Lessons from LIMMUD NY

Recently my family and I attended LIMMUD NY, a four day Jewish learning experience. Over 850 people participated in what was essentially the educational equivalent of a delicious buffet with something for everyone.

A big part of the excitement at LIMMUD comes from the fact that multiple sessions run concurrently, so people need to choose what they will attend. It is not uncommon to hear participants bemoan the fact that there are so many excellent choices they don't know what to do. "Do I go hear Danny Gordis or Ruth Messenger? Vanessa Hidary or Eli Valley?" 

The creative tension from these conversations was inspiring. In an age of soundbites, it was refreshing to decide how to spend a quality 60 to 75 minutes of Torah Lishmah (study for its own sake). Going to what you want also infuses the conference with an open quality. LIMMUD calls this "learning without limits". 

LIMMUD, which means learning, was the brainchild of Clive Lawton of the UK. This powerful experience has several pillars that contribute to its success. The first one is an open environment that welcomes meaningful engagement. No labels, no boundaries, just learning. While most people come to learn, many were there as volunteers. In fact, every speaker volunteers, for no speaker is paid. This conference constitutes an egalitarian effort that is actualized by all those who attend. 

The only leadership label is that of "connectors", volunteers who have been asked to start conversations, introduce people and to keep the discussions going in the hallways, over meals and in the elevators. By the way, elevators are the best places to make new friends.

Another pillar is empowerment. As mentioned above, participants are responsible to make their own schedules. So much so that no announcements were made during the 4 days. Schedules were readily handed out and available via a schedule app. This empowering atmosphere is similar to making your own playlist on your iPod. Just like finding the right song on your playlist, at LIMMUD it is commonplace for participants to float from session to session until they find what speaks to them during that time slot. 
 
I was deeply impressed that people came because they just wanted to be there. The spirit of openness, sincere curiosity and amazing choices were simply amazing. And it helped that my kids loved Camp LIMMUD, which was run by incredible staff who were trained by Ramah Nyack!

One eye-opening experience for me was the large number of Conservative Jews in attendance. United Synagogue conventions have become smaller over the past decade than in previous years. Similar to trends regarding the UJC GA, some have claimed that these declining numbers can be attributed to changes in leadership, membership, priorities, volunteerism, the movement in particular and American Judaism in general.

Interesting enough, at least half of the LIMMUD NY participants come from the Conservative Movement, including their executive director, David Wolkin, who studied at JTS. In fact, the largest synagogue group came from Tifereth Israel, the Conservative congregation in Glen Cove, NY, with 17 people. The number of people who officially registered as Conservative is 28%, and from observing who went to what service on Shabbat and multiple conversations about affiliation, I believe this number to be over 50%.  That hundreds of Conservative Jews came simply to learn is a a sign of vitality. 

What does this mean? It means that people will attend a conference when they believe that it will be personally meaningful. LIMMUD NY was not inexpensive, yet people came. People will travel, volunteer, study, be open to new ideas if the experience speaks to them, inspires them, and is essentially about them. If a conference will enhance their lives, nurture their souls, expand their minds, they will come.

As you may know, I work for United Synagogue and I am working on the program component of our next conference on October 11-15 in Baltimore. We are planning an unforgettable gathering  to mark the 100th birthday of United Synagogue and the impact of Conservative Judaism.  This "Centennial Celebration" is already coming together.  We are delighted that Rabbi Harold Kushner, Vanessa Hidary, Rabbi Brad Artson, Clive Lawton (mentioned above)  and other dynamic North American thought leaders from both within and outside Conservative Judaism will be with us.

Deeply inspired by the LIMMUD model, we are creating an experience that will attract participants because the topics and takeaways are directly related to today's challenges and opportunities.  Moreover, the tagline of this conference, "The Conversation of the Century", bespeaks our commitment to convene open, relevant discussions and workshops instead of speeches by "talking heads". 

Recognizing the need for different and new voices, the Centennial will feature presenters, facilitators and speakers from all world reflecting a mix of generations and genders. 

The only part of LIMMUD that was not exceptional was the services. Rabbi David Ingber's service on Friday night was the one prayer highlight. It seems that the program is called LIMMUD (study) and not "Tefilla" (prayer) for a reason.

