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Pro-Sumers: New Rules For The Jewish Future

Lisa — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:08:42 +0000

This week I was at the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly in Denver. Embedded in the event was The Jewish Futures Conference, which featured the work of several exceptional leaders in the Jewish community, as well as creative ideas submitted to the organizers, and teens sharing their ideas and projects. The following are my remarks, which opened the afternoon to set the context for presenters such as Chris Lehmann and Tiffany Shlain. Every GA registrant was given a copy of Elie Kaunfer’s book Empowered Judaism, and since I’m interested in you thoughts, and I have 3 copies of the book (I lend it out regularly, and bought copies for my own synagogue’s leadership), I’ll happily pass on the fresh copy I got this week to one person who shares your thoughts on being a pro-sumer, the Jewish future, or take-aways from the GA. Be a pro-sumer in the comments!
Jewish Futures: Lisa Colton

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I’m here to tell you that the rules of the game have changed. I wish I had a nice, neat little book to hand you that would make everything clear, but it doesn’t exist yet. I will, however, spend the next few minutes sharing what I’d write on the back cover if it existed. At last year’s Futures Conference we began exploring some of the new rules – like how content should be open, remixable, meaningful and relevant, and community building. Today, you’ll learn a few more. You probably have others which you can contribute with the microphone in your hand (the twitter hashtag is #Jewishfutures), or add in our online discussions after our event today. You’re a prosumer too. Together, we’re writing the future of the Jewish people.

Today, fundamental shifts in society, behavior and technology mean we must question some of the most basic assumptions that have driven our field, and our organizations, for the last several decades. Over the last 50 years we’ve actually seen an “outsourcing” of Jewish education to the professionals in institutions, and the focus on organizations that program the Jewish calendar to fulfill the demand of a “consumerist Judaism” culture. Looking back, we can see that this is actually an aberration from Jewish life throughout history, where “outsourcing” might have meant going to someone else’s house for Shabbas dinner.

Today we’re talking about pro-sumers and our emerging ‘pro-sumerist’ culture. A funny word, perhaps, but a very powerful concept that I think is actually great news for Jewish life and learning. Isn’t this really what most Jewish educators dream of? That their students will grab the reigns and take an active role in learning, creating, and furthering their own (and their family’s and their community’s) Jewish life? The rules of the game may feel foreign, and in fact may feel threatening to those of us who were raised, trained, and have developed our careers based on a different rule book. But as we challenge ourselves today, I want to acknowledge that these changes – if we can understand them and adapt to work in alignment with them – are good news.

Individual empowerment, the democratization of information, and the ease of collaboration are defining our current era. These three characteristics of today’s culture have profound implications for how build and sustain organizations, how we use our professional expertise, and how we empower the people within our networks and communities to achieve our Jewish communal goals.

While this cultural revolution may be strongly influenced by advances in technology, but it’s not actually about technology – it’s about what technology has made possible. Clay Shirky, in his wonderful book Here Comes Everybody, asserts that the age of social media means that organizations no longer have a monopoly on organizing.” What he means is that individuals can now very easily and powerfully coordinate and collaborate with less infrastructure than was previously needed to accomplish those goals. The uprisings in the middle east and the Occupy Wall Street protests are just two obvious examples of this. But such bottom-up collaboration and organization also manifests in education and the Jewish community. Let’s look at two examples.

First, the Khan Academy. If you don’t know about it, its founder – who studied electrical engineering at MIT and got his MBA from Harvard — started tutoring some family members by creating short videos to explain topics they were struggling with at school. The Khan Academy now has over 2500 ‘micro-lectures’ on topics such as math, history, finance, physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, economics and computer science. The impact of this discovery is that Khan has basically flipped classroom and homework time so students can watch the lectures or demonstrations at home, and then do the ‘homework’ in class, sometimes collaboratively, with the teacher available for assistance anytime. Both Google and the Gates Foundation have made significant investments in the Kahn Academy, and it’s been featured in a TED talk earlier this year. The Khan Academy is democratizing education through its mission of providing a free world-class education to anyone, anywhere. If you’re interested in learning more about the concept, check out the Twitter hashtag #JEDchat, where last Wednesday night a group of Jewish educators shared their efforts at “flipping classrooms” and discussed the potential impact for Jewish education. (More on that chat here).

