The goal of this timely seminar was to explore the issue of how to bridge the "generational divide" experienced by many young people who are capable and interested in becoming active lay leaders or communal professionals in their Jewish communities. This session focused on how we engage these potential leaders in roles that are more significant, inspire them to be leaders who count in the community, and learn how to stimulate meaningful dialogue between the generations.
The successful session was attended by over 200 communal professionals and JAFI Assembly delegates.
Doug Krikler , Chief Executive of the UJIA in the UK, moderated the session and led a panel conversation between Seth Cohen, Director of Network Development, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and Elisheva Mazya, CEO of New Spirit-Students for Jerusalem. They spoke about the complexity of the generational gap and importance of bridging this gap by being respectful of the priorities of both the younger and older generations when setting community priorities.
The panel conversation was followed by facilitated round table discussion that focused on issues such as:
The full hall was abuzz with lively discussion engaging a mix of participants from Israel and abroad with lay and professional representation as well as from different age groups.
Prof. Steven M. Cohen , Research Professor of Jewish Social Policy at Hebrew Union College-JIR and Director of the Berman Jewish Policy Archive at NYU Wagner, provided an insightful summary and response to the discussions drawing upon his extensive research on the topic. After a round of some challenging questions from the audience, Ted Comet, Executive Vice President of the WCJCS provided a closing summary. |
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