We look forward to seeing you at the 36th RRA convention! With members across North America, Israel, Europe and Australia, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association is a community of colleagues, peers and friends. Our shared commitment to serving the Jewish people as rabbis - whether as chaplains, spiritual guides, scholars, campus or pulpit rabbis - binds us as a community of practice.
This year's convention is a chance for us to reconnect to our community of practice, strengthen our professional skills, and build on our personal connections. The programming and activities have been designed to enlarge our understanding of significant social issues and to allow for the colleague-to-colleague sharing that nurtures and supports us as a hevre. Join us!
The RRA Convention On-Line… During the RRA Convention, we are planning to make available sound files of major presentations, videos, and an ongoing Convention Blog. Read more »
This Year's Highlights will Include:
 Sunday Evening
Opening Program - Film "Fabourg Treme"
Journalist and filmmaker Lolis Eric Elie joins us for a viewing of his film, Fauborg Treme, as an introduction to the city of New Orleans, its fascinating history, and the race and class issues that plague it to this day. Arguably the oldest black neighborhood in America and the birthplace of jazz, Faubourg Tremé was home to the largest community of free black people in the Deep South during slavery and a hotbed of political ferment. Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans is a riveting tale of heartbreak, hope, resiliency and haunting historic parallels.
 Monday – all day
A Day of Service with the Beacon of Hope Resource Center
Beacon of Hope provides a model for recovery in neighborhoods
devastated by Hurricane Katrina as well as other areas affected by
disaster. Encouraging civic action, fostering repopulation, providing
information and resources is the foundation on which we build and
grow. Beacon of Hope empowers residents to facilitate their own
recovery while providing a hub of resident driven activities and a
safe environment to create the synergy essential for restoring viable
neighborhoods and improve the overall quality of life for residents
 Wednesday - A Day of Learning
David Stein’s Tisch
This year we are pleased to have David Stein (’91) as our convention text consultant. David describes himself as a skeptic with reportedly misanthropic tendencies. He is a freelance editor of Judaica, occasional scholar-in-residence, and leader of High Holy Day services at the Taos Jewish Center. He has completed the "Prejudice Reduction Trainers Training" of the National Coalition Building Institute. His approach to issues of race is informed also by his experience leading an “Unlearning Racism” support group in Re-evaluation Counseling; and to issues of class, by a "Beyond the Taboo" workshop co-led by Christopher Mogil and Felice Yeskel.
 Wednesday's Closing Panel
"Not in Our Shtetls" - Toba Spitzer, Myrna Matsa, Lance Hill, Uri Topolosky
Now that we’ve delved into some of the issues around class and race, how do we integrate a consciousness of them into our work as rabbis and spiritual leaders? Moderated by Toba Spitzer ('97), this panel will present different strategies that have been used in New Orleans both pre and post Katrina. The speakers will discuss the unique challenges of reenergizing a socially divided city and how they used outreach, organizing, and collaboration to begin building alliances.
Daylight Savings TIme
Saturday, March 13 |
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When making your convention plans, please remember that Saturday night March 13, Erev-Convention, is the change over to Daylight Savings Time!
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Learn more about this year's convention »
Read the letter from convention co-chairs David Dunn Bauer and
Nina Mandel »
Please refer to the program schedule for specific program information.
The Jewish community of Greater New Orleans will be having their first Limmud close to the time of the RRA convention, on March 13-14th. Note that the program starts Saturday night with a community havdalah ceremony, a round of sessions and than a late night Jazz and Jam. It then continues all day Sunday. Read more »
The article "An Ounce of Advocacy" is recommended background reading for our Monday night discussion.
An additional Wednesday workshop will be given by Mordecai Liebling - "Creating Social Justice Programming".
Wednesday evening you can join an optional private tour of New Orleans with Mike Indest, tour guide, minister, art gallery owner.
Log into the members-only section to download members-only Convention Documents. |
