Programme of

Events

Welcome to Chagigah 2016!

This weekend we hope that you will relax, be spiritually uplifted, learn something new, meet new friends and be inspired to take lots of ideas back home with you. We encourage you to participate in as much of the weekend as you wish. We have produced a full and varied programme and hope there is something for everyone as we create a community together. Please feel free to go to any session that appeals to you but remember you can dip in and out of sessions as you feel fit and if you want a break, take one! If you need anything, please look for those of us in teal polo shirts.

Shabbat shalom from all of us on the planning team.

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Friday Registration Opens 16:00 Reception

Reception 16.00 Getting to Know You; Enjoy a drink in the bar, a quiz and make new friends. Long Hall 1 Bar Early Dinner; For under-fives (pre-booked) 17:00 Restaurant

17:00 – Orientation Tours; Will leave from the bar between 17.00 and 18.00 to show you Bar 18:00 around this year’s venue 17:30 – Kuddle-Up Shabbat Service; For our youngest participants, with Student Alfreton 18:15 Robyn Ashworth-Steen

Learn the Chagigah melodies If you would like the opportunity to get in the mood for Shabbat with a bit of singing come along and learn some of the melodies we Barber will be using this evening grow With Cantor Zöe Jacobs Navigating Chagigah whether it’s your first time or your umpteenth conference this session aims to help you get the most from your weekend. With Rabbi Mark Ambergate Goldsmith and Irit Burkeman Introduction to the Initiatives You’re here, you’re enthusiastic and you’re ready to MacGregor make change. Meet the initiative teams and each other. 18:30 – Kabbalat Shabbat; Led by Rabbi Danny Freelander (WUPJ) & Cantor Zöe Jacobs Chatterley 19:40 19:55 – Kiddush and welcome Lawrence 20:00 20:00 – Dinner Lawrence 22:00 22:15 – Oneg; Celebrating Shabbat with song Chatterley late Late Night Study with Rabbi ; So the spies came back and chaos set in...Were Moses and Aaron right to at least 'seem' to abdicate responsibility? Was Moses actually such a good leader? Should he be our role model? Was it a clever Long Hall 2 ploy to let Joshua and Caleb take control? Would you have followed the Ten or the Two, are fear tactics useful? And what would have happened if The Boss had not intervened? Come and discuss our sedra for the week Having God Conversations – Tools and Anchors for the Spiritually Curious and Educators; God talk can be daunting, and hard to find the words for, especially if we are being asked difficult questions! This session won't promise any answers but together we will explore ways we can begin to have conversations about God with Long Hall 1 ourselves and with others. Does Judaism offer us any help? Can we exist as a community together when we hold such a diverse collection of beliefs? With Debbie Young-Somers

3 Saturday 07:00 – Breakfast Restaurant 09:45 07:30 – Jogging Minyan with Rabbi Celia Surget; Exercise your body as well as your mind Bar 08:15 08:30 – 09:15 David, Bathsheba and Uriah: Babies, Baths and Corrupt Kings; We will explore the afterlife of one of the most iconic stories in the life of King David. We will begin by studying a variety of rabbinic responses to the text of 2 Samuel 11-12, and end by Chatterley 1 exploring some reactions to the story in the context of the English Civil War (including Thomas Hobbes and John Milton), and see how they might affect modern political thinking. With Student Rabbi Elliott Kardstadt

Mindfulness, Contemplation, Tefillah and Me; Danny will guide us through a contemplative and reflective experience where we will take some time for ourselves before the day begins. This session is designed to model that which we Lawrence 2 can repeat ourselves at home and help us begin to think about how we might develop our own personal spiritual practices. With Student Rabbi Danny Newman Torah Tots; Who is your favourite Superhero? We would like to invite you to come and celebrate Shabbat dressed as your favourite superhero! We won’t leave you out if you haven’t got a costume with you, but we will be thinking about what Linby makes a superhero, as well as singing and dancing our way through some fun Shabbat songs! All welcome but ideal for 5’s and under! Babies welcome too! With Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers Beit Din Surgery; Do you have any questions about the work of the Beit Din? Maybe about conversion? Or divorce? Or surrogacy? If so, pick a 10 minute time Barber slot from outside the door and grab a chance to talk privately to the Convenor, Rabbi Jackie Tabick Shabbat Morning Service; We will all join together as one community and be led in 9:30 – t’fillah by Paul Freedman, Esther Hugenholtz, and Fabian Lawrence 11:30 Sborovsky Session 1 Session 1

