ISJL Southern & Jewish 2026: Full Schedule

4:00pm EDT

Sunday June 21, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT

Join Rabbi Robin for an inspirational study of menuchat hanefesh—literally, "calmness of the soul." This session will focus on achieving equanimity: calmness and composure, even in times of stress. Rabbi Robin will help participants engage with menuchat hanefesh through a Jewish spiritual practice called Mussar. This practice can benefit your mental, physical, and spiritual health.

Presenters

Rabbi Robin Foonberg

Executive Director, Jewish Educators Assembly

Rabbi Robin Foonberg began her career in Jewish education in 1994. Since that time, she has accomplished a Master’s Degree in Jewish Education from Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago and was ordained from the Academy for Jewish Religion/CA. She has worked at two Reform... Read More →

Sunday June 21, 2026 4:00pm - 5:00pm EDT
Graham B

Learning Block

Audience Clergy, Education Directors, Lay Leaders, Jewish Professionals

7:45pm EDT

B'yachad In Community: First Time at Southern & Jewish

Sunday June 21, 2026 7:45pm - 8:35pm EDT

Graham B

Connect with new and old friends. This is your time to talk about topics that are important to you or to relax and play some board games. Pick one group to join for the entire time or switch off in the middle!

Sunday June 21, 2026 7:45pm - 8:35pm EDT
Graham B

Community Time

10:45am EDT

Living Legacy is Not an Oxymoron: The Power of Small Congregations

Monday June 22, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT

Graham B

Small congregations have challenges unique to their size, location, demographics, and pool of volunteers and leaders—but many of these challenges are shared, regardless of denomination or location. This highly interactive session will focus on critical sustainability issues facing congregations: leadership succession; expanding the volunteer base; enhancing membership; engagement in synagogue life; drawing in the unaffiliated; and demonstrating the joys of Judaism and the sacredness of Jewish community. While geared towards small communities, participants from larger congregations are also encouraged to attend.

Presenters

Noah Levine

President and CEO, Jewish Community Legacy Project

Noah Levine is President and CEO of Jewish Community Legacy Project, a nonprofit that provides planning assistance exclusively to small congregations throughout the United States and Canada. He is also a non-profit consultant and individual and family philanthropic advisor.

He ret... Read More →

Resource Partners

The Jewish Community Legacy Project

The Jewish Community Legacy Project (JCLP) is the only Jewish organization that works exclusively with small Jewish congregations in the US and Canada. JCLP helps congregations plan so that they can successfully address their current challenges as well as prepare responsibly for the... Read More →

Monday June 22, 2026 10:45am - 11:45am EDT
Graham B

Learning Block

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

1:30pm EDT

Nurturing B'yachad in a Small Community

Monday June 22, 2026 1:30pm - 3:45pm EDT

Graham B

Hear stories of small communities that create a sense of togetherness where everyone matters. Share your own stories. Learn about proven paths to nurturing connection in your home community. We will workshop practical ideas that you can bring back home to try. This will involve design thinking, network mapping, and other processes designed to elevate your natural creativity. And, of course, we will have lots of fun as we imagine, explore, and create together.

Presenters

Dr. Bill Robinson

Director, National Leadership Initiatives, Center for Small Town Jewish Life

Bill Robinson is a recognized scholar-practitioner with over 30 years of experience building impactful nonprofit organizations and writing about the future of Jewish life and learning in America. Bill has studied and worked with professionals and lay leaders across all denominations... Read More →

Resource Partners

Center for Small Town Jewish Life

The Center for Small Town Jewish Life at Colby College cultivates locally rooted, socially equitable learning communities steeped in the Jewish tradition and intertwined with the broader Jewish world. We bring this vision to life in Maine, and we empower professional and lay leaders... Read More →

Monday June 22, 2026 1:30pm - 3:45pm EDT
Graham B

Learning Block, A Deep Dive B'yachad

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

3:50pm EDT

Mincha (Afternoon Prayer)

Monday June 22, 2026 3:50pm - 4:15pm EDT

Graham B

We’ll gather for afternoon 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)

Monday June 22, 2026 3:50pm - 4:15pm EDT
Graham B

Tefilah (Services)

4:15pm EDT

Addressing Antisemitism: Supporting our Students, Listening to our Communities

Monday June 22, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT

Graham B

Antisemitism is impacting our communities in deeply personal ways. This session is a space to listen to one another’s experiences, challenges, and questions. What are you seeing in your community? How are your students encountering antisemitism? What feels hard right now?

Grounded in learning from Molly Levy’s experience in the Spertus Institute’s Certificate in Combating Antisemitism, we’ll reflect on how we talk with young people about antisemitism and support them as they enter spaces like college campuses. Andy Harkavy will share insights on Jewish life on campus and how we can help teens feel comfortable being openly, joyfully Jewish.

This is also a chance for ISJL to hear directly from you so we can better support you and your students. Come ready to share, listen, and be in community.

Presenters

Andy Harkavy

Director of Hillel & Jewish Life, Queens University of Charlotte

Andy Harkavy serves as the Director of Hillel & Jewish Life at Queens University of Charlotte, a role he began in August 2024, where he works to build a vibrant, welcoming, and meaningful Jewish community on campus. He supports students in exploring their Jewish identities, developing... Read More →

Molly Levy

Director of Education, ISJL

Molly Levy is the Director of Education for the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life (ISJL). She's excited to be leading the ISJL team into its next evolution. Molly's institutional and communal roots are deep; she was an ISJL Education Fellow from 2009-2011, and... Read More →

Resource Partners

Goldring Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life (ISJL)

Monday June 22, 2026 4:15pm - 5:15pm EDT
Graham B

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

4:00pm EDT

7:45pm EDT

10:45am EDT

1:30pm EDT

3:50pm EDT

4:15pm EDT

9:00am EDT

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