Listen, Shape, Share: LBC Summer Institute 2010
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
With three simple words, ‘Listen, Shape, Share’, Rabbi David Wolfman, Director of Rabbinic-Congregational Relationships of the Union of Reform Judaism in North America, summarised this year’s Leo Baeck College Summer Institute for Leadership Development. Over 30 participants from 15 Reform and Liberal congregations from as far afield as Edinburgh, Glasgow and Bristol attended, many as congregational teams including rabbi, chair and council members.This is the fourth such Summer Institute that the college has held, each providing an intensive three-day leadership course with 21 hours of continuing professional development. This year’s keynote presenters, in addition to Rabbi Wolfman, were Justin Wise, a local coach and trainer, Rabbi Dr. Michael Shire, Vice-Principal of LBC and Dr. Keith Kahn Harris, sociologist and author of the newly published ‘Turbulent Times’.
The following are examples of feedback from participants:
Thought provoking and very well organised programme with inspiring teachers.
Chair persons of the synagogues should be encouraged to promote it to their councils and potential leaders. A good way to empower and encourage younger leaders.
My expectations were fully met. We talked about challenges and vision for leadership in the Jewish world.
The themes of this year’s Institute included ‘Living on the Edge’ of change in the Jewish community, particularly amongst young adults. Workshops focusing on this issue identified the importance of independent minyanim and on-line social networks as well as a re-evaluation of the notion of ‘inside and outside’ Jewish community life.
Presenting the Talmudic text of four rabbis entering the Pardes (orchard), Rabbi Wolfman demonstrated Rabbi Akiva’s ability to emerge from this ordeal whole. Justin Wise offered methods and skills to enable this wholeness to be nurtured in Jewish leadership and skilfully drew upon Jewish literature and poetry to express timeless and topical ideas of leadership for congregations.
A final session on case studies in success featured Kathy Shock, former President of the Oxford Jewish Community as a model of interdenominational co-operation in small communities. Rabbi Neil Janes offered insight into the phenomenal success of ‘Shabbat Resouled’, a musical extravaganza held monthly on Shabbat eve at Finchley Progressive Synagogue, and Rabbi Laura Janner Klausner reflected on her attempts to enhance and intensify adult learning within Alyth (North Western Reform Synagogue), in members’ homes and on-line.
Jewish leaders need to be able to listen deeply without jumping to judgement, shape the emerging and novel needs of a changing population and share proposals and action with as wide a constituency as possible. Only in this way will collaborative leadership be effective and enable synagogues and communities to be successful in these turbulent times.
The ongoing success of this Leadership Institute that has reached over 150 participants in the past four years from Reform and Liberal synagogues around the country testifies to Leo Baeck College’s ongoing role in developing the leadership potential of rabbis and voluntary leaders for our communities.
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