2024 Annual Conference Sessions

Join Secure Community Network (SCN) to learn or re-fresh the skills you need to save lives by applying emergency first aid to control bleeding. By the end of our time together you will understand why bleeding is the #1 preventable death after an injury, and how to save a life. You will be able to identify when life-threatening bleeding is occurring, and how to control bleeding when someone is injured while waiting for first responders to arrive.

Assert, Analyze, and Accommodate vs Fight, Flight or Freeze, learn tools to overcome triggers. Turning in complaints into requests and using a perspectives wheel.

Let's face it: we've all been to one... that offsite, training, or gathering that you couldn't quite get into. Or maybe there was just one highlight, but the rest was a bit of a letdown. This happens because these experiences simply need to be designed and constructed differently! In this interactive session, you'll get a chance to design your dream gathering, connect it to concrete goals and outcomes, and learn about some innovative approaches to rethink the usual. This is a chance for everyone at any level to put on their planning hats and get some tips about how to put your plan into action. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: - How team gatherings can improve morale, communication, camaraderie, and a variety of other outcomes that make teams stronger and more productive - Designing and engaging and interactive gatherings that people walk away from transformed and ready to jump into action - Designing these experiences in a variety of ways: virtual vs. in person, providing tips and guidance on different tools for different kinds of audiences

This workshop is designed to empower synagogue leaders with values-aligned recruitment and culture building practices. The session focuses on attracting the right talent, advice for working with Gen Z, the best way to showcase your organizational culture in the hiring process, and how to navigate the hiring strategically. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Understanding Values-Aligned Recruitment: Participants will learn strategies for aligning recruitment practices with the values and mission of their synagogue. This includes identifying key values to emphasize in job postings, interviews, and throughout the hiring process to attract candidates who are a good fit for the organization's culture. Effectively Engaging Gen Z Talent: The workshop will provide insights and advice on how to effectively engage with and attract members of Generation Z to synagogue leadership roles. This includes understanding their preferences, communication styles, and expectations in the workplace, as well as adapting recruitment and culture-building approaches accordingly. Showcasing Organizational Culture in Hiring: Participants will learn techniques for showcasing their synagogue's organizational culture during the hiring process. This involves highlighting unique aspects of the synagogue's culture, such as its values, traditions, and community involvement, to attract candidates who resonate with and are excited to contribute to that culture.

What if we were to use Punctuation BEHAVIORALLY in our organizations, and our lives, the way we do in our writing? We'd find PERIODS enable us to make decisions and move forward. COMMAS, placed intentionally, would help us to pause and take a beat before taking action. Leaning into QUESTION MARKS would lead us to suspend judgment and remain curious. And moments of celebration and acknowledgement would be made possible through consciously integrating EXCLAMATION POINTS... while ELLIPSES would keep us open to new possibilities. In Punctuate Your Future!, we'll explore what Behavioral Punctuation (BP) is and how, with the intentional and purposeful use of BP, we have the power to accomplish extraordinary things, become exceptional leaders and create engaging and collaborative communities. Let's launch the journey of Punctuating Your Futures! LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Participants will: 1. explore the application of 5 core Behavioral Punctuations to their personal and professional lives. 2. practice with Punctuation Tools to support critical skills such as making decisions, solving problems, setting boundaries, innovating, and managing conflict and diverse working styles. 3. delve into a unique, easy-to-apply, and powerful new framework supporting the growth of healthy relationships and collaborative communities.

Synagogues are pillars in our communities, offering space for togetherness, learning, and celebration. From services, to programming, to education, operating our houses of worship takes a village – and funding. By cultivating a strong board and implementing a thoughtful, well-rounded fundraising strategy, synagogues can achieve philanthropic success and cultivate a culture of giving. This session will adopt a “three-legged stool” approach, examining how a cohesive partnership among a board, clergy, and non-clergy or development staff can lay the groundwork for sustainable fundraising and community engagement. A featured case study will detail these critical roles and explore strategies for investing in development staff and activating board members. Presenters will share fundraising initiatives, donor stewardship best practices, and methods for assessing organizational health to empower leaders with the knowledge and resources to drive sustainable philanthropy. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Outcome 1: Participants will acquire practical leadership and communication skills to effectively engage and empower their board members and development teams to drive successful philanthropic initiatives. Outcome 2: Participants will leave with actionable strategies for fostering a culture of philanthropy at their own organizations. Outcome 3: Participants will understand how to assess fundraising health and impact through performance metrics and data analysis.

'How many executive directors expected to be in this professional when we entered college? Was it something you dreamed of becoming since you were a child? Something you lucked into when you were out of work? Did somebody approach you and beg for you to ''fix'' things? We can all tell the story of how we ended up being an executive director; but, was it by accident or on purpose, something you planned for that brings you personal joy? You do not have to be an organized person to lead an intentional and purposeful life. We have the individual power to limit the possibility of ending up at a point in our lives with a long list of things that you didn't do in your personal or professional life and ending up with regrets. The workshop will teach how create the opportunities to take you where you want to be, professionally and personally. It's about personal life-planning, how each person can plan their own personal roadmap that creates the unique opportunities that bring you joy. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Participants can strengthen the skills that are needed to intentionally live a joyful life without regrets; and be able to share these tools with our professional employees that want to get somewhere, but don't have a roadmap.

This interactive workshop will include a summary of recent developments in employment, labor, and human resources impacting congregational and non-profit employers and affecting how you manage the clergy, staff and volunteers that work in our sacred spaces. The session will cover a range of topics, including newest rules affecting employee relations, compensation, and life cycle; responding to misconduct, harassment, discrimination, and ethics complaints; and other challenges identified by YOU. You can expect to be able to submit issues in advance and an extensive Q&A discussion session providing current best practices, action items for 2024-2025, and resources for your organization’s success.