Another example is the surge of Independent Minyanim that have sprung up in so many communities over the last several years. The Indie Minyanim really illustrate those three characteristics I mentioned a moment ago: Individual empowerment, the democratization of information, and the ease of collaboration. These individuals are willing to work hard and invest a lot of themselves to have the opportunity to be pro-Sumers. They do not want to be passive consumers or participants. I highly recommend reading Elie Kaunfer’s book, Empowered Judaism, which is included in every GA registrants’ bag. The book gives powerful insights into this generation and mindset, which are relevant far beyond minyanim.

While the popularity of Indie Minyanim is not limited to young people, it does point to the importance of recognizing the different characteristics of the generations. While Gen Xers were a hint of what was to come (entrepreneurship, for example, as a way to “producing” our own – I fall into that category), the Millennials and the generations that come after will be even more different. Millienials seek meaning (in their jobs, and beyond), want to feel empowered and trusted, and are really good at collaboration. And they are willing to work for it. After you read Elie’s book, go study up on Millennials. It will make you a better parent, grandparent, teacher, employer and friend, and will clue you in on how to lead your organization and our community to be successful in The Jewish Future.

So, if it hasn’t already been clear, the message here is that the times, they are a’ changing. In really fundamental ways, and quickly. And while the pace of change may be exhausting and relentless, I’m here to tell you that for the rest of our careers, perhaps even the rest of our lives, this rate of change is going to be the name of the game. You’re gonna have to get use to it. Thankfully, we’ve got a lineup today that’s here to help.

Now that we recognize things change, change often, and aren’t always predictable, we are learning to be more nimble. Perhaps Tech companies did this first, but many have also adopted the idea of the “Permanent Beta”. We used to spend lots of time, effort and often money perfecting something and then release it to the world. In a Permanent Beta you release the Beta version – something well cooked but not set in stone, and then constantly refine it with your users. You listen, get feedback, adjust, listen some more, and continuously evolve. Whereas we used to be focused on the destination, we now embrace that it’s all about the journey.

I liken this to the idea of Na’ase V’nishmah – a fascinating concept for our current age that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, inspired by my colleague Miriam Brosseau. This comes from the biblical verse where the Jews are standing at Mount Sinai express their acceptance of the Torah with the words “na’aseh v’nishma”, which is roughly translated and understood “First we will DO, and then we will UNDERSTAND”. I think this phrase perfectly encapsulates a “Jewish-Permenant-Beta” mindset. I encourage you to think about how Naase v’Nishmah can be a guide for you to step into this new age, experiment, learn, and refine. Because we won’t get to the future by thinking about it. We have to DO it.

It has been said about the late Steve Jobs that while he invented gadgets, his real impact was that he changed society. Pro-sumers similarly are moving Jewish learning and knowledge and empowerment into the communal space, not only limited only to the professionals and “traditional” methods of delivery that many of us are used to. Pro-sumerists are opening up new worlds that we can’t yet even imagine. And as communal leaders we stand at a very important cross roads where we can see these new paths as a threat to what we know and have built, or as the key to achieving our shared goals in an era governed by a different rule book.

To help understand this crossroads, I’ll leave you with an analogy which I hope will rattle around in your head for a while. It’s inspired by Beth Kanter and Allison Fine’s work on Networked Nonprofits, from a book of the same name.

Beth and Allison talk about three stages of evolution of organizations, moving from a fortress to a focus on transactions, to greater transparency and the embrace of networks. The old model is like a fortress – there are insiders and there are outsiders. There is a bold distinction between the producers (royalty) and consumers (commoners). They are divided, and the structures of society are designed to reinforce that division. In the Jewish community, we may find that our language, policies, program structures and behaviors make up these fortress walls. For some, Hebrew might be this barrier. For others, the concept of synagogue “membership” might be another fortress wall. Regardless of what you think about Hebrew fluency and Synagogue membership, the Fortress model does not work with pro-sumers. Period.

On the other end of the spectrum is a model more like a sea sponge that is sustained by its interactions with the organisms and environment around it. It survives, and thrives based on the flow of water in and out the pores and center tube of the sponge. It’s open to the community, so to speak, in nearly every way, and lives in symbiosis with other organisms. This is the model where pro-sumers thrive. Where they can make a positive contribution, where the “host organism” wants and values their participation. Where information and intentions are transparent, where those who are interested in producing, can.