Tackling Adult Social Care Initiative: The Big Picture – It isn’t Pretty; Step beyond your own responsibilities or that of your community and allow Merav to share her knowledge from the coalface. Understand the realities of adult social care and the 11:50 – Holroyd 12:50 repercussions of loneliness and isolation on the NHS and on local authorities. If that doesn't alarm you let's take a look at the future if we do nothing. With Merav Dover Empowering Jewish Practice Initiative: My Jewish Practice; Let’s dig deeper into our Jewish practice by looking at why we care about it and the different ways in which we experience it. In this session we’ll explore, through some inspiring texts, the ways that we can engage with Torah, Tefillah and mitzvot in our lives. We’ll Barber also be listening carefully to what participants want from this process. And we will attempt to answer the big question – what is Jewish spirituality and how can we bring it closer into our lives? With Rabbi Benji Stanley

4 Session 1 Re-Imagining Leadership Initiative: Cultures and Communities; Every organisation (contd) has a culture but have we become prisoners of our own? Communities have all invested time and money in events and programming yet still haven’t managed to 11:50 – engage as many members as they hoped to. Why is it case? What could be Chatterley 2 12:50 changed? Join us to explore how we can create cultures of participation and meaning through building relationships with our members which will leave them eager to pursue leadership roles with Charlotte Fischer College @ 60: Keep calm and Study the Zohar; The Zohar is the cornerstone of Jewish mysticism and has had a remarkable impact on Jewish and non-Jewish culture (even on Madonna!). Yet, how can this obscure, riddling book Alfreton be relevant to Reform Judaism? To get the answer, be prepared to embark on an inspiring journey which will lead you to the depths of the Zohar, and unravel its hidden layers. With Dr Alinda Damsma Scriptural Reasoning: A Text Based Session Bringing in Voices and Perspectives from Three Faiths; Based on a Scriptural Reasoning model, this session will see three faith leaders bring their Scriptures to life, spoken or chanted in their original languages. Texts from Islam, Christianity and Judaism teach on the issue of poverty MacGregor and we will have the chance to discuss and question how we make our sacred texts relevant in the UK at a time of increasing need. With Reverend Anna Alls, Sajid Mohammed and Student Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen. Chaired by Rabbi Step Back in Time; People look back on their youth movement days with such joy, but how many of us get a chance to step back in time and experience a peula (session) from our summer camp or youth club days? Join us as we engage in Ambergate chinuch (education) in an immersive experiential way. It will be fun and educational all at the same time! With Libby Burkeman and Camille Grahame Reform Judaism in Israel - Is there a future? Current events in Israel, following the historical decision on opening the Egalitarian Western Wall and Mikveh for Reform converts, have raised political disputes that quickly became very violent and loud. Can we live in a reality where Israel, the world's only Jewish and Democratic state, Scargill is also the only state where women can't doven with a tallis, lead services or use (or even touch) a Torah Scroll? We will discuss these current happenings, as well as the development of a unique new Reform community that is growing rapidly in Israel's periphery- in Be'er Sheva With Naomi Efrat Zen and the Pen Spend some relaxing time exploring the freedom of your mind and losing yourself in this perfect Shabbat morning activity. No artistic skills Bar area needed with Kathryn Michaels 13:00 – Restaurant 14:00 Lunch 14:00 – Free time

15:00 Colouring is not just for kids What is all the fuss about? Crafting with Kathryn Bar area Michaels Beit Din Surgery; Do you have any questions about the work of the Beit Din? Maybe about conversion? Or divorce? Or surrogacy? If so, pick a 10 minute time Hazelwood slot from outside the door and grab a chance to talk privately to the Convenor, Rabbi Jackie Tabick