“The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there, I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.” ― Michelangelo One of the recurring themes I have heard from colleagues throughout the years is that they don't like writing important communications because they don't think they're good writers - or that writing is hard. Neither of those things are necessarily true. As Temple Administrators and Executive Directors you - more than most - know the needs of your community; know the people who make up your community; and are in position to help shape the future of your community by creating a message that serves as a road map to the future. This workshop will help you learn how to 'chisel away at the superfluous material' in your writing to create succinct and impactful messages for your communities. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Participants will leave with the confidence to be more active communicators within their congregation. Participants will have a few quick tricks for writing a compelling narrative in a short amount of time.

The need for talented and committed board members has never been greater, nor more challenging to recruit. The old nominating processes no longer work, and onboarding systems are frequently absent. This session will lay out a step-by-step process to recruit and onboard the kind of board members needed to strengthen and enhance our congregations. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Participants will be provided with clear steps to improve and enhance their board nominating and onboarding processes. Participants will be provided with change management and culture change resources to overcome resistance. Participants will be provided with templates to improve their committee (i.e., identification and recruitment pipelines) systems.

Who among you likes to save your congregation money while ensuring diligent care of your property? In this session, you will learn the importance of long-term capital budget planning and how to put it into practice. This process will reveal the true cost of your facilities & allow you to strategically plan for the eventual need to replace major capital items such as roofing, HVAC units & security systems. Join us as we spend some time together learning more about what's involved in a creating a successful capital reserve plan & how it can ultimately save time & money while reducing the headaches that often come with managing the physical (constantly aging!) plant that serves your congregation day-in & day-out. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Participants will: Understand of the scope of capital planning needed at their temple, thus enabling leadership to act on this need Comprehend a high level overview of how a reserve study will help model the way for the future of the temple's physical & financial future Be empowered to initiate / update their capital reserve plan

Learn about how two synagogues approached the process of re-evaluating their dues models and reimagining the future of their membership. Come away with concrete action steps and resources to facilitate conversations with your board and congregants. What works, what doesn’t, things to watch out for, sample letters, publicity, surveys, and more. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 1. Participants will have an opportunity to begin to build a first draft approach for their congregation based on the group discussions in the session. 2. Participants will receive a google drive full of sample communications from multiple synagogues that have already gone through this process. 3. Participants will learn how to measure outcomes, and how to define success through the collection and analysis of data.

Step into the future of workplace innovation where the journey begins with assembling the ultimate dream team. This interactive session takes you on a ride, merging the timeless wisdom of Jim Collins’ principle of getting the right people on the bus, with the cutting-edge insights of the Kolbe Index A and Patrick Lencioni’s Six Types of Working Genius. Discover how to set your synagogue or organization’s GPS for success, starting with crystal-clear goals, strategies to navigate the path, and tactics to overcome obstacles. We’ll explore how to identify and leverage the unique strengths of your team, ensuring everyone is in the right seat on your bus to the future. With the precision of a DeLorean’s hair-pin braking system, learn how to: Align Vision with Action, Decode Your Team's DNA, Master the Art of Team Composition, Navigate Change with Confidence, and Foster a Culture of Innovation. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Participants will learn how to strategically assemble teams by aligning individual strengths with organizational goals, inspired by Jim Collins' concept of getting the right people on the bus. This will empower leaders to place team members in roles where they can thrive and contribute most effectively. Attendees will gain insights into using the Kolbe Index A to identify the natural talents and instincts of their team members. This knowledge enables the creation of a workplace environment where everyone can operate in their zone of genius, leading to higher satisfaction and productivity. Participants will explore Patrick Lencioni's Six Types of Working Genius to understand how different talents contribute to a project's lifecycle. This understanding will help in building balanced teams that are capable of navigating from concept to completion with creativity and efficiency.

Often board's fix their bylaws to try to achieve better governance, but this approach misses the core elements needed to change behavior and culture. In this interactive workshop, participants will (re)learn the fundamentals of good congregational governance, and learn the steps needed to build a stranger and more engaged holistic governance system. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Achieve clarity around board and staff roles. Learn the necessary steps to improve governance systems. Obtain strategies to create a more engaged core of volunteers.

In this session, you will gain an understanding of the different types of Restricted Funds and how best to utilize them to inspire your donors and help your synagogue thrive! Through varied, fast-paced interactive moments, interspersed with key points of information, you will gain practical knowledge to help with budgeting and support your mission. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Participants will understand how to appropriately use restricted funds. Participants will take home key talking points to help educate staff and lay leaders on appropriate use of restricted funds. Participants will take home ideas on how to promote their restricted funds.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fast becoming one of our most contentious and thought-provoking ethical issues. The rate of progress and expansion of AI has brought challenges and potential successes to all of us in one way or another, and it is incumbent upon us to further understand how it impacts us and what our responsibilities as leaders may include. Even though AI is a relatively new phenomenon, our texts and teachings can help us understand the ethical and moral issues surrounding it and how it affects our congregations and communities. Expected Learning Outcomes: * Participants will discover what our historical and later texts can teach us about AI, even though AI is a new concept and opportunity. * Participants will be able to discuss the advantages and the moral and ethical dilemmas AI presents. * Participants will be able to use these discussion points and ideas in their own communities, especially as AI evolves and is incorporated into our working environments, regular events, and special programs.