ISJL Southern & Jewish 2026: Full Schedule

arrow_back View All Dates

7:30am EDT

Shacharit (Morning Prayer)

Tuesday June 23, 2026 7:30am - 8:00am EDT

Graham C

We’ll gather for morning prayers, with the opportunity for Mourners’ Kaddish. Full liturgy transliteration provided.

Presenters

Rabbi Salem Pearce

Director of Sprituality, ISJL

Ordained in 2018 by Hebrew College, Rabbi Pearce's career has exemplified values of justice, compassion, and service to all. Most recently serving as the Executive Director of Carolina Jews for Justice, Rabbi Pearce has also worked for T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, and... Read More →

Resource Partners

Goldring Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life (ISJL)

Tuesday June 23, 2026 7:30am - 8:00am EDT
Graham C

Tefilah (Services)

8:00am EDT

Breakfast

Tuesday June 23, 2026 8:00am - 8:45am EDT

Tryon

Tuesday June 23, 2026 8:00am - 8:45am EDT
Tryon

Meal

9:00am EDT

7 Jewish Values for Taking Action

Tuesday June 23, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

Graham C

Rachel Gollay - Keshet
How do our Jewish texts, teachings, and traditions motivate our work for justice in the world? What do we mean when we talk about “Jewish social justice,” and what’s our role in faith-based advocacy as Jews in the South? In this hands-on session, we will dive into Keshet's 7 Jewish Values for Taking Action, with LGBTQ+ rights as our focus. We will workshop ways to incorporate and communicate the values that resonate most with us so we can bring them back home to our communities. At the end of the session, we will share an opportunity to put our Jewish values into practice by crafting and sending impactful messages to our elected representatives in support of equality and safety for all.

Note: Keshet's work is 501c3-friendly and nonpartisan.

Presenters

Rachel Gollay

Southwest Community Mobilization Manager, Keshet

Rachel Gollay (she/they) is Keshet's Southwest Community Mobilization Manager. She is a community organizer and songwriter based in Fort Worth, Texas.

Their experience in organizing spans across LGBTQ+ advocacy, mutual aid, harm reduction, and reproductive justice. From providing direct support to folks directly impacted, to building out advocacy campaigns, Rachel believes strongly in our interconnected power to effect change and... Read More →

Resource Partners

Keshet

Keshet envisions a world in which all LGBTQ+ Jews and our families can live with full equality, justice, and dignity. By strengthening Jewish communities and equipping Jewish organizations with the skills and knowledge they need to make all LGBTQ+ Jews feel welcome, we work to ensure... Read More →

Tuesday June 23, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Graham C

Learning Block

Audience Clergy, Community Members, Cultural Programmers, Education Directors, Jewish Professionals, Lay Leaders, Teachers

9:00am EDT

Jewish Merchant Princes of Dallas: Exploring Your Local Historical Society

Tuesday June 23, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

Graham B

Drawing from the archives of the Dallas Jewish Historical Society (DJHS), we will examine how Jewish merchants built thriving businesses, contributed to community development, and navigated the challenges of identity, assimilation, and social change. Through personal stories, photographs, and historical documents, the conversation brings to life the entrepreneurial spirit and civic leadership of Dallas’s Jewish “merchant princes.” You will leave this session understanding how to engage with your local historical societies and bring primary source-based programming to your communities.

Presenters

Beri Schwitzer

Executive Director, Dallas Jewish Historical Society

A native Las Vegan who never aspired to be a showgirl, Beri Kaplan Schwitzer devoted her energy to education. After earning a Journalism degree from the University of Nevada, she built a career spanning Jewish education, nonprofit management, and corporate training. Her passion for... Read More →

Tuesday June 23, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Graham B

Learning Block

Audience Clergy, Community Members, Cultural Programmers, Education Directors, Jewish Professionals, Lay Leaders, Teachers

9:00am EDT

Make It Musical: Tools for Engaging Young Children and Families

Tuesday June 23, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

Noda

Music is one of the most powerful tools for engaging young children and their families. In this session, we’ll explore how intention, music, movement, stories, and simple props can create experiences that are engaging, welcoming, and adaptable across a wide range of settings and skill levels. Whether you’re a musician or not, you’ll leave with practical tools for keeping attention, supporting transitions, and creating meaningful moments of connection. Tkiya’s approach to programming flows with attention span and provides access points for different learning styles. We’ll model how these techniques can be applied in multiple settings.

Presenters

Carla Friend

Founder & Executive Director, Tkiya Music

Carla Friend is the Founder & Executive Director of Tkiya, an organization with the mission of creating joyful Jewish connection through participatory music experiences. Through Tkiya, Carla reaches 15,000 people per year with her unique methodology of Jewish education and engagement... Read More →

Tuesday June 23, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Noda

Learning Block

Audience Clergy, Education Directors, Teachers, Jewish Professionals, Cultural Programmers

9:00am EDT

Navigating Jewish Identity in a Complicated World

Tuesday June 23, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

Graham A

This is a very challenging time for teens to speak openly about their Jewish identity. Educators, too, are balancing their own connections to Judaism while supporting the complex identities of the students they lead. This interactive session equips educators with the emotional tools and practical frameworks to help students navigate today’s social pressures and build a resilient, positive Jewish identity.

