monday morning quarterback, and we're certainly committed to reviewing the game films with a critical eye (as we hope we've demonstrated here) – but our real goal is to put the critiques in context and work with integrity to make the next iteration of the event even better. How might we improve the quality of our design in advance of the program itself?

There were many gratifying aspects of the day for us. Over 400 people attended the Jewish Futures Conference in person, and some told us it was a highlight of their GA experience. 300+ computers were logged on to the live video of the event, and for many it was their first participation in a live streamed event. Some of the most positive feedback we received was from people watching the live broadcast. The technology that was used – including cell phones, photographs, videos, etc.-- all worked well and added value to the conference. This included a twitter feed with hundreds of tweets being posted in rapid time.

The Jewish Futures Competition attracted enormous interest with applications far exceeding our expectations both in quantity and quality, and this year's two winners, Ben Wiener and Andrea Kasper, sparked many hallway conversations with their presentations. The ideas put forward at the Conference amply illustrated the diverse ways in which prosumerism is indeed a creative force in contemporary Jewish life and learning and a link to our tradition as well. A wonderful group of foundations and educational organizations joined us in this venture and expressed their strong support for the vision that animates it. And since the event, our email accounts have been inundated with people chiming in with their appreciation, thoughts and criticisms – and almost every one included an offer of support to help plan and implement future Jewish Futures Conferences.

At the end of the day, the Jewish Futures Conference gave Jewish education a different kind of platform at one of the major events in the Jewish community. Regardless of the flaws, those who attended the conference, either in person or online, came away, we hope, with a conviction that there are new possibilities today to make Jewish learning meaningful and deeply relevant in the contemporary world, if we're willing to do the work.

So, despite the critiques, we leave this event not just disappointed and frustrated, but also inspired and motivated by the exciting new voices emerging. There will be another Jewish Futures Conference, on June 4th, 2012, in New York. We're determined to make it even better than its predecessors, more engaging, more thought-provoking – and we invite you now to be active partners with us in bringing this vision to reality.

Please submit your comments and suggestions here.

The 2011 Conference Video

Lisa Colton

Ben Wiener


Tiffany Shlain


Rabbi Shai Held



Mimi Levine


Udi Krauss



Andrea Rose Cheatham Kasper



Chris Lehmann



Jon Woocher


Andrea Rose Cheatham Kasper #2



Chris Lehmann #2

The 2011 Jewish Futures Conference - Competition Winners

Ben Wiener is the founder of tenpartners, an innovative non-profit venture designed to attract and engage a new generation of active, local Jewish lay leaders. In his professional activities Ben specializes in private equity transactions and business development, with particular expertise in international dealmaking. Ben is the founder of Portofino Equity Advisors, a fundless sponsor of private equity transactions and business ventures and was a Vice President at IDT Corp, where he managed acquisition projects and established and managed a number of new corporate subsidiaries. Ben started his professional career as a corporate lawyer in New York and as a Clerk on Israel's Supreme Court, before leaving legal practice to co-found two software companies. Ben earned a B.A. from Yeshiva University, and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. He lives with his wife and children in Jerusalem, Israel.

Andrea Rose Cheatham Kasper holds a BA from The George Washington University, a Masters degree in Jewish Education from Hebrew College and is an Ed.D. candidate in Northeastern's Jewish Educational Leadership Program. Originally from Israel, she has lived in the USA, Japan, Panama and currently in Iceland. These diverse countries have influenced her educational vision and philosophy. She is committed to simple, resourceful living and envisions a Jewish community that appreciates the various and diverse skills of its members. She is excited about the idea of developing a Jewish vocational high school. As a professional dancer she is intimately connected to the arts and creative process and was recently awarded a regional grant for the production of her work. Andrea is married to Jacob, a marine fisheries biologist and has two children, Zelia, 3, and Lazer, 1.

Sponsors

The Jewish Federations of North America represents 157 Jewish Federations & over 300 independent Jewish communities. The Federation movement, collectively among the top 10 charities on the continent, protects and enhances the well-being of Jews worldwide through the values of tikkun olam (repairing the world), tzedakah (charity and social justice) and Torah (Jewish learning).

18 Pomegranates is a private, non-profit foundation motivated by the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam ("repairing the world"). In this light, 18 Pomegranates initiates and supports innovative ideas and programs working to improve our world. The foundation believes in the importance of promoting leadership, philanthropy and encouraging collaboration with organizations to respond to emerging community needs. 18 Pomegranate initiatives include Chidush, Dare to Dream and the Seed Council. 18 Pomegranates also identifies and supports partners working to promote shared objectives.

Moving Traditions inspires women & men, girls & boys to engage more deeply with Judaism, using a gender lens to power our education initiatives.

The Mandell and Madeleine Berman Foundation supports Jewish education and research, and the study of the contemporary American Jewish community; focuses in Israel on employment and education programs for its Arab citizens; and funds organizations in Detroit that address food insecurity or are perceived as "engines of recovery" for the city.

The iCenter aims to instill a passion for and commitment to Israel and the Jewish People in the hearts and minds of young Jews so that contemporary Israel becomes an integral and dynamic component of their identities. We work to build, shape and support high-quality, meaningful and innovative Israel Education.

The core of the idea that became Slingshot developed organically following a weekend retreat for a dozen young Jews in 2003 who were preparing to become involved in their family's philanthropy. Participants were hoping to learn how to navigate the alphabet soup of the Jewish community and sort out which organizations resonated for themselves and their peers. Slingshot: A Resource Guide to Jewish Innovation was launched shortly after as a Zagat-style guidebook to highlight the 50 most innovative nonprofits in North America each year.

Lippman Kanfer Family Foundation fulfills its mission "to repair and enrich the world through thriving Jewish life" primarily by supportinginnovative projects and organizations. Founded in 1966, the Foundation focuses on Jewish learning and engagement; enlivening and enriching Jewish community; accelerating effectiveness of innovators in Jewish life; and Jewish action for Tikkun Olam through national or systems-building organizations. Increasingly, we collaborate with other organizations to learn what's working in the field and to provide knowledge culled from our over forty years working in business and philanthropy to help organizations build their capacity.