For example, while my synagogue has a very successful preschool program, a few mothers of infants wanted to gather, socialize, learn and build community before their kids were two and a half. They mentioned it to the synagogue leadership, who empowered them to “go for it” and are available to support and market and provide space to make it happen.

Because we count you all as very hip and thriving pro-sumers too, we invite you to add your voice to the conversation. I want to float a few questions for you to think about as we move through this event – you can engage on Twitter (both talking and listening) using the #JewishFutures hashtag today and share your thoughts in a longer format on the Discussion Forums at JewishEdChange.net. I’ve kicked off one discussion topic there, but feel free to start new ones. You are, of course, PRO-sumers!

Now remember, there’s a copy of Empowered Judaism up for grabs — share your thoughts, ideas and questions in the comments to have a chance at snagging it. Just as important as producing is listening — we really do want to hear what you have to say.

#11NTCJEWS – The Jewish Community at the Nonprofit Technology Network Conference

Lisa — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:15:26 +0000

Thanks to the 70+ people who came out this morning to learn, share, problem solve and mature the Jewish community’s use of technology, new models of leadership and creative thinking. Due to the overloaded wifi network (a problem when you bring 2000 techo-philes into one hotel network), the live evaluation and feedbacks were slow to post today. Thus, I’ve embedded them here, both for the participants and others who may be interested. We used Poll Everywhere to enable everyone to text in their questions and see what others were thinking. You can also find the slides and other related links below.

And slides from today:

#11NTCJews – JNMIF & 10 New Rules of the Game

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Darim’s Networked Nonprofit Book Club on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/netnonbookclub

Recommended book:

The Networked Nonprofit by Beth Kanter and Allison Fine

Empowered by Josh Bernoff

Open Leadership by Charlene Li

Thanks to everyone for coming, sharing and leading. We invite additional comments, reflections, ideas and requests in the comments here. We’ll also be following up with the resources discussed in Rachel’s problem solving session, and emailing updated info, links, roster, etc. to all.

LAST CALL: Join the Schusterman Foundation and Darim Online at the 2011 Nonprofit Technology Conference!

Lisa — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:44:43 +0000

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: the Schusterman Family Foundation and Darim Online will be at NTEN’s annual Nonprofit Technology Conference in Washington, D.C., March 17-19, and we think you should us join there.
While we won’t repeat all of our Top 10 Reasons to Go to the 2011 Nonprofit Technology Conference, we do want to highlight the three exciting Jewish-themed gatherings we’ve got planned just for you.

1) The State of the Jewish Digital Nation. Thursday, March 17 • 8-11 am • Washington Hilton

The Schusterman Family Foundation and Darim Online are hosting an affinity group meeting that will inspire, educate and assist you in your work. The agenda offers both an expansive and detailed update on the field, including:

A debrief of the Jewish New Media Innovation Fund from Adam Simon of the Schusterman Family Foundation;
“New Rules of the New Media Game” from Lisa Colton of Darim Online;
Case studies from accomplished organizations inside and outside of the Jewish community; and
A fantastic problem-solving adventure led by NTEN rockstar and Senior Manager of Marketing & Communications at TechSoup Global, Rachel Weidinger.

We know it’s early in the morning, but we’ll make you a deal: you can come in your pajamas and we’ll provide breakfast.

2) Field trip to the Sixth and I Synagogue
Thursday, March 17 • Early evening • 600 I Street Northwest

In anticipation of Purim—a holiday on which we are actually commanded to be joyful and engage in revelry—we will take a field trip to the historic Sixth and I synagogue for a private viewing of JT Waldman’s illustrated Megillat Esther. Wine, beer and noshes will be provided. Learn more about Waldman’s work and Sixth and I

Thanks to the Jewish Communal Service Association for hosting this event!

3) Shabbat Dinner
Friday, March 18 • ~6:00-8:00 pm • Location TBD

Join your friends and colleagues for Shabbat dinner to share, schmooze, reflect and relax. Dinner location is being finalized, but it will be within walking distance from the hotel and kosher-style options will be available. This will be the perfect preamble to the many NTC after parties that will kickoff in the hotel around 8:00 pm.

