ERA Rabbinic Kallah

When?

From Tuesday 24 April 5pm to Thursday 26 April lunch time

4pm – 7pm: arrival and registration at the Blue Rose Hotel
7:30pm – 22pm: restaurant U Fleku – Old Brewery – http://en.ufleku.cz. It is an informal dinner for those already in Prague. Cost is not included in the Kallah fees.

08:30 – 09:30: Shacharit led by Student Rabbis
0930 – 10:00: opening and invocation – Ruven and François
10:00-11:30: Variety of Progressive Judaism in Europe – Rabbinic training in the European countries, chaired by Rabbi Pauline Bebe with Rabbi Menno Ten Brink (Levisson Institute, Amsterdam), Rabbi Edward Van Voolen (Abraham Geiger Kolleg, Berlin), Rabbi Francois Garaï (French Rabbinic Programme), Rabbi Rene Pfertzel (Leo Baeck College, London)
This session will gather rabbis who are involved in rabbinical training for the next generation. The workshop will raise the following issues: Is the training of progressive rabbis evolving and adapting to new realities such as radicalism, the numerical revolution, lack of or too much faith and multiculturalism? How to balance scholarly input and practical rabbinics (eg. pastoral care, leadership skills, managerial skills and fundraising)? Are the rabbis we are training today addressing the needs, priorities and interests of our future congregants?

11:45 – 13:00: New Horizons in Israeli (Progressive) Prayer and Beyond – Rabbi Professor Dalia Marx (Hebrew Union College, Jerusalem) In the last two decades, we witness an intensified interest in prayer, liturgy and Jewish rituals in Israel. I do not refer here to the hazarah bitshuvah to Orthodoxy), but to a myriad of grassroots formal, semi-formal and informal prayer groups and circles that experiment with prayer in various ways. One of the unique features of this phenomenon is that many of its participants never experienced prayer before and as a result of their involvement have become empowered to do so actively. Among these groups are neo-Hasidic communities, feminist and egalitarian Orthodox prayer groups, Kibbutz (both classical and privatized) synagogues (both progressive and traditional), sacred singing circles influenced by the New Age practices, prayer in the military, the piyyut revival movement, reincorporation of old Palestinian (nusah Eretz Yisrael) prayers, and, of course, communities belonging to the Reform, Conservative and Renewal movements. We will explore some of these phenomena and ponder which of its aspects can be useful for Progressive European Jews.

14:00-15:30 – Variety of Progressive Judaism in Europe – Jewish identity and Jewish status, chaired by Rabbi Marc Neiger with Rabbi Ulrike Offenberg (Hameln) and Rabbi Nathan Alfred (Singapore). Jewish Identity appears to be emerging as an alternative and competitor to Jewish Status among the younger generation. Whether we like it or not, as rabbis and community leaders, how are we going to embrace, reject or adapt to the new Jewish trend? Some of our colleagues from different background will share their experience and thoughts on this topic.

16:30-18:00 - Liturgy writing for the working rabbi, Rabbi Sylvia Rothschild and Rabbi Colin Eimer (Emeritus Rabbi, London)
Hugo Gryn used to teach “va’ani tefilati lecha adonai eyt ratzon” means "I am my prayer to you God at a necessary time" and would challenge us to think about how we are prayers and how we are pray-ers. Within a week of starting work as a community rabbi, and as the mother of a six-month-old baby, I had to bury a full term but stillborn child and found no liturgy appropriate for such a service. The need for words I would be able to pray forced me into writing liturgies.
So this session is about putting into words the things we all do - pray and be prayers - and hopefully share some skills and some of our own liturgies between us.
Bring pencil and paper and a Tanach if you can, there will be some tips for writing, and there will be a hands-on element for us to address some of the liturgical lacunae we have found.

18:30-19:15: Maariv led by Student Rabbis
19:30-22:00 – Event at Charles University. We have been invited by Charles University to share our views on the topic “Can Religion Save Europe?” Student Rabbi David Maxa will offer some introductory thoughts on the subject, and a panel discussion bringing together two Rabbis (Rabbi Jackie Tabick and Rabbi Tom Kučera) and two academics (Peter Morée and Jakub Šenovský) will exchange on this question. The panel will be shared by Marcela Zoufalá.It will be followed by a buffet (included in the Kallah fees).