Communities of Action and Practice: A Clergy-Only Space for Networking and Support
As Jewish spiritual leaders, you are both carrying the torch to serve day to day communal needs (even more so during crisis), while also pursuing a vision towards a strong Jewish future. Your work is unique, deeply impactful and can be lonely and taxing. Many of you have shared with us that you feel an acute lack of strong collegial relationships and mentors or that you are unsure how to activate your current relationships most effectively.
We have designed a resource just for you – Communities of Action and Practice (CoAP): intentionally-formed groups of 8-12 cross-denominational rabbis and clergy to connect for peer-support, resource sharing, problem solving, and community building. You’ll walk away from this with new learnings, tools and resources to navigate your role, opportunities to apply learnings in real time and reflect with peers to strengthen new skill sets, and a vibrant community of peers and support to combat feelings of burnout and isolation.
The Details
You will gather in this rabbis-only space over 6-12 months (on Zoom or in person) and will be guided through a process of applying new skills with the support, accountability, problem solving, and encouragement of colleagues.
Groups may be formed because they are in the same geographic area, share a role (such as assistant rabbis in a congregation or those starting a new job), share a question or challenge (such as how to engage new young families) or because they are interested in learning about a specific topic (such as skill building for facilitating difficult conversations). You will receive access to relevant skill-enriching content and opportunities to test and refine new practices, methods, and ideas in your work.
Focus areas for content and support may include:
- Collaborative Leadership: Skills for effective teamwork with boards, committees, and community partners
- Compassionate and Ethical Leadership: Approaches to lead with integrity, empathy, and authority
- Navigating Conflict: Skills and strategies to facilitate difficult conversations across difference in your community
- Managing relationships within the community (up/down/sideways).
- Facilitating difficult conversations and creating tight-knit Jewish community across lines of difference and conflict
Workshop Dates
Communities of Action and Practice will meet online, with the exception of local groups. Meeting times will be scheduled directly with CoAP participants.
To be invited to the a Community of Action and Practice, please share your interest here.