So there you have it—three awesome events designed with you in mind. There is no cost to attend any of them (except perhaps a cab or metro ride to Sixth and I), and they are open to Jewish professionals and lay leaders whether or not they are registered to attend the full NTC conference. We do, however, need you to let us know if and when you will be joining us so we can plan for space and food, and forward details to you. Please complete this quick form to let us know where we can expect you: http://bit.ly/Jewish11ntc

Feel free to forward this information to those who you know are coming to NTC, or who are in the D.C. area and may be interested in participating. If you do plan to attend the entire conference, you can also still take advantage of our discounted rate by following these steps:

If you’re new to NTEN, you’ll have to set up a free and easy account. (Or login to your NTEN account.)
Go to 2011 Nonprofit Technology Conference
Select “Darim Online” in the “How did you hear?” field when registering to receive the NTEN member rate.

Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. We look forward to seeing you in Washington, D.C., on March 17!

Warmly,

Your friends at the Schusterman Family Foundation and Darim Online

Top 10 Reasons to Go to the 2011 Nonprofit Technology Conference!

Lisa — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 18:09:09 +0000

On March 17-19, NTEN will host its annual Nonprofit Technology Conference in Washington, DC. The Schusterman Family Foundation and Darim Online will be there, and we think you should join us.

Why? Thought you’d never ask …

10) You’ll get to learn from experts in the nonprofit sector in person and learn from their practical experience.

9) Speaking of, where else will you get to attend sessions facilitated by rockstars like Beth Kanter and Allison Fine, authors of “The Networked Nonprofit,” Wendy Harman, of the American Red Cross and Stacy Monk, founder of Epic Change and Tweetsgiving campaigns? (See our list of the top 10 must-attend sessions.)

8 ) A wide range of nonprofit professionals—executives directors, marketing and communications professionals, development and program staff—and organizations will be there.

7) It’s a great way to step outside the silo of our community while creating partnerships and mentorships within it.

6) It’s fun! NTC is not your average stuffy professional conference. You get to enjoy ice cream bars at the mid-afternoon break and cocktails with friends at the After-Party. Yes, you read that right—ice cream and cocktails!

5) We’re offering a discount to the members of our network (see below for how to take advantage).

4) The adventurous-and-always-fun-to-learn-from Esther Kustanowitz will be there.

3) Can we get you a warm chocolate chip cookie with that ice cream bar?

2) Guaranteed free wifi throughout the conference. You’re encouraged to fool around on your iPad/blackberry/laptop during sessions—but only if you’re tweeting or live blogging.

Finally, the #1 reason why we think you should join us at NTEN this year is …

1) We’re hosting two really awesome gatherings just for you!

The first will take place on the morning of Thursday, March 17, before the NTC officially gets underway. We will gather from 8 am – 11am, using these three hours to:

Get an update on the state of the Jewish digital union, including a debrief of the results of the Jewish New Media Innovation Fund;
Discuss the new rules of the digital game and how they apply to your work;
Hear a few case studies of leading practices in the Jewish and nonprofit sectors; and
Work through an obstacle-busting exercise based on the issues your organization is facing.

The second gathering will be Friday evening for a light and easy Shabbat dinner. Come to eat, schmooze and continue the conversations sparked by Thursday’s gathering. Nothing fancy—just food, new friends and some time to TGIF.

You do not have to register for the entire NTC conference to attend these events (though we do encourage it).

Sold? Ready for next steps? Great!

A) Sign up for NTEN. To take advantage of our special rate, you will need to follow these steps:

If you’re new to NTEN, you’ll have to set up a free and easy account. (Or login to your NTEN account.)
Go to 2011 Nonprofit Technology Conference
Select “Darim Online” in the “How did you hear?” field when registering to receive the NTEN member rate.

B) Fill out this form to let us know you are coming and if we can expect you for Thursday’s gathering, Shabbat Dinner and/or the entire conference. Again, you don’t have to register for the NTEN conference to join us at one or both of these events.

C) Take care of the details like transportation and hospitality.

D) Let us know if you have any questions.

Until next time!

Your friends at CLSFF and Darim Online

Your Invitation to Join the Jews at 11NTC!

Lisa — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 17:58:06 +0000

Technology, marketing, communications, leadership—all vital ingredients to advancing your mission, all key topics to be discussed at the 2011 Nonprofit Technology Conference (“NTC”).