5 Meet the Team If you would like any help, advice or ideas from the MRJ team here is an opportunity to get to know who is who: Yon Borthwick – RSY-Netzer Libby Burkeman – Informal Education Director Martin Dix – Communications Manager Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner – Senior Rabbi to Reform Judaism Bar Geoffrey Marx – MRJ Vice-Chair Daniel Raphael – Head of Fundraising Gilly Shulman - Head of Community Partnership and HR Rabbi Benji Stanley – Rabbi for Young Adults Robert Weiner – MRJ Chair Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers – Community Educator Open Beit Midrash Bring a question, follow an issue - a bunch of Reform Rabbis will be on hand to help you to find an answer through classical and contemporary Barber sources. Whatever you would like to study we are there to learn with you. Facilitated by Rabbi Mark Goldsmith Session 2 Session 2 15:00 – Tackling Adult Social Care Initiative: How does the issue of isolation and 16:15 loneliness present itself in our communities?: The impact of ageing relatives, the increasing pastoral needs of our members, the new challenges that changing Holroyd demographics present us with are just a few of the headlines this session will allow us to plot across our Movement. Come and explore what challenges we share and which we are future proofing ourselves from Empowering Jewish Practice Initiative: The Amidah from a range of angles; Come and experience a close reading of the Amidah and use other texts to get at its range and meaning. Gain the confidence to be creative with it and look at ways of bringing it into your own daily life. And how can we bring our enhanced Barber understanding of this central prayer back into our communities? With the Jewish Practice team; Sherry Ashworth and Rabbis Celia Surget, Mark Goldsmith and Benji Stanley Re-Imagining Leadership Initiative: If only leaders grew on trees (Part 1); Many synagogues told us they felt that they rely on the same leaders time and time again or are worried about who is going to fill the next position on their Council. The Pentecostal leader Bishop Wayne Brown hasn’t quite managed to find seeds to Chatterley 2 that tree but he has been able to build thoughtful leadership trajectories for members at his successful Pentecostal black majority church, New Testament Church of God, with Bishop Wayne Brown @ 60: Hope and Despair in Times of Crisis; Looking through the prism of the biblical book of Lamentations Rabbah, we will explore our complex reactions to extreme difficulties, allowing our sacred texts to give voice to our Alfreton darkest fears and our keenest hopes. With Dr Laliv Clenman and Rabbi Dr Deborah Kahn-Harris Making Change Without Making Any Changes! Familiarity is what makes services comforting for many whilst others crave something new. How can we keep the familiar feeling of our t'fillah (services) and yet change the energy, without even changing the melodies? Join us as we investigate a new toolbox for change and go MacGregor home with a set of new possibilities - all without changing a thing! No musical experience necessary, just enthusiasm to participate. With Rabbi Danny Freelander and Cantor Zöe Jacobs

6 Meaningful Engagement With Israel; The Alliance for Progressive Judaism is in the midst of establishing an Israel Desk. This is an essential step forward in supporting the Reform and Liberal Movements, in collaboration with Leo Baeck College, deepen their Israel engagement. Explore the potential of this project and discuss how it can respond to the current multiple dialogues and needs within our Ambergate community. Can the Progressive Movement be at the forefront of a paradigm shift in Diaspora/Israel relationship? With Rabbi Charley Baginsky (Chair), Dr Keith Kahn-Harris (LBC), Kalela Lancaster (NIF) and Roy Graham (UJIA). In partnership with UJIA, Leo Baeck College and New Israel Fund UK Other ways to inspire in the classroom; Bringing stories alive through craft, Bar area whether for cheder or for the home you will be enthused with Kathryn Michaels 16:15 – Seuda Shlishit; Time for relaxation as we fulfil the Sabbath obligation of eating 17:15 even more food. Eat, relax and enjoy varied discussion topics on each table - Where do formal and informal education overlap? Come and join Debbie Discussion and Libby to share challenges and find solutions together, and to explore tables in where we can all use more support. Lawrence, - New Israel Fund with Kalela Lancaster and Amal Elsana Alh’jooj Just nosh in - RSY-Netzer Movement Workers the bar area - Supercarers with Adam Pike - UJIA with Roy Graham - YASGB 70th Anniversary Celebrations With Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner

