New York, NY, Thursday, March 24, 2022 – Gathering in person for the first time in three years, Reform rabbis will convene in San Diego for four days of learning, praying, and connecting during the Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR) annual Convention. This year’s Convention will take place from Sunday, March 27 to Wednesday, March 30, 2022 and allow Reform rabbis to gather to discuss meaningful and unique ways to strengthen their connections among one another and within their communities. CCAR will also connect with rabbis who are unable to travel with online Convention options, featuring both livestreamed events from San Diego and online-only sessions.
This year will also be a celebratory moment as the year 2022 marks two major anniversaries within the Reform movement: the 50th anniversary of Women in the Rabbinate and the 100th anniversary of CCAR’s groundbreaking 1922 vote to ordain women. Additional opportunities for discourse include programs that focus on physical health, conversations about moving from “burnout to hope,” and a timely discussion on synagogue security.
The CCAR Convention will feature keynote addresses from Jeremy Heimans, CEO of Purpose and co-author of New Power: How Power Works in Our Hyperconnected World – and How to Make It Work for You, and Rabbi Carole Balin, PhD, Professor Emerita of Jewish History at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. Heimans will speak on “Reimagining our Communities in a Time of Change: Moving from Old Power to New Power,” while Balin will discuss the history behind this year’s momentous anniversaries in an address titled “Wives to the Rescue: The Promise and Reality of the CCAR’s Epic 1922 Vote to Ordain Women.” Additionally, CCAR will mark the 50th anniversary of women in the Rabbinate with a reception honoring Sally Priesand, the first ordained female Rabbi.
“After two years of digital gatherings, this year’s convention will provide Rabbis a chance to truly rejoice, connect and renew after an extremely difficult period in Jewish history,” said Rabbi Hara Person, CCAR Chief Executive. “Amidst an ongoing pandemic and rising antisemitism that most recently showed itself in a hostage attack at a Reform temple in Texas, this Convention is a much-needed moment for rabbis to come together, reconnect, reflect, and engage in spiritual renewal so they can return to their communities strengthened and with renewed resilience.”
In addition, the CCAR Convention will offer rabbis the chance to connect with colleagues through prayer and study, including opportunities to engage in professional skill-building, partake in T’filah at the beach, travel locally within San Diego on excursions centered around social justice, and enjoy “A Staged Reading of Exagoge: Weaving the Ancient Exodus Narrative with Contemporary Issues” by theatre dybbuk. During Convention, CCAR will also honor rabbis celebrating their 50th anniversaries as rabbis, and memorialize those members who have died this year.
To connect with CCAR leaders, or for more information about CCAR Convention, contact Maddy Troha at maddy.troha@berlinrosen.com