At the Centennial Shabbaton we will feature multiple services on Friday night and Shabbat morning. Rabbi Lizzi Heydemann will lead a spiritual service with her Mishkan Chicago davening team, Hazzan David Propis will lead a cantorial service, Dale Shatz - the backbone of "Friday Night Live" - will conduct a musical service, and Yehuda Solomon of Moshav Band will lead a Carlebach service. The Centennial will be for services what LIMMUD is for study. I already can't decide which service to attend!  

With these prayer options and dynamic learning opportunities, we are confident that we are creating a powerful experience that will attract not only those who consider themselves Conservative Jews, but also anyone who is interested in and committed to a vibrant future for North American Jewry and worldwide.

The lesson from LIMMUD is: Empower people with fantastic choices that are relevant in their lives and they will come ... and come back again.

Engaging the Next Generation Via Rock Talk

Changing patterns in volunteer and affiliation patterns have amounted to a gigantic wake-up call for the established Jewish community. What has emerged is a dynamic discussion within kehillot (congregations) and many non-profits about how to engage the next generation.

Facebook, Twitter and Web 2.0 have been hailed as the magic pill. Yet we have found that social networking alone merely constitutes tactics for building community, rather than a comprehensive strategy to meet this goal. Furthermore, while many organizations and kehillot have established online platforms, few have mastered how to maximize their impact as part of an integrated engagement initiative.

I recently wrote about Wilfred Drath's theories about "relational dialogue" as the ideal model for leadership in our times. Relational dialogue is akin to community organizing, as it generates ongoing opportunities for meaning-making in communities of practice.

As the book of Numbers winds down, we are sadly reminded that Moses will not lead the people across the Jordan River. Drath's ideas about leadership models, I believe, can help us understand why Moses is punished for not speaking to the rock. His ideas actually complement  those of Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, "The Netziv", who was the last Rosh Yeshiva of Volozhin in the late 1800's.

As you may recall, as soon as the Israelites leeave Egypt they need water. In the first year of their journey, Moses is told to hit the rock and water comes forth. 

The second time the issue of water arises, God commands Moses to speak to the rock. This new directive, 39 years after the first one, is somewhat perplexing. First and foremost, the thought of speaking to a rock seems strange. Even in 2012 it feels funny talking to Siri on our iPhones, let alone a rock without voice recognition software. More to the point, if hitting the rock worked before, then why does God change course now? 

To understand the new directive, we have to grasp the mindset of those who would witness the miracle. The generation that left Egypt were accustomed to strong leaders (in Drath's "Personal Dominance" model), such as Pharaoh and Moses, who used force as a mechanism to maintain order. Hitting the rock is an act of force to which the recently freed slaves could appreciate.

Thirty nine years later the next generation, born into freedom, God realizes, needs a different experience. God tells Moses to speak to the rock to symbolically indicate that these people are ready for a new leadership and communal paradigm. The next generation are prepared to take part in the conversation about constructing a new society in the Promised Land. Their thirst would be quenched by deciding their own destiny.

Moses' error in judgment is not realizing that the "rock talk" is about showcasing a new model of leadership. Simply put, he doesn't realize that the medium is the message.

We face similar challenges today. There are new ways of reaching the next generation. When we sit face to face either online or in person, it is vital that we make room for the young - and young at heart - to contribute to a communal dialogue about our shared future. By convening our own "rock talk", we invite all stakeholders to play a role in actualizing a vision we create together.

The Key to the Kehilla of the Future

The term "leadership" is used so liberally today, it can be challenging to pin down what it means and how best to make it happen.

A provocative exploration of leadership comes from Wilfred Drath in his book, The Deep Blue Sea. Dissecting leadership to its basic elements, he identifies leaders' core tasks as "setting direction" (create a vision), "creating commitment" (generate a coalition to actualize the vision) and "facing adaptive challenge" (use a shared mission to deal with change).

In an attempt to uncover the nuances of leadership, Drath presents three different models:

1. Personal Dominance – Leadership happens when a leader acts. It is a personal endowment of leaders.
2. Interpersonal Influence – Leadership happens when a person influences other more than he or she is influenced. This is a process of negotiating social influence.
3. Relational Dialogue – Leadership happens when people make sense together of shared work.