CLSFF and Darim Online have worked with the event organizer, NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network, to offer the members of our network a discount to attend this important gathering—thanks, NTEN!—and we are extending an invitation to you to join us there for an intimate discussion about the role technology and new media has to play in advancing our Jewish organizations.

Need another reason why YOU should attend? We’ll give you three:

It’s a rare opportunity to connect with, learn from and share knowledge with peers and experts in the nonprofit sector. A wide range of nonprofit professionals—executive directors, development professionals, marketing and communication folks, IT staff, program staff and others—from both very small and very large organizations will be present to connect with and collaborate on creating change.

A playground for the tech-friendly and curious Jewish professionals, the NTC will help you step outside of the silo of our community to learn from the rockstars of the nonprofit technology field, gain insights and skills you wouldn’t find elsewhere, and enjoy ice cream bars at the mid-afternoon break and a cocktail with friends at the After-Party.

Schusterman Family Foundation and Darim Online will be hosting unique gatherings at the NTC just for the members of our networks: on the morning of Thursday, March 17, we will be facilitating an intimate learning-and-networking event, and on the evening of Friday, March 18, we will be hosting Shabbat dinner.

More details to follow on both events. Please click here to let us know if you are interested in attending and here for your chance to win a free pass to NTC!

In the meantime, to take advantage of our special rate, you will need to follow these steps:

If you’re new to NTEN, you’ll have to set up a free and easy account. (Or login to your NTEN account.)
Go to 2011 Nonprofit Technology Conference
Select “Darim Online” in the “How did you hear?” field when registering to receive the NTEN member rate.

Please note: the member rate will increase along with the regular rate as we get closer to the event so register as soon as possible! If you do it by Dec. 7, you will get the lowest rate of $359! Have money left in your 2010 professional development budget? This may be just the way to spend it wisely!

To learn more, visit www.nten.org/ntc, and please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. We hope to see you in Washington, D.C., in March for an invigorating gathering and schmooze sessions!

Opportunity: Tell Us How You Tech!

Lisa — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 10:00:59 +0000

Guest post from Adam Simon, Director of Jewish Programs, Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation
Have you or your organization used new media technology in an effective, creative way to activate your network?

Tell us the details of your story, and be entered to win a free pass to the 2011 Nonprofit Technology Conference (“NTC”) from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation and Darim Online.

NTC, an annual event organized by NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network, will take place March 17-19 in Washington, D.C. It is a rare opportunity for the tech-friendly and curious Jewish professionals to connect with, learn from and share knowledge with peers and experts who are dedicating their talents to the nonprofit sector.

A wide range of nonprofit professionals—executive directors, development professionals, marketing and communication folks, IT staff, program staff and others—from both very small and very large organizations will be present to discuss how technology, marketing, communications and leadership are essential to advancing your mission.

Do not miss out on this amazing opportunity to step outside of the silo of our community to learn from the rockstars of the nonprofit technology field while also engaging in facilitated discussions and schmooze sessions with your fellow Jewish professionals.

Better yet, you can earn the chance to do it for free simply by telling us how you are using technology! Leave a comment below to be entered. Your story may be featured on the Darim and Schusterman Family Foundation web sites!

Deadline for submissions is December 15!

* Thank you to the Nonprofit Technology Network for donating this conference registration to the Jewish community!

Women Who Tech – I’m Not The Average Story

Lisa — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:24:15 +0000

There’s a good thing cooking on September 15th. It’s the third annual Women Who Tech summit, a series of phone-based panels featuring the who’s who of women in technology, including Rashmi Sinha of SlideShare, Kaliya Hamlin of Shes Geeky, Shireen Mitchell of Digital Sistas, Beth Kanter, Amy Sample Ward, Michelle Murrain, and Lauren Vargas,, Irene Au of Google, Amy Jo Kim of ShuffleBrain, Heather Harde of Tech Crunch, and Lynne d. Johnson, formerly of Fast Company and now with the Advertising Research Foundation (plus a couple smart men, such as Clay Shirky and Geoff Livingston). The event is a series of stellar panels (again, by phone, so you can participate from anywhere), including “Social Media ROI”, “Launching Your Own Startup”, and “Self Promotion: Is This Really a Rant About Gender?”.

I totally get the premise of the summit, that women are underrepresented in mainstream media and blogs and conference panels, that we need to break down barriers to women’s participation in the technology sector, and the need to create a network of women in technology who can be called upon as experts in their field.

