2020 Conference Schedule

Thank You

to all of the speakers, panelists, and participants who helped make our first Professional Development Conference the huge success that it was!

Plans are already underway for the next one. Watch for details!


Conference Navigation:
[ Conference Home | Register | Sessions & Speakers | Schedule | Vendors ]

 

All times are U.S. Eastern Standard Time / GMT-5

Sunday, November 15

7:30 PM

Welcome, Conference Introduction

Avi Frier | AJYP

7:45 PM

Opening Session: Leave Your Worries At The Door!

Featuring a panel of veteran Youth Directors, facilitated by Avi Frier

Youth Directors have always carried a heavy load. Between parents, board members, budgets, and the panoply of personalities we each encounter in each of our communities… And we didn’t even mention the kids yet! Adding a pandemic to the mix has only made everything all the more complicated and stressful. Kick off the conference with an interactive discussion centered around YOU. Bring us your worries, your challenges, your greatest obstacles, and tap into the panel’s collective experience and wisdom.

8:45 PM

Breakout Sessions

Shul Business Track:

We’re All On The Same Team: Leveraging Your Shul’s Rabbinic and Lay Leadership

Rabbi Binyamin Hammer | National Council of Young Israel

The Youth Director is a unique part of the diverse team that takes responsibility for the shul’s operations. Learn to partner with rabbis, board members, and other leaders to get what you need.

Programming Track:

TorImprov: Bringing The Parsha To Life With Torah Theatre

Noa L. bat Miri

Learn how to integrate “theatrical” experiences into Torah education (on or off Zoom), best practices for making students comfortable and happy with participating, finding roles that work for everyone, making use of different skill sets, and figuring out whether to use it as a supplement to regular teaching or to aim for shul/community-wide productions.

9:30 PM

V’Samachta B’Chagecha: Bringing The Holidays To Life

Rabbi Benjy Myers | Ohr Torah Stone

From Chanukah to Tu B’Shevat to Purim and beyond, we all face the challenge of celebrating with our youth, but without them actually being there. Together, we’ll explore ways to bring the holidays to life in a world gone virtual.

10:30 PM

Brainstorm: Chanukah & Winter Activities

The weather is getting cold (so for many of us, outdoor activities are becoming less and less feasible), and Chanukah is just around the corner. Participants will brainstorm a list of programs for the season.

11:00 PM

Aha! Moments & Layla Tov

 

Monday, November 16

8:00 PM

Day 2 Kickoff

Avi Frier | AJYP

8:15 PM

The Business of Youth Work: Advocating for Yourself as a Youth Professional

Rabbi Adir Posy | Orthodox Union

No one who dreamed of a career inspiring today’s Jewish Youth expected to be involved in the likes of contract negotiations, performance metrics, public relations, or other aspects of the job that seem to belong solely in the corporate world. But like it or not, as professionals, we are involved in the business of youth work. Learn to navigate these choppy waters like the true professional you are; from salary discussions to performance reviews; managing boundaries between friends and “bosses”; understanding the difference between celebrating success and arrogant self-PR; and much more.

9:00 PM

Contact Tracing 101: Preparing Your Youth Department for Live Events in a Pandemic World

Debby Levitt | Katz Yeshiva High School

Live events return to your shul, and everything is going great. The children are having fun, everyone is complying with the social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines, and it seems like life is getting almost back to normal. Then you hear of a covid case in a family with four children, all of whom are active in the Youth Department. What do you do? Cancel all activities? Notify the entire shul that they all need to quarantine? Do nothing and hope for the best? The solution is actually a simple one: don’t wait until there’s a covid case before you begin to ask these questions. Know before your activities resume what to do in cases of positive tests, close contacts, secondhand contacts, and other scenarios.

9:30 PM

Next-Level Collaboration

Avi Frier | AJYP

We’ll spend a few minutes exploring ways in which the new AJYP website will help us take our Whatsapp and Slack collaborations to the next level. Plus, you’ll be the first to hear about a development that is just 3-4 months away, which will revolutionize the way in which we communicate, collaborate, and work together.

9:50  PM

Brainstorm: Live activities with social distancing

As shuls continue to reopen, the need to run activities that are pandemic-safe becomes one of our greatest challenges. Participants will brainstorm a list of live activities that can operate within the Covid-19 safety guidelines.

10:20 PM

Breakout Sessions

Shul Business Track:

Upping Your Graphics Game: How Create Better Marketing Materials 

Miriam Seidman | MSeidesign

Learn what makes a flyer good and what makes a flyer great. We’ll be using Canva and seeing how to transform out flyer dreams into reality.

Programming Track:

Israel Education: Instilling Children With Love For Our Homeland

Rabbi Uri Pilichowski

It’s easy to think of Eretz Yisrael as an important part of our lives; making it a prominent part of our youth programs can be an entirely different story. Learn to infuse Israel education into your Youth Department, and you’ll transform today’s Jewish children into tomorrow’s advocates for, and defenders of, our Homeland.

11:15 PM

Aha! Moments & Layla Tov

 

Tuesday, November 17

8:00 PM

Welcome to Day 3!

Avi Frier | AJYP

8:15 PM

HyperZoom: Creating Impactful Virtual Events Kids Will Love

Avi Bloom | S.A.R. High School

Overcome Zoom fatigue and take your virtual events to the next level. Learn to maximize the tools that Zoom has given you to make your virtual events more engaging and exciting. Discover apps and software that will bring the fun and help kids love what they learn.

9:45 PM

Breakout Sessions

Shul Business Track:

Using Social Media To Promote Your Youth Department

Sruly Meyer | SMG Marketing & Branding

It’s been said that if it wasn’t posted on social media, it didn’t happen. Learn to maximize your Youth Department’s social media presence so that every event is a happening, every success is showcased, and every program is the talk of the town.

Programming Track:

Finding, Training, and Supporting Great Youth Group Leaders

Rabbi Sholom Jensen & Dr. Mike Atlas | Great Neck Synagogue

What makes a youth group leader great? What is it about that 8th grader who can get them seated in a circle, ready to go, just by asking once, when the 12th grader in the room–the senior group leader–can’t get them to sit still for 30 seconds? From recruitment to selection to honing talents, learn to staff your youth program with great leaders who work together as a galvanized team.

10:30 PM

Brainstorm: Fun Virtual Activities

Even as we gradually return to live events, the need for virtual activities will not go away so quickly. Participants will brainstorm a list of virtual activities that engage our population of Zoom-fatigued youth.

11:00 PM

Conference Wrap-Up: Putting It All Together

Avi Frier | AJYP

What have we learned? What’s next? How will we use the skills we’ve developed to be better at what we do, and how will AJYP support us in that endeavor?
Also: What have we not learned? Which topics would you like to have seen during this conference, that we can offer as webinars in the coming weeks?

11:15 PM

Aha! Moments, Layla Tov, L’hitraot!

 

 

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