Presenters

Talia Kushnick

Southern Regional Director, Moving Traditions

Talia Kushnick is the Southern Regional Director for Moving Traditions. She is passionate about engaging people in Jewish life and has dedicated her career to supporting kids, teens, and adults as they explore their Jewish identity.
Talia holds a BA from Binghamton University and... Read More →

Resource Partners

Moving Traditions

Moving Traditions creates Jewish educational experiences that help youth understand who they are and who they want to be. We make Jewish education and community more engaging for teens while giving them the tools they need to navigate a world that is constantly changing.

Tuesday June 23, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Graham A

Learning Block

Audience Education Directors, Teachers

9:00am EDT

The Torah of Making Things: What Craftsmanship Teaches Us About G-d, Creation, and Repair

Tuesday June 23, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

Midwood

For most of Jewish history, Torah was studied by people who spent their days making things: farmers, tailors, carpenters, merchants, builders, cooks, and artisans.

The ISJL's 2026 A. Mitchell and Morrise Meyer Bell Rabbinical Intern, Rachel Sturges, is not only a current rabbinical student but also a former instrument builder. She will share insights into Torah visible only when we try to make something ourselves.

What does it mean that the Torah's first image of G-d is not king, judge, or warrior, but Creator? Why is the first person explicitly filled with the spirit of G-d not a prophet, but the artisan Bezalel? What can craftsmanship teach us about humility, creativity, failure, and repair? Drawing on Torah, Jewish thought, and personal experience at the workbench, this interactive session invites participants to explore a surprising idea: making things is not merely practical work: it is one of Judaism's deepest spiritual disciplines. No woodworking experience required. If you've ever raised a child, cooked a meal, taught a class, planted a garden, built a community, or tried to repair something broken, this conversation is for you.

Presenters

Student Rabbi Rachel Sturges

Rabbinical Intern, ISJL

Rachel Sturges (she/her) is entering her second year of rabbinical school at RRC this fall, hard at work becoming professionally Jewish. She is originally from Lawrenceville, GA, but most recently arrived in Philadelphia from Boston, where she was working as a professional luthier... Read More →

Tuesday June 23, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Midwood

Learning Block

Audience Cultural Programmers, Clergy, Community Members, Education Directors, Jewish Professionals, Lay Leaders, Teachers

10:15am EDT

Looking to the Future by Learning from the Past: Resiliency Panel

Tuesday June 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am EDT

Tyvola

In moments of crisis, communities must respond with strength, care, and intention, often without adequate preparation. This panel brings together leaders who have supported their communities through tragedy, reflecting on the power of resilience before, during, and after challenging times.

Together, we will explore how to care for individuals and communities in the wake of hardship, what proactive steps can help us prepare for the unthinkable, and how Jewish values can guide our response. Through honest conversation and shared experience, this session will offer both practical insights and space for reflection on the challenges of navigating the unthinkable.

Presenters

Michele Schipper

Chief Executive Officer, ISJL

A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Michele has worked as a Jewish professional throughout her career. She served as Assistant Camp Director at URJ Jacobs Camp for two years. From there, Michele moved to Los Angeles to serve as the Associate Director of Wilshire Boulevard Temple... Read More →

Carly Cera

Director of Youth Education and Engagement, Congregation Beth Israel

Carly Cera (she/her) has served CBI as the Director of Youth Education and Engagement since 2018. She grew up in Austin and at CBI, staying connected long after graduation. Carly has both a bachelor's and master's degree in education and has taught school in both Israel and the U.S... Read More →

Rabbi Scott Klein

Jewish Education and Engagement Consultant, NECHAMA

As the Jewish Army Chaplain at Fort Bragg and the Jewish Education and Engagement Consultant for NECHAMA, Rabbi Scott Klein stands at the intersection of spiritual resilience and communal action. Drawing on years of specialized experience, he provides essential pastoral care and moral... Read More →

Rabba Rori Picker Neiss

Senior VP & Rabbi in Residence, Jewish Council for Public Affairs

Rabba Rori Picker Neiss serves as the Senior Vice President and Rabbi in Residence at the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA). Prior to that she was Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis, an organization committed to a vibrant and secure Jewish... Read More →

Student Rabbi Ben Russell

Student Rabbi, Beth Israel Congregation

Benjamin Russell serves as Student Rabbi and Spiritual Leader of Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi. A lifelong Mississippian, Ben has been part of the Beth Israel community since 2010 and has served in synagogue leadership for over a decade, including as Cantorial Soloist... Read More →

Tuesday June 23, 2026 10:15am - 11:15am EDT
Tyvola

All Attendees

11:15am EDT

Reflection B'yachad

Tuesday June 23, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am EDT

Tyvola

As we come to the end of Southern & Jewish 2026, we’ll gather b’yachad once more to reflect on our shared experiences and the connections we’ve built. Through guided reflection, you’ll consider what you’ve learned and how you’ll bring it back to your community. We’ll close our time together with intention, gratitude, and a sense of carrying this work forward together.

Tuesday June 23, 2026 11:15am - 11:45am EDT
Tyvola

All Attendees

11:45am EDT

Closing Circle

Tuesday June 23, 2026 11:45am - 12:00pm EDT

Tyvola

Tuesday June 23, 2026 11:45am - 12:00pm EDT
Tyvola

All Attendees

7:30am EDT

8:00am EDT

9:00am EDT

9:00am EDT

9:00am EDT

9:00am EDT

9:00am EDT

10:15am EDT

11:15am EDT

11:45am EDT

Get help with the event