As the Wall Street Journal reports, “only about 11% of U.S. firms with venture-capital backing in 2009 had current or former female CEOs or female founders, according to data from Dow Jones VentureSource. The prestigious start-up incubator Y Combinator has had just 14 female founders among the 208 firms it has funded.” Women Who Tech is not the only women-focused event on the calendar. In December, the influential technology conference TED is holding its first women-focused conference. (More stats and resources about women in tech are available here.) I applaud these events, not for their sometimes interpreted as “affirmative action for women” approach, but for their celebration and encouragement of women who are breaking down perceived (as well as actual) barriers.

The thing is, I grew up in a different world, where my CEO-of-educational-technology-startups mother worked long hours to excel at her career, make the world a better place, and be a 100% mom at the same time. It’s possible that she worked harder than her male colleagues, or had more to balance with her roles at home, but from my point of view as a kid and young adult, women could do anything. The fact that I have chosen to work in a tech-related field isn’t because I am trying to change percentages, or represent my gender in high level decision making. It’s because it excites me, and I’m good at it. Gender never played into my decision (if it had, I would be doing something else?), and it rarely presents itself as an issue in my professional life.

That being said, there are definitely times when I look around the room and find myself in the company of mostly men. I like to think I’m rather Zen about it. I take note, and then move on. Recently, I’ve been putting together a panel for a social media session at a major national Jewish conference. I’m struggling to find a man for the panel, you know, just for the sake of diversity. So in my world, thankfully, the experience is not as one-sided as the venture capital statistics seem to say. (Note to self: I wonder how different is actually is in the nonprofit world – reflecting on my experiences at NTEN conferences, the presenters are heavily weighted towards women. Currently seeking the latest stats). The goal here is not 50/50 equality all the time. The goal is to recognize both real and perceived barriers, and to abolish them.

While others may interpret events like the upcoming Women Who Tech and TEDWomen as equally sexist as the venture capitalists whose decision making percentages they quote, I think the greatest power of these events is to give women who didn’t have moms like mine a similar sense of “anything is possible.” Further, as women, we do face unique challenges (as me sometime about the weeks leading up to announcing to my clients that I was pregnant for the first time, or how I paced around the house with a newborn in a sling, the wireless phone clipped to my hip, and a headset on – someone should have taken a photo). But most of all, these events are tremendous for one main reason: they showcase tremendous talent, all in one place.

The Women Who Summit event is an easy-to-swallow $20. Really. So mark your calendar for September 15th, from 11am to 6pm Eastern time. All you need is an internet connection and a phone line. Check out the schedule and register online. There are even after parties in a handful of major cities. I might try and get myself to the New York City one. Anyone care to join me?

Plus, I’ve got 2 passes to give away. Leave your comment here with your thoughts on gender and technology and I’ll pick two winners before Rosh Hashanah (September 8th). But go ahead and buy your pass now. You can always give it to the nice gal (or guy) down the hall. With a pink bow around it. Or not.

Crowdsourcing the Jewish Future: What’s Your Vision?

Caren — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:00:49 +0000

[crossposted from jlearn2.0] Passionate about Jewish learning? Have Big Ideas about what 21st Century Jewish learning might look like? Share your vision … and you just might win an all expense trip to the upcoming Jewish Futures Conference – not to mention a world-wide audience!

BJENY-SAJES and JESNA’s Lippman-Kanfer Institute invite you to submit a short video that communicates your response to the following question:

As we move toward a world where learning happens anywhere and everywhere, authored by anyone, what could Jewish learning and life look like in the future?

Those submitting the top three responses will be flown to New Orleans on November 7-8, 2010 (all expenses paid) to present their thinking at the Jewish Futures Conference. The Conference will be held on Monday, November 8, 2010 as part of the General Assembly of Jewish Federations of North America.

High profile presenters, combined with up and coming innovators from the Jewish and general world, will each be given 10-18 minutes to describe their vision for the future of Jewish learning in the context of emerging new digital and social technologies.

Submissions will be accepted in the form of 4 minute videos by August 27, 2010 and should be sent to: futures@bjeny.org

Questions? Contact Rabbi Arnold D. Samlan: samlana@bjeny.org

What are you waiting for? Come on over and check out submission and event details here now!

What’s your vision? Share a preview in the comments below!

