Major Speakers to Highlight Annual Convention of The Central Conference of American Rabbis

New York, NY, Feb. 22, 2013 — The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) has announced an outstanding lineup of major speakers and programming for its annual Convention, to be held March 3-6, 2013 in Long Beach, California. Big name speakers include Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist; Howard Gordon, writer and producer of the Golden […]

New York, NY, Feb. 22, 2013 — The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) has announced an outstanding lineup of major speakers and programming for its annual Convention, to be held March 3-6, 2013 in Long Beach, California.

Big name speakers include Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist; Howard Gordon, writer and producer of the Golden Globe award-winning drama series Homeland; and Marne Levine, Vice-President of Global Public Policy for Facebook.  In addition, Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners, will keynote the closing event with an interfaith program entitled, “Leading for the Common Good”.   Other keynote speakers include David Feinberg, President of the UCLA Health System;  Zev Yaroslavsky,  Los Angeles County Supervisor;  Rob Eshman, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the Jewish Journal; Tiffany Shlain, filmmaker and founder of the Webby Awards; and Anne Wojcicki, co-founder and CEO of 23 and Me.

“We are pleased that these distinguished thinkers will join an impressive array of teachers at the CCAR’s annual Convention,” said Rabbi Steven A. Fox, Chief Executive of the CCAR.  “The tremendous resources of Southern California allowed us to bring together leading cultural and business leaders, policy makers and trendsetters for what promises to be a stimulating and exciting few days.”


The overall theme for the Convention is “Rabbis Leading the Shift, Jewish Possibility in a Rapidly Changing World.” The theme was designed to contemplate and evaluate how Reform Rabbis, as leaders of the Jewish community, lead through “shifts” in everyday life, including economic and demographic shifts, technological innovations and the changing roles of synagogues, denominations and organized religion.

Fox noted that the theme is timely as Reform Rabbis continue to lead Reform Judaism today in ever expanding roles.

“In addition to our congregational rabbis, Reform Rabbis lead major Jewish organizations as well as innovative start-ups, on college campuses and as chaplains in the military,” said Fox.  “Within the CCAR itself we are at the forefront of providing lifelong learning opportunities for rabbis to address the rabbi’s ever changing role, as well as providing technological advancements for the Jewish community with iT’filah, e-books, Visual T’filah and more.”

In addition to outstanding speakers and teachers, the Convention will also feature an important “Rabbis Organizing Rabbis” summit to encourage and plan for upcoming social justice campaigns in which the Reform Rabbinate will build upon its historic commitment to social justice.  There will also be many opportunities for Torah Lishmah, spiritual growth and professional development.

For more information on the Convention, please visit http://convention.ccarnet.org/

About the CCAR

Founded in 1889, the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) is the rabbinic leadership organization of Reform Judaism.  The CCAR projects a powerful voice into the religious life of the American and international Jewish communities and works to ensure a vibrant Jewish future by providing exemplary resources, publications, and programs to the Reform Rabbinate and the broader Jewish community.

With 2,000 Reform Rabbis on “on the front lines” of the North American and worldwide Jewish communities, the CCAR empowers Reform Rabbis to provide religious, spiritual and organizational leadership by offering high-quality opportunities for Torah study, professional development, spiritual growth, and chevruta – a nurturing community of colleagues and friends.


For more information on the CCAR, please visit www.ccarnet.org

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