Saturday 12:30 PM–1:45 PM
Efforts to Address the Iran Threat and How You Can Avert Nuclear Iran
Marc Carrel,
Sam Yebri
Saturday 12:30 PM–1:45 PM
Balboa Bay 2
Global History and Culture,
Identity and Responsibility,
MCLE-Eligible
Unless we act now, we will soon wake up to a nuclear-armed Iran. That morning, the world’s leading state-sponsor of terrorism and violator of human rights will have the capacity to carry out its promise to "wipe Israel off the map" and will trigger a Middle East nuclear arms race. Learn what leading Jewish organizations and synagogues in Los Angeles are doing to advocate forcefully for increased American and international economic sanctions on Iran, convince government pension funds and corporations to terminate all business with the Iranian government, and raise public awareness about the threat that a nuclear-armed Iran poses to the entire world. Each of us can make a difference through concerted, unified local activism. Learn how.
I “Know” God, and You Can Too!
Robby Helperin
Saturday 12:30 PM–1:45 PM
Laguna Beach 2
Identity and Responsibility,
Teen Approved
Explain the incomprehensible for fun and cosmic profit. Safe and easy enough to perform at home! Learn rational proof of the supernatural from a former agnostic -- without the use of nets, gimmicks, smoke or mirrors. Step by step, we build from nothingness toward a vision of global unity that threatens to break down ancient barriers and pave a path toward (what else?) world peace. Bonus: The definitive answer to which came first, the chicken or the egg.
The Innovation Ecosystem: A 21st Century Organic Jewish Community
Joshua Avedon,
Yoni Gordis,
Esther Kustanowitz,
Naomi Less,
Scott Perlo
Saturday 12:30 PM–1:45 PM
Catalina Ballroom 1
Identity and Responsibility,
Teen Approved
Over the past decade or so, the Jewish world has witnessed the emergence of a new landscape of innovative startups. These enterprises have created new entry points to Jewish life, and new ways of building Jewish community. This diverse and vibrant collective of new Jewish initiatives is evolving into an organic communal infrastructure for the Jewish community in the 21st century. This session is a tour though the diverse and vibrant ecosystem driving Jewish innovation across the globe. Meet some of the innovators and find out how their work is changing the Jewish world.
It's Not Fair! Theodicy and the Rabbis
Candice Levy
Saturday 12:30 PM–1:45 PM
Laguna Beach 1
Text and Thought,
Teen Approved
We live in a society that extols the virtues of fairness and justice. As Jews, the Torah tells us that reward and punishment are awarded based on one's merits. What happens when real life does not live up to that promise? Is there space within the Jewish tradition to question the goodness and fairness of God? A look at rabbinic texts reveals that the rabbis were not willing to give God a free pass. In this session, we will study some texts and learn how the rabbis reconciled their reality with the promises of the Torah as they engaged in the question of God’s justice and goodness.
Jewish Education, US Style
Gil Graff
Saturday 12:30 PM–1:45 PM
Newport Beach 2
Global History and Culture,
Identity and Responsibility
American Jews have long been preoccupied with providing educational skills and experiences to their youth, enabling them to engage in Jewish living. Such institutions as Jewish day schools, Talmud Torahs, congregational supplementary schools, early childhood education centers, residential summer camps, youth groups and more, represent expressions of abiding interest in ensuring a meaningful Jewish future for successive generations. This session will examine major currents in Jewish education in America and consider emerging trends in the ever-expanding array of opportunities and frameworks for Jewish education in the United States.
Jewish Environmentalism: Exploring the Connections
Yoni Stadlin
Saturday 12:30 PM–1:45 PM
Emerald Bay 2
Identity and Responsibility,
Teen Approved
Let's explore together -- through music, discussion, and activities -- how Judaism can inform our relationship to our planet, and how we live on it!
Leaders by Choice: Voices of Jews by Choice in Jewish Leadership
Stephanie Avedon,
Lorin Fife,
Akiko Yonekawa
Saturday 12:30 PM–1:45 PM
Balboa Bay 1
Identity and Responsibility
This session will explore the unique journeys and viewpoints of Jews by choice who have become leaders within our community. The conversation will try to link the personal stories of these Jews who have moved beyond simply joining the tribe to helping to define the Jewish mission for the future. What are the values they bring to their work from Jewish and non-Jewish sources? And how do their unique perspectives inform their approach to building community and leadership?
Living Complaint Free
Jonathan Aaron
Saturday 12:30 PM–1:45 PM
Emerald Bay 3
Health and Healing,
Identity and Responsibility
Learn one of the secrets to a better life: be complaint free. Explore how one can get rid of a bad habit once and for all. Imagine your life if you didn't spend your time complaining. Imagine how much better you'd feel if you didn't have negative thoughts.
Power Negotiating Strategies: Lessons From the Bible
Selwyn Gerber
Saturday 12:30 PM–1:45 PM
Laguna Beach 3
MCLE-Eligible,
Text and Thought
In this session, we will cover win-win negotiating, the best and worst words to use, ways to gain power through knowledge, active listening skills, and more.
TEEN: Views of the Afterlife in Judaism and World Traditions
Andrew Benkendorf
Saturday 12:30 PM–1:45 PM
Newport Beach 3
Global History and Culture,
Text and Thought,
Teen Approved
What do Jewish teachings say about the afterlife? I've heard the term "Olam HaBah" (world to come) but how does that compare to popular ideas about heaven and hell? Do Jews believe in reincarnation or rebirth? What about karmic retribution - if I live a life of Torah, will I be rewarded in the world to come? This session will explore Biblical and Talmudic sources and various Jewish concepts of the afterlife throughout Jewish history. Participants will also have the opportunity to compare and contrast Jewish teachings about the afterlife with those of other major world traditions. Note: this session is for teens only.
Toward a Renewal of the Zionist Idea
Chaim Seidler-Feller
Saturday 12:30 PM–1:45 PM
Emerald Bay 1
Identity and Responsibility,
Israel,
Teen Approved
The last decade has seen an erosion and decline of serious Zionist thought among Israelis as well as among their Diaspora counterparts. More recently, A. B. Yehoshua has leveled a well-worn Zionist critique against the viability of the Diaspora Jewish community, while in Academic circles a new assault on the Zionist idea is being mounted. Yet, Zionism is arguably the most successful Jewish response to modernity. Through a consideration of classic sources and modern texts, including Isaiah Horowitz’ “Two Tablets of the Covenant” and Franz Rosenzweig’s “The Star of Redemption,” this session will offer a proposal for the reconstruction, reinvigoration, and healing of Zionism.