Session 3 Session 3 Tackling Adult Social Care Initiative: Sharing Inspirational practice; Come and hear all about it. We will unpack some great initiatives being used to tackle some of the major issues we highlighted in Session Two. Your synagogue will be grateful Holroyd 17:30 – as this session will give them answers to problems they didn't know they had! 18:45 There will be plenty of tangible, take home pieces from this session Empowering Jewish Practice Initiative: The Shema from a range of angles: We will return to the shema, using other texts to help us interpret it. We’ll also include the use of tefillin, tallitot and the mezuzah. And again, as with the Amidah, we will Barber consider how we can use our enhanced understanding of this prayer both personally and in our communities. With the Jewish Practice team; Sherry Ashworth and Rabbis Celia Surget, Mark Goldsmith and Benji Stanley Re-Imagining Leadership Initiative: If only leaders (in our shuls) grew on trees (Part 2); Join Bishop Wayne Brown again as, with you, we unpack with you lessons on building a trajectory of membership for communities and explore with the Chatterley 2 teams how this might be translated into our communities, with Bishop Wayne Brown Leo Baeck College @ 60: Joseph and Asenath: A Story of Love Across Boundaries and Through the Ages; Join the faculty of the Leo Baeck College for a unique and dynamic study session exploring the story of Joseph and Asenath through biblical, Hellenistic, Second Temple, targumic (Aramaic), midrashic and talmudic texts. We Alfreton will explore and study the challenges posed by this famous marriage from the ancient world all the way through to our Jewish communities today. With Rabbi Dr Deborah Kahn-Harris, Dr Alinda Damsma, Rabbi Neil Janes, Rabbi Shulamit Ambalu, Dr Laliv Clenman and Dr Keith Kahn-Harris A Bedouin Leader Against All Odds: Amal Elsana Alh’jooj; Amal grew up in, and became a leading activist for, the Bedouin community in Israel. As a fifth girl in a traditional Bedouin family, Amal has never taken ‘no’ for an answer and became a pioneer in advancing community development and women's rights in her Bedouin MacGregor community. She is the former Executive Co-Director and founder of AJEEC-NISPED (Arab-Jewish Centre for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperative). For her incredible work she has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, together with other social activists. Amal also sits on the International Board of New Israel Fund 7 and was awarded its Human Rights Award in 2013. Amal is briefly in the UK and will discuss the current and historical issues facing the Bedouin communities in Israel as well as Jewish-Arab relations. Amal is an inspiring activist with a remarkable story. In partnership with New Israel Fund UK How Can I Keep From singing? Do you ever find that a melody catches your attention , and for some unknown reason you can’t get enough of it? In this relaxed Shabbat afternoon session we will each share songs that we particularly love and have special meaning for us, or perhaps simply a melody that has Scargill somehow grabbed us. Come prepared to listen, to sing or do a bit of both, even weaving your own harmonies in if you can with Cantor Zöe Jacobs and Judith Silver Heirlooms have to start somewhere we all have those treasured things left to us by past generations, make your Jewish heirlooms out of clay with Kathryn Bar area Michaels 19:00 Group Photo; Meet on the grass by the bar Outside 19:15 – Dinner and Chagfest ending with Havdallah marking the end of Shabbat Hopefully 23:00 the sun will be shining for our barbecue Join the fun in our very own festival with music by Shir and Judith Silver Outside Israeli Dancing, Coconut Shy, Torah study with Rabbi Benji Stanley, Planting the seed of Tikkun Olam with Libby Burkeman, Face Painting, Matkot Tournament, Bouncy Castle, Bouncy fun Run, Inflatable knock out and Boules Study Bursts

20.15 - Should Jews Make Converts? 'Jews don't make converts' is an oft-repeated 20.45 refrain. Usually, it's seen as a point of pride: In a changing and increasingly open world is it time for us to be less shy about sharing our path to holiness and wisdom with others? With Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz TBC 21.00 - "Dogs, snakes and liability!" A surprisingly saucy Talmud text for Daf Yomi - the 21.30 Talmud text for the day in the 7 year cycle of a page a day (Baba Kamma 23b) With Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner Jewish Sources on Depression "I looked on all the work I had done, and it was all a waste of time, like chasing after wind. There is nothing worthwhile under the sun." Kohelet 2:11 with Rabbi Michael Hilton Avinu Malkeinu: A British Father and a British King? 21.45 - Get your repentance in early. An opportunity to explore the new machzor as we 22.15 wrestle with God, metaphor and idolatry! With Rabbi Paul Freedman

TBC Learning After Dark; Grab a drink and get deep. A no holds barred discussion, can 23:00 you be Jewish and not believe in God? With Student Rabbis Kath Vardi and Long Hall 2 Deborah Blausten

