For the fourth time, and due to the great feedback from the previous encounters held in Athens, Bratislava and Stockholm, we are ready to create this Fourth Gathering to discuss the specific challenges Jewish communities and organisations with less than 5000 members are facing every day. This is a special space to discuss in peers, learn succesful experiences and exchange of best practises. Small is beautiful is organised by ECJC and JDC in collaboration with the Jewish Community of Firenze
THE WELCOMING COMMUNITY
Turning our Communities into Warm Spaces
While external circumstances force our communities to become safer spaces for our members,
when investing in security we, sometimes, endanger our communities becoming less welcoming.
As we aim for people to come, enjoy and stay for our services and programmes,
we might forget to take into consideration “ the people factor”.
One of the key elements of people disaffection
to Jewish Communities is the human factor.
How can we learn from successful experiences of transforming hybrid spaces
(Marc Auge speaks about the “no place”) into attractive destinations and
make people stay feeling cosy?
In times of uncertainty, how can Communities
make you feel at home?
How do we communicate, how do we plan and how do we
involve potential members to our activities?
Come and learn by booming tested stories and experiences.
Draft Programme
Sunday 02 June
13:00 Lunch
13:45 Welcome and Opening
With representatives from the organisers and local host community
14:15 What does it mean to be a welcoming Community?
Is my organisation a Welcoming one?
Defining the problem
15:15 Coffee Break
15:30 The importance of feeling welcome
Every day situations where we feel welcome. What can we take?
How this feeling impact us?
Interactive workshop
17:00 Coffee Break
17:30 What Jewish sources teach us about being welcoming and being a community?
18:30 Coffee Break
18:45 Building a plan 1
Defining our values and bringing them to real life
Values : Do people need them or want them ? How do values shape our view of the world ? What difference is there between the Jewish experience people have and the one they wish to have ? How can we address it ?
This 1st workshop in a series of 3 will focus on understanding the journey between the values we have as an organisation to the values we want.
From there we will explore how and which values can be chosen to project the difference the organisation or community is seeking to make, and how to translate them into behaviours.
20:15 Dinner
Monday 03 June
09:30 World Cafe - Obstacles
Why isn't my organisation really welcoming?
What are the main obstacles to having a welcoming community?
Why if we all believe is important does it not happen?
11:00 Coffee Break
11:15 Building a plan 2
Seeking inspiration to turn welcoming into a full experience
In the 2nd workshop of our series, we will seek inspiration from other, non-Jewish organisations that have been putting the notion of welcome at the heart of their mission.
We will explore how to bring individuals of singular interests towards a common goal, for the sake of what a local Jewish organisation should be about : an experience in caring and belonging.
Participants will work in peer groups to develop a draft project for their respective community/organisation
13:00 Lunch
14:00 No Need to Reinvent the Wheel 1
Experiences we can share & learn
Panel with different experiences by participants
15:30 Departure to the Community building
16:00 Visit to the local Jewish Community and Synagogue. Meeting with the local leadership.
17:30 Walking tour of Firenze
20:15 Dinner
Tuesday 04 June
09:00 Small Communities Speed Dating Event
Sharing from small and big experiences.
09:45 Building a plan 3
Creating a truly welcoming structure
Communities and organisations are human ensembles. Like other human groups, they organise themselves first to survive, then gradually expand to fulfill their mission.
Building on the previous sessions and workshops, participants will prepare a concrete plan of action back home with a view to involve volunteers, lay leaders and professionals altogether in a common decision-making process.
Participants will resume work in peer groups to fine-tune their projects for their respective community/organisation
11:15 Coffee Break
11:30 Forum of Small Jewish Communities - The Steps forward
12:15 Light Lunch & Wrap Up
Confirmed Speakers
Michel Monteuil
Policy advisor in Leadership & Organizational Development
Michel Montreuil is co-founder and president of t3c International (transforming consistently corporate cultures), an international consultancy with the mission to help organizations transform their cultures and develop their leadership. Michel is a former JDC Program Director for the Baltic States (1993-1936), former Director of Leatid (1996-1998) and former Executive Director of the European Council of Jewish Communities (1998-2000). He lectures on cognitive skills and biases at EDHEC (a leading French graduate Business School) and on Team Coaching at IFOD coaching school.
David Gidron
A social psychologist and expert in community resilience and emergency management.
David is the lead professional for the JDC resilience team, developing and implementing a unique model for community resilience among Jewish communities in Europe.
A Lt. Colonel in the IDF, David worked as an Organizational Psychologist in a variety of field units. He served as head of the Civil Emergency Behavior Branch in the Home Front Command.
JDC-Europe Community Resilience Program
David was the professional director for the Israel Trauma Coalition and the Ministry of Welfare and the Ministry of Health for the five resilience centers in western Negev. These centers are the backbone for building community resilience, and preparing the communities for crises.
Registration Fees
Registration Prices
ECJC Affiliated
€ 400
includes:
2 nights in 4-star Hotel
2 meals / day
Access to all sessions
ECJC Non-Affiliated
€ 475
includes:
2 nights in 4-star Hotel
2 meals / day
Access to all sessions
Local Participant
€ 175
includes:
2 meals / day
Access to all sessions
Extra Night Accommodation, upon request - € 150
All Meals During The Conference Under Local Kosher Supervision, Materials And Coffee Breaks.
REGISTRATION CLOSING MAY 21st
Cancellation Policy
In the event that you cancel your booking/order, cancellation fees will be charged as detailed below.
All cancellations must be confirmed to us in writing at registration@ecjc.org and you will receive a written acknowledgement.
Till May 10th - 50% refund
After May 10th - NO refund
Registration Form
