JSJR Network Assembly
November 14-16
Maritime Conference Center, Linthicum Heights, MD
For the first time since 2017, the Jewish Social Justice Roundtable will host a Network Assembly – our signature all-network gathering! There is a ton of pent-up enthusiasm since we were forced to cancel our 2020 all-network event. We expect 300-350 people – double the size of our last Assembly and our largest, most ambitious gathering ever. We will be together from Tuesday, November 14, starting at 2:00 pm ET, to Thursday, November 16, ending at 1:00 pm ET
Our goals for the gathering:
1. Build and strengthen relationships across the Jewish social justice network in order to connect with peers across organizations, identify as part of a bigger movement, and feel less alone (“relationship before task”).
2. Provide a supportive experience that lays the groundwork for collaborations and energizes participants to be in a larger multi-racial Jewish Social Justice movement.
3. Equip leaders to be more effective in advancing racial equity and strong, healthy organizational cultures.
Because our annual CEO Convening will take place at the Network Gathering, we will include CEOs / EDs from all 80 affiliates. In addition to members of their executive / leadership team, we are encouraging organizations to send staff who contribute toward the organization’s racial equity and organizational culture work, including BIPOC/JOC staff.
One takeaway from the 2017 Assembly was that the process to create it was immensely collaborative, which contributed to an atmosphere of support, community, and buy-in. We expect the 2023 program will include:
● training and discussion on racial inclusion and equity that is productively uncomfortable for attendees and continues to nudge the field forward;
● training on effective communication and managing conflict in response to huge demand from an organizational culture discovery process we conducted last summer;
● training and discussion on messaging that builds off ongoing research the Roundtable has commissioned;
● convening of Communities of Practice and affinity groups by organizational role, identities, and other categories of interest;
● sessions on relevant topics such as challenges/opportunities of coalition building, antisemitism in the current context, and post-election landscape analysis;
● open time for networking and topics that might arise; and
● space for joy and fun that nourishes these hard-working justice-seekers, including options for Jewishly grounded singing, dancing, meditation, text study – drawing on the teachings of Mussar and more.
The Roundtable’s Network Assembly serves the field in a big way. No other event on our agenda will touch as many individuals at once and provide personal and professional nourishment and foster collaboration at this scale. The Assembly also strengthens the talent pipeline and sustains staff, which is vital in the context of the Great Resignation, quiet quitting, and burnout from an exhausting few years.
We are grateful to the following donors who are sponsoring this gathering:
Combined Jewish Philanthropies
Crown Family Philanthropies
Dorot Foundation
Martine & Stanley Fleishman
Karen & Brendon Herron
Jim Joseph Foundation
Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund
Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation
Samuel Bronfman Foundation
Shards of Light
UJA-Federation of New York
For more information about financially supporting this important event, please contact Rebecca Shaloff, rshaloff@jewishsocialjustice.org.
Among the comments on 2017 feedback forms:
“I enjoyed meeting a lot of people and the general inspiration and energy of the group. I also learned a lot about how to ground and center myself in advocacy to last longer...”
“Before [this gathering] I was very unsure if my next professional step would be in the field and now I feel more committed to staying if the right role exists.”