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Sunday 07:30 – Breakfast and Check Out (by 10am) Restaurant 09:00 08.10 Morning Meditation - Greet the new day with joy and gratitude, chanting and - Chatterley 1 meditation. With Rabbi Lisa Barrett 08.40 08.30 It’s Sunday morning and time to shop! - Book Shop with Janet Elf Bar 14.00 Craft Stall with Kathryn Michaels 08.45 – AGM Lawrence 1 10.00 10:00 Shacharit with student Rabbis Daniela Touati and Yaera Ratel – Lawrence 2 A classical morning service with a bit of French flavour 10:30 Session 4 Session 4 Tackling Adult Social Care Initiative: Be part of the next chapter; The MRJ are committed to combating isolation and loneliness but this session is the first step 10:40 towards how we can we do this as 42 communities, effectively and strategically. Holroyd – When we celebrate the impact we have had at Chagigah 2018 you will have wanted 12:00 to be at this session so you can say you were one of the pioneers Empowering Jewish Practice Initiative: Growing inspiring practice; It doesn’t end here! Come to this session to reflect on the ways your spiritual practice has developed over Chagigah. We will use these reflections to plan how you will take Barber back your gains to your communities. We’ll also set up a network so we can all support each other as we start on our journeys towards more meaningful Jewish practice. With Sherry Ashworth Re-Imagining Leadership Initiative: Successful leadership and Congregational habits; Aristotle taught, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence therefore is not an act but a habit”. But who is a leader and what does successful leadership look like? We will be looking at this and will be reflecting on 8 congregational habits that Chatterley 2 we are all now familiar with. Understanding these habits will allow us to create a congregational map that will identify strengths and weaknesses; this in turn will develop the future path to successful leadership and excellence with Noeleen Cohen and Charlotte Fischer Leo Baeck @ 60: From Dinah to Tamar: Women’s Voices Reimagined; Join us for this hands-on study session of talmudic and midrashic tales connecting Dinah to Tamar and beyond. Through study of these rabbinic texts we will explore how Alfreton women’s voices may re-emerge and be reimagined for our times. With Rabbi Neil Janes and Dr Laliv Clenman L’Chaim A chance to pilot the newest unit in the L’Chaim (To Life) educational programme. This unit is about social justice and will enthuse and equip you to bring this easy to lead educational unit of 2 hours to your community and to use it as a Ambergate springboard for more social action and social justice ideas and change. With Rabbi Laura Janner-Klausner Refugees; Rooted in Text, Inspired to Action: Throughout history Jews have taken refuge, how has this past shaped our present and what, if any, is our resulting obligation to refugees? From Kindertransport to private sponsorship and loving thy MacGregor neighbour to creating and developing community through good coffee, good food and good conversation. Come along and join the conversation with those who are already 9 doing so, with Anna Dyson (ToastLoveCoffee) and Andrew Jacobs (Citizens UK) Session 4 Design a Biblical Landscape to embroider or paint Using a very simple technique, (contd) design a landscape relating to a Bible story or modern Israel. There should be time 10:40 Bar Area to begin to embroider or paint this, so that you can complete it when you get home. – Maximum 10 people with Lana Young 12:00 Social Activism on the Board: Monopoly tried it, the Game of Life tried it, and now RSY-Netzer is giving it a go! With themes of Social activism and Tikkun Olam (Repairing the world), we’re putting our own twist on immersive board games whilst Lawrence 3 we will think about the impact people can have on each other and how we can share these messages.. But how can we make the world a better place by playing a board game?! With Naomi Raanan and Natasha Shaw 12:15 – Closing Tekes (Ceremony) Lawrence 12:50 13:00 – Lunch Restaurant 14:00

10 Glossary of terms Amidah The Amidah is the core prayer of every service, and is therefore also referred to as HaT’fillah, or ‘The prayer.’ Amidah, which literally means, "standing," refers to a series of blessings recited while standing.

Beit Din The Beit Din is the religious court of Reform Judaism, dealing with issues of conversion, Jewish status and divorce.

Cheder A cheder (Hebrew, meaning 'room') is a usually synagogue-based school teaching the basics of Judaism and the Hebrew language.

Havdallah The ceremony separating Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath, from the rest of the week, usually performed on Saturday evening.

Kabbalat Shabbat The service to welcome and begin Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath.

Kiddush Kiddush is the sanctification of Shabbat, the Sabbath. Blessings are said on Friday night with a shorter version said before the meal the next day.

L'hitraot Hebrew for goodbye, or rather, until we see each other again.

Madrichim Youth movement leaders.

Mezuzah A mezuzah is a piece of parchment (often contained in a decorative case) inscribed with specified Hebrew verses from the Torah

Midrash Midrash is the process of imaginative interpretation by which the rabbis filled in ‘gaps’ found in the Torah.

Mitzvah Mitzvah means a religious commandment. It can also mean a good deed.

Oneg Literally meaning ‘delight of the Sabbath’ an oneg Shabbat is a celebration of Shabbat, usually with songs, music and refreshments.

Parsha The weekly Torah portion.

RSY-Netzer The Zionist youth movement of the Movement for Reform Judaism.

Shabbat The Jewish Sabbath.

Shacharit Morning prayers.

Siddur Prayer book.

Talmud The comprehensive written version of the Jewish oral law and the subsequent commentaries on it.

T'fillah Prayer.

Tikkun Olam Tikkun Olam is Judaism envisioning an ideal world. Often translated to mean 'repair of the world', and even as social justice, tikkun olam underpins our religious way of life and perspective that works towards a time of peace – not just ending war, but a time of prosperity, health and justice for all

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