The Big Picture
Going Places, Together
The past two years have reminded us of two essential truths: First, the challenges and opportunities we face as members of the Jewish community and as national and global citizens demand collective wisdom and willpower to address. Second, collective action — within and across organizations, communities, countries, and globally — does not happen on its own; it requires intentionality, skills, culture, and practice that must be renewed in every generation. JPro22 will center collaboration as a Jewish communal priority and strengthen Jewish communal professionals’ capacity to collaborate so we can meet the future together. JPro22 will ask: How might we build the skills of our professional community and improve the culture in our field to enable more effective and impactful collaboration?
JPro22: Going Places, Together will gather 1,000 Jewish community professionals in Cleveland from May 2-4, 2022 to explore where we have been over the last three years and where we might go, together. It will be the first cross-sector gathering of Jewish community professionals for over two years. It will be a profound moment of reconnection, meaning-making, celebration, and envisioning the future.
Three Conferences in One
It is for these reasons that JPro and JFNA made the decision to embark on a large-scale collaboration to design, plan and produce a national conference for 1,000 Jewish community professionals in Cleveland to explore where we have been over the last several years and where we might go, together.
By bringing JFNA’s two professional conferences, FedPro and FTPI, into JPro22 to co-host this conference, we have been able to create a true reunion for professionals from across our diverse workforce. Over 20 professionals at JPro and JFNA have been working together for the past year to bring to life an ambitious vision that centers collaboration as a Jewish communal priority and strengthens Jewish communal professionals’ capacity to collaborate so we can meet the future together.
The close collaboration of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, our host community for the conference, has further elevated the unique opportunities presented through these partnerships as well as our impressive group of conference Chairs. Collectively, from these organizations and individuals there is a dedicated group of professionals excited to bring JPro22 to life.
Theme and Curriculum: Collaboration
Crisis and disruption have always created windows of opportunity to make real change in the ways that we, as a Jewish community, do business. When we’ve been at our best, we’ve made those changes collaboratively.
As we approach the third year of the COVID era, the need for collaboration could not be greater. Over the course of the pandemic we’ve witnessed extraordinary levels of cooperation and partnership. Perhaps our most significant opportunity is to build on these ties and to strengthen our commitment to working together in pursuit of our common aims and collective interests. To build the skills and strengthen our collective commitment to work together in new ways across teams and organizations. Not mine, but ours.
If deep collaboration were easy, we would all be doing it adeptly already. Obstacles include differing norms and cultures, competing interests and priorities, unclear paths for managing shared projects, resource constraints, commitment to the way things have “always” been, difficulty giving feedback, and more.
What if… 1,000 Jewish community professionals from every community, organization type, role, and generation came together, in person and virtually, to gain skills, confidence, motivation, and commitment to work more effectively and successfully across teams and organizations? What might we accomplish as a North American Jewish community if we can work together in new ways?
At JPro22: Going Places, Together, we will learn from and celebrate new collaborations that emerged during the pandemic, and we will build skills to enable more ambitious and smoother collaboration across teams and organizations as we move forward -- together.
The name of the game is better, together for the Jewish community of North America and the biggest opportunities will be those we pursue side-by-side and hand-in-hand. Come join us.
Community Delegations
One special way that professionals are coming together to JPro22 is via Community Delegations. Jewish Federations are invited to convene delegations of professionals from across their communities to participate in JPro22 as a group. This is an opportunity to strengthen professional development and enrichment for Federation and community professionals. In addition to the skills, connections, and inspiration that all participants will gain from the conference, community delegation participants will bond with one another and return home with renewed relationships and new ideas for collaboration across the community.
Additional benefits include special discounted registration fees, participation in the big tournament (watch this space for more detail on this!) and more.
To learn more, please contact Rebecca Zuck Sowers.