- What is the National Summit?
- What is the need for the National Summit?
- When is the National Summit?
- Why is JOIN for Justice planning this event?
- What is the schedule for the Summit?
- What kind of workshops can I expect?
- Which trainers will be teaching?
- Who should attend?
- Where is the Summit?
- What is the registration fee?
- How do I register?
- Where should I stay in NYC?
- Are any travel and lodging subsidies available?
- How can I support the Summit if I can’t attend?
The JOIN for Justice National Summit is a unique opportunity for Jewish organizers to come together to articulate and celebrate their shared vision for the Jewish community and its role in advancing justice in the world. The Summit will build the Jewish community’s capacity for organizing in three ways:
- Providing introductory as well as high-level trainings, led by experts in the field, on the theory and practice of organizing and its relevance and relationship to the Jewish community
- Creating relational and peer-to-peer learning opportunities that build networks of organizers who are professionally, geographically, and/or personally compatible
- Leveraging the power and passion of the community to strategize about advancing the vision and mission of JOIN for Justice
What is the Need for the National Summit?
The National Summit will bring together nearly 200 Jewish leaders who all believe that organizing skills can strengthen the Jewish community internally as well as its commitment to creating a just and caring world. The key constituencies of this Summit include young adults, seminary students, clergy and synagogue leaders and Jewish institutional leaders who are committed and interested in applying organizing skills to build thriving Jewish organizations and strengthen the Jewish community’s commitment to social justice. We believe that that National Summit offers an opportunity for members and alumni of Jewish institutions around the country to sharpen their organizing skills and develop relationships with likeminded peers throughout the country, contributing to the growth of a movement of Jews committed to social change.
Begins: Sunday April 29th at 11:00am
Concludes: Monday April 30th at 4:30pm
*The program for the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable’s Civic Engagement Campaign will continue through 1:30pm on Tuesday May 1st
Why is JOIN for Justice planning this event?
The field of Jewish community organizing is growing rapidly. However, as practitioners in this field, we have not yet come together to share wisdom, build connections, find partners, and plan for the future. JOIN for Justice will convene the leaders in this field for training, networking and other learning opportunities.
What is the schedule for the Summit?
The Summit will include trainings, 1:1 meetings, assemblies, and strategy sessions. Below is a general outline of what you can expect (subject to change)
| Sunday | |
| 11:00am-12:30pm | Small Group Relational Meetings: Grounding our Work Together |
| 12:45pm-2:45pm | Opening Assembly & Lunch (provided) |
| 3:15pm-4:45pm | Workshops |
| 5:00pm-6:30pm | Workshops |
| 6:30pm-8:30pm | Dinner on your own |
| 8:30pm-10:00pm | Dessert Reception and Entertainment |
| Monday | |
| 9:00am-10:00am | Relational Meetings |
| 10:00am-11:30am | Workshops |
| 11:30am-12:45pm | Relational Lunches (provided) |
| 12:45pm-2:15pm | Workshops and “Next Steps” Sessions |
| 2:45pm-4:30pm | Closing Assembly, honoring Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner |
What kind of workshops can I expect
For the most up-to-date listing of the workshops, visit our Schedule and Workshops page. Here are some highlights:
- Building Young Adult Jewish Power, Inside and Outside of Mainstream Jewish Institutions
- Voter Mobilization Strategies to Build Power for Your Organization
- The Great Shlep and other Online Campaigns
- Creative Ritual in Action
- The Movement-Building Moment After Occupy
- Strategic Lessons of Running National Campaigns
- Organizing and Mindfulness
- Sustaining Justice Activism for the Long Haul
- Community/Labor Coalitions and Domestic Worker Rights
Which trainers will be teaching?
For the most complete listing of confirmed speakers, and for more details on those listed below, visit our Speaker Bios page.
- Ari Lipman, Executive Director of the Ohio Industrial Areas Foundation
- Mik Moore, Principal at Mik Moore Consulting and co-creator of “The Great Shlep”
- Amy B. Dean, Fellow of The Century Foundation and Principal of ABD Ventures, LLC
- Stephen Lerner, Labor and Community Organizer & Architect of the Justice for Janitors Campaign
- Janice Fine, Associate Professor of Labor Studies and Employment Relations at the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University
- Richard Kirsch, Institute Fellow at the Nelson Rockefeller Institute of Government and a Senior Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute
- Gordon Whitman, Policy Director of PICO National Network
- Heather Booth, Organizing Consultant & Founding Director of the Midwest Academy
- Vivian Rothstein, Special Projects Director of the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE)
- Marilyn Sneiderman, Executive Director of AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps and former Department of Field Mobilization for the National AFL-CIO
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Who should attend?
Anyone is welcome! The Summit is intended for Jewish organizers who want to connect with others in the field and gain strategies and relationships that will help them to better accomplish their goals.
Hebrew Union College- Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR)
1 West 4th Street
New York, NY 10003
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What is the registration fee?
The registration fee is $199. Use discount code PASSOVER before April 15th to receive a reduced rate of $179. Registration fees include lunch on both Sunday and Monday and a dessert reception on Sunday evening.
You may be entitled to a special rate if you are an alum of the Jewish Organizing Fellowship or Seminary Leadership Project or if you are representing an anchor organization for the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable’s Civic Engagement Campaign. With questions, contact jweiser@joinforjustice.org.
Please note that your registration fee does not include lodging and you will need to make your own arrangements for a place to stay. We recommend the Holiday Inn Soho, a union hotel only two stops away from HUC-JIR on the subway, where we have reserved a block of rooms at a great rate (see below for more details).
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How do I register?
Use this link to register! You will be asked to submit contact and demographic information and pay the conference registration fee. Register in March to receive the early bird discount!
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Where should I stay in NYC?
We have reserved a block of hotel rooms for the nights of April 29th and 30th at the Holiday Inn Soho.
The Holiday Inn Soho is a union hotel and only 2 stops away from HUC-JIR on the subway. We encourage you to take advantage of the great rates that they have offered us (single room: $205.00, double room: $225.00). Please book your room using this link (Group Code J4J) or by calling the Holiday Inn SoHo reservations line directly at (212) 966-8898 and mentioning the group name JOIN for Justice.
At the time of booking, you must provide a valid credit card number to guarantee the reservations and all reservations must be made by April 13, 2012 in order to receive the group discounted rates.
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Are any travel and lodging subsidies available?
There are limited travel and lodging subsidies available. If financial limitations would preclude your participation in the event, please reach out to Program Manager Jessie Weiser at jweiser@joinforjustice.org to find out whether you qualify for the subsidies that are available.
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How can I support the Summit if I can’t attend?
Even if you cannot attend the Summit, we hope that you can support it by sponsoring someone else’s participation. To make a donation sponsoring someone’s participation, click here.
