Rabbi David Baum, of Congregation Shaarei Kodesh in Boca Raton, FL and alum of the Seminary Leadership Project, reflects on feeling profoundly inspired after a powerful JOIN training with the Rabbinical Assembly:
“I returned late Tuesday night from a conference that many of us have been dreaming about for years, Clergy 2.0: Leading Through Relationship. We had close to 50 Conservative Rabbis who came together to learn how the methods of community organizing can be used to transform your synagogue or organization. So much Torah was shared, so many relationships built, and we know it’s just the beginning. I wanted to share one quote from a house meeting I ran from one of the new participating rabbis: “My congregants think that my job is to inspire them, but they don’t realize something: they inspire me.” Our relationship goes both ways – they aren’t our clients, and we aren’t just their ’employees’, rather it’s a holy relationship. Thank you to the Rabbinical Assembly, especially our executive vice president, Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, JOIN for Justice, and many more. I return inspired and hopeful for our movement and our people’s future. I can’t wait to see what happens next!”
