The deadline to submit learning sessions has now passed. Thank you to all those who submitted. We are pleased to share that we received almost 500 submissions.
BACKGROUND
The URJ Biennial is a unique experience that brings together Reform Jews and others from across North America for five days of learning, worship, entertainment, and conversation about the most pressing issues currently affecting the American Jewish community.
More than 100 Learning Sessions are offered at Biennial, covering an extensive range of topics including:
Educational and skill building sessions concerning congregational life
Dialogue about issues more generally involving the American Jewish community
Opportunities for text study and interpretation with clergy and scholars
Conversations highlighting topics important to our community from the larger perspective – led by Reform Movement leaders and from outside organizations and presenters
EXPANDED PROCESS, NEW GOALS
This Call for Learning Session proposals is open to anyone who wishes to submit ideas for programming at the Biennial.
Learning Session topics should reflect popular areas of interest in the American Jewish community. It is critical that we engage URJ members in session development, but also friends from outside the Movement to achieve these goals:
Sessions responding to cultural and economic changes in congregational life.
Providing a platform to discuss the most pressing issues and challenges that congregations face, both internally and in secular communities.
Showcase the most creative and forward-thinking programming ideas that are developed in Reform congregations.
Using an expanded process and engaging the URJ
community as a whole, develop an overall Biennial program that is responsive to the
needs of everyone whether they contribute or not.
GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION
Our Call for Learning Session Proposals will be open for submission until March 30, 2013. You will receive notification that your proposal was received upon completing the form in its entirety and clicking the submit button.
After this deadline for submission, all proposals will be subject to an internal vetting process in which proposals will be ranked by some or all of the following criteria, and potentially additional criteria as the vetting committee sees fit:
Is the session topic appropriate for and relevant to the Biennial audience?
How creative is the session topic?
Does the session topic fit into one of the pre-determined categories & themes?
Is the target audience easily identifiable in terms of Biennial attendees, yet not too specific so that it would preclude a majority of attendees from attending the session?
Does the session format lend itself to a truly interactive experience?
Are the goals and objectives for the session reasonable and achievable?
Do the proposed presenters reflect diversity in experience, geography, gender, and role in the community?
If you submitted a proposal, you should expect to hear from us via email regarding its acceptance status by early May. Prior to that time period, you may be contacted by a URJ representative with questions regarding your proposal. Please do not contact our staff regarding its status prior to mid-May.
If your proposal is accepted, you will be contacted by a URJ representative shortly thereafter to begin the process of finalizing logistical details for your session. Unfortunately, not all submitted proposals will be accepted for the 2013 Biennial. If your proposal is not accepted, you should expect to hear from us via email during this same time period.
Important Items to Note When Submitting Your Proposal
We regret that we are not able to offer honoraria, registration fee waivers, or travel reimbursement to speakers and presenters. Speakers and presenters will be responsible for their own expenses unless otherwise negotiated.
If you have questions about the proposal process, contact LearningSessions@urj.org or on the Biennial Hotline at 212.650.4271. If you have questions about the general Biennial program, contact biennial@urj.org or our Biennial Hotline at 212.650.4271.
Terms and Conditions
As we expect to receive a high volume of proposals covering many topic areas, the submission of a proposal does not guarantee that it will be selected for a learning session. Additionally, the URJ reserves the right to edit all components of a proposal and to make any necessary modifications regarding presenters. In the case that we receive multiple proposals on similar topic areas, we may combine proposals into one session.
Special priority will be given to those proposals submitted by members of URJ congregations.