He believes that the first two models are limited and that Relational Dialogue is best equipped to meet the challenges of our time.

Looking at these models through the prism of  history, we can understand better. In the context of Jewish history, a leader who exudes "Personal Dominance" can be Moses or King David. A model of "Interpersonal Influence" seems to describe the rabbis of the Talmud who achieve success by having their opinions accepted by the majority.

What about Relational Dialogue? Where do we see this approach in Jewish history? 

While I am not sure that we have seen this model in the past, it is happening all around us today. For instance, Jewish learning experiences built around chavruta (paired learning) welcome and encourage dialogue. Independent minyanim also ask participants not only to define their shared values, but also to take an active role.

Furthermore, Beth Am Synagogue's (in Baltimore) "613+ Shabbat Dinners" and The Riverway Project of Temple Israel in Boston are using dialogue to create community.
  
Similar to community organizing, this model constitutes meaning-making in communities of practice. The fundamental tools here are listening and dialogue. Ultimately this approach encourages participants to embrace communal responsibility so that a shared narrative can be actualized and experienced by others.

Our Sulam Leadership team at United Synagogue has made facilitated dialogue a pillar in all of our offerings because of the impact it has on everyone involved.

In an age of change, I believe that kehillot can benefit deeply from adopting or integrating elements of the Relational Dialogue model. Beyond introductions and ice breakers, this approach can be used to generate conversations about our values and to assess how well we are achieving the community's vision.

One of the pillars of contemporary adult learning theory is that we learn best when we actively participate in conversations that impact our lives. To borrow a phrase from the Khan Academy,  Relational Dialogue can transform a rabbi and educator "from the sage on the stage to the guide on the side."

Relational Dialogue holds great promise for Jewish leaders to energize their kehillot today, and it may just hold the key to unlocking the kehilla of the future. 

The Power of Constructive Disruption

In the limelight for just a fleeting moment, Korah disrupts the Biblical status quo.  One of the most complicated characters in the Torah, Korah's legacy is equally complex. 

Remembered mainly as the power–hungry rebel swallowed by the earth for challenging Moses and Aaron's authority, Korah is also depicted by the Midrash as a wealthy and successful former minister in Pharaoh's court and the patriarch of his Levitical family clan.

Korah is not an "outsider" in the Israelite camp; rather he has "elite access". According to the Midrash, Korah is a member of the Kohatite–Levite family, who are entrusted with the special responsibility of carrying the ark of the covenant whenever the Israelite camp moved.

We know from earlier in the book of Numbers that the Torah recognizes that this responsibility comes with certain caveats. With careful stipulations, the Levites are instructed not to look at the holy vessels they carry. Some commentators hold that this rule was enacted out of fear that the vessels may lose their sanctity in the eyes of their be-holders. The Torah also understands that it is human nature; those who handle holy vessels — or anything valuable for that matter — may be tempted to misuse them for their own purposes. It reminds me of Dorothy peeking behind the curtain.

This week's Torah portion affirms that the eponymous character may have gotten too close to the spiritual seat of power. From his proximity to the symbol of God's brit, covenant, with the Jewish people, Korah develops illusions of grandeur.

At the beginning of this week's portion, Korah confronts Moses: "You have gone too far! For all of the community are holy, all of them, and the Lord is in their midst. Why did you raise yourself above the Lord's congregation?" (Numbers 16:3) Korah gives the impression of promoting an egalitarian platform for the Jewish people. There is a consensus among traditional and modern commentators that Korah's true motivations lie in removing Moses and Aaron from power and ruling the Israelite community as he sees fit without the yoke of God's Torah.

One may try to simplify this episode to Moses feeling threatened by others undertaking positions of power and leadership in the Israelite camp. But this interpretation contrasts Moses' attempts to share leadership whenever possible. Moses appoints many judges, empowers the tribal leadership during the reconnaissance of Canaan, and establishes the council of the seventy elders. Moreover, Moses is delighted when Eldad and Medad, two random Israelites, begin prophesizing on their own. In Moses' eyes, Eldad and Medad are examples to be raised up, not silenced. Eldad, Medad, Joshua and Elazar the priest are all part of Moses' leadership succession plan, albeit without a timeline. 

