Symposium on Jewish Identity
November 2-4, 2009
Toronto, Ontario CANADA

Immediately preceding the URJ North American Biennial Convention.

The Symposium on Jewish Identity brought together lay, volunteer and professional educational leaders from across the Reform movement to engage in learning and conversation about Jewish Identity at all stages of life long learning. In the true spirit of a symposium we facilitated dialogue, challenged prevailing thinking and integrated a variety of perspectives.

Two of the questions that guided our exploration were:

• How is Jewish identity formed/created/developed/constructed and why?
• In what ways can our understanding of Jewish identity impact our work?

By examining current research with leading scholars and engaging in lively dialogue, we gained a deeper understanding of Jewish identity while considering the implications of that understanding for all of our work.

The Symposium on Jewish Identity is a Reform Movement-wide collaboration, jointly sponsored and planned by the Union for Reform Judaism, the National Association of Temple Educators, the Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism, and the Progressive Association of Reform Day Schools, with partnership from the Rhea Hirsch School of Education of HUC-JIR, Central Conference of American Rabbis, and the American Conference of Cantors.

Learn about the 2008 Symposium on Gender and Jewish Education