11 Rockland Organizations Head to Israel for 'Innovation Education'

From Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland County: The Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland County will bring leadership from the Rockland County Board of Rabbis synagogues and Jewish agencies to a seminar in Tel Aviv, Israel from February 5-9, 2017. The seminar is made possible by the Lily Steuer Fund of the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland County and is the first of its kind for Rockland’s Jewish leaders.

Entitled “Challenge, Innovation and Renaissance,” the seminar will be led by Systematic Inventive Thinking (SIT), an Israeli firm that helps companies and organizations succeed by achieving self-sustaining innovation. Representatives from SIT already began working with the Rockland organizations on November 10, when they ran a workshop on innovative thinking at the Jewish Community Campus in West Nyack. The February seminar will continue the work that began in November, and give participants a first-hand look at Jewish innovation in Israel.

Gary Siepser, CEO of the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland County, says the seminar will teach the Jewish organizations from Rockland how to work together in an innovative way to respond to the changing Jewish landscape.

“Jewish institutions need to embrace innovation and evolve in a meaningful way if they are to remain relevant in people’s lives,” says Siepser. “This is true not only for synagogues but for agencies like Federation and JCC, and our Jewish schools too. Because we are all facing the same challenges of a changing Jewish world, we can best respond by learning and working together.”

Cantor Barry Kanarek, Director of Federation’s Rockland Jewish Initiative (RJI), is coordinating the seminar. According to Kanarek, “Israel’s rich history of innovation is a vast source of inspiration for Rockland’s Jewish future. By combining a historical look at Israeli innovation with the inventive thinking process, I’m optimistic we will leave Tel Aviv with a new vision for Rockland’s Jewish future.”

The following organizations will be represented at next month’s Israel seminar: Congregation Shaarey Israel, Hillel of Rockland, Israel Bonds, JCC Rockland, Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland County, New City Jewish Center, Orangetown Jewish Center, Rockland Jewish Academy, Rockland Jewish Family Service, Temple Beth Sholom and West Clarkstown Jewish Center.

About The Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland County

The Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland County leads efforts that strengthen Jewish life and meet the critical needs of the Jewish community in Rockland County, Israel, and around the world. As a member of Jewish Federations of North America, we are part of a network of 148 Jewish Federations and 300 Network Communities across the continent. The Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland County is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with offices at 450 West Nyack Road, West Nyack, NY. Learn more here.

Images courtesy of the Jewish Federation & Foundation of Rockland County