After the rebellion has been contained, God instructs Moses to have Korah's fire pans melted into a covering for the altar. These metal coverings would serve "le'ot leev'nay yisrael," "as a warning for the people of Israel" (Exodus 17:3). The word "ot" literally means "a sign," and from the context it is easy to see this altar covering as a symbol of caution for future rebels.

The placement of this warning, however, strikes me as bizarre. One might expect that such a warning would be outside of the Tabernacle and away from the altar, not connected to it.

We find a subtle clue as to the reason for the interconnected placement of this warning and its multifaceted meaning in the commentary of Ibn Ezra, a twelfth–century Spanish sage. Explaining the word "ot," he oddly offers two explanations; the warning is "a memorial and a sign."

The ambivalence about his character is expressed in the "memorial and sign" created to remember the rebellion. As a memorial, the hammered sheets warn the people and their spiritual leaders — the Levites, the priests and Moses — that when serving God their intentions need to be transparent and sincere. As a sign, the covering on the altar itself subtly encourages all Jews not to follow their leaders blindly if they seem to have strayed from the path. When questions are guileless and "leshem shamayim," for the sake of heaven, public debate can become a sacred enterprise, unite a community, and raise us to new spiritual heights. 

Korah's legacy cannot just be reduced to a cautionary tale. This memorial elevates the conversation that just took place, almost honoring it. While Korah was misguided in his talking points and disrespectful in his approach, his disruption fostered a vital communal conversation about vision and purpose within the Israelite camp.

In the midst of his own rebellion, Korah does not grasp the very essence of what makes the Jewish people an "am kodesh," a holy nation. As the "chosen people," we are not bequeathed a sense of entitlement; rather we are obligated to create opportunities for God's presence to be felt and experienced in this world. Not only are we encouraged to question authority in certain situations, but we are expected to listen to those voices that are different from our own.

The Korah memorial reminds us about not only the danger of self–interested defiance of divine authority, but also our eternal obligation to challenge our leaders if they stray from our community's and society's best interests. The ultimate irony is that Korah's complex legacy inspires us to be rebels with a cause of constructive disruption.

Welcome to my blog, "The Yozmah - Leadership Initiative". 

Yozmah, which means "initiative" in Hebrew, simultaneously represents the means and the end. Initiative constitutes the sacred spark necessary to ignite the flame within us. With yozmah, we feel capable of taking initiative to achieve our goals and actualize our vision. At the same time, initiatives can be understood as the finish line, the goal post we cross until we gear up for the next quest. 

In both uses of the word, initiative pushes us further than we expected and disrupts our comfort zone towards unimagined growth. 

My work at United Synagogue centers around leadership training, organizational development and kehilla (congregational) strengthening and transformation. Integral to the success of our work with kehilla leaders is yozmah, initiative. When we sense their initiative, we know that they have achieved "readiness", the ability to make things happen. 

A critical endeavor of kehilla strengthening is community building. It has been my experience from years in the pulpit and serving as a USCJ district director that many people find themselves on the margins and don't know how to move closer to the middle. 

With this in mind, the sub-title of the blog is: "Where the Margins Meet the Middle", and the blog will deal some of these larger questions:

• How do we include and engage those who feel marginalized in our spiritual communities? 
• How do we generate a joyful Judaism that engages those parts of ourselves that have become marginalized through exhaustion and cynicism?
• How do we create a meaningful conversation between those in the middle (who may have always done it that way) and those on the margins (who may have new ideas about creating meaning today)?

This blog will serve as a platform to present success stories and challenging case studies, provide reflections and thoughts about leadership and organizational development, and share some words of Torah and, maybe even, inspiration.

My intention is to create a conversation, not a monologue. In light of this, I invite you to share your comments. Your initiative is much appreciated. 

Any initiative worth undertaking should aim high.Through Yozmah, we will look at ourselves, our community and our world in ways we never imagined. 

Together we can make "The Yozmah - Leadership Initiative" a forum where our voices and thoughts create a vision for the next generation of North American Jewry.