Apply Now: Get Your Leadership On With NTEN’s Technology Leadership Academy

Caren — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:28:13 +0000

Yes, folks, it may be summer but it’s time to start thinking about going back to school! NTEN is offering a special 9 week webinar-based Technology Leadership Academy. The Academy will accept 50 nonprofits with budgets under $2 million, to be represented by 2 participants from each organization, including the executive director and a tech-responsible individual.

Attendees of the Academy will be able to:

Articulate the value of technology in their organization for themselves, funders, and other key stakeholders.
View technology as integral to every department in their organizations.
Recognize options for funding IT projects in their organizations.
Staff technology effectively.
Manage the organizational change that technology can produce.

Topics include:

Future of IT in Nonprofits / Presented by Edward Granger-Happ
IT Planning and Implementation / Presented by Steve Heye & John Merritt
Introduction to IT and Systems / Presented by Andy Wolber
Information Management Systems / Presented by Laura Quinn
Effective Internet Presence / Presented by Katya Andresen
Evaluation: Technology ROI / Presented by Beth Kanter
The Human Side of Technology / Presented by James Weinberg
Weekly Ask the Experts sessions including Charlene Li, Founder of Altimeter Group and Auther of Open Leadership

The Academy is being offered through the generous support of Microsoft and will run from September 29 – November 22.

Learn more about the Academy and guidelines for application here and if you qualify and are interested apply here!

Don’t miss out – the deadline for applications is Friday, July 30th. Applicants will be notified of their status by August 6, 2010.

The “New Normal” is Change. Deal With It.

Lisa — Thu, 06 May 2010 19:57:32 +0000

At the Jewish Communal Service Association’s annual program today, change was the name of the game. Jerry Silverman, CEO of Jewish Federations of North America in particular spoke about two kinds of change that we need to embrace: First, accepting that constant change is the “new normal” (the theme of the JCSA conference), and second, the need to confidently lead through change, whether that be changing economic times, new technologies, and evolving cultures.

On the first, we need to learn how to be more nimble — learning new skills, evolving our decision making processes to be able to move more swiftly, and being able to adjust structures to keep the machine humming when the outside world shifts.

But all of this is only possible when we are successful with the second. Leading through change is a great challenge, that involves not only good business strategy, but excellent communication, team building, listening, and attention to the psychology of change, not only the logistics of change. If the Jewish community needs one thing, it’s people who are superb leaders in times of change.

Several years ago, when Darim was shifting from our original work of building web sites to a focus on training, coaching and consulting, I read a powerful book, Managing Transitions, by William Bridges. The take home message: Change is situational (like a light switch), but transition is psychological (a process). We need leaders who know what change needs to be made to thrive in the “new normal”, but those same leaders also need to facilitate a transition, which requires a whole different set of skills.

If you haven’t noticed, the Jewish community isn’t the only one recognizing this need. (It’s comforting to know we’re not behind the curve on this one!) A flurry of new books are hitting the shelves focused on change strategy and management in today’s world:

Switch, by Chip and Dan Heath (from Amazon.com): In a compelling, story-driven narrative, the Heaths bring together decades of counterintuitive research in psychology, sociology, and other fields to shed new light on how we can effect transformative change. Switch shows that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline.
The Power of Pull, by John Hagel III, John Seely Brown, Lang Davison (from Amazon.com): In a radical break with the past, information now flows like water, and we must learn how to tap into its stream. But many of us remain stuck in old practices—practices that could undermine us as we search for success and meaning. Drawing on pioneering research, The Power of Pull shows how to apply its principles to unlock the hidden potential of individuals and organizations, and how to use it as a force for social change and the development of creative talent.

Coming out soon:

Open Leadership, by Charlene Li (co-author of Groundswell) (from Amazon.com): “Be Open, Be Transparent, Be Authentic” are the current leadership mantras-but companies often push back. Business is premised on the concept of control and yet the new world order demands openness-leaders do not know how to be open and be in control. This must-have resource will help the modern leader understand how to lead in the new open world-where blogging, twittering, facebooking, and digging are becoming the norm. the author lays out the steps that leaders must take to transform their organizations and themselves into being “open” -and exactly what that will mean.
Empowered, by Josh Bernoff (co-author of Groundswell) (from Amazon.com): Fueled by data from Forrester Research, Empowered is packed with the business tools and information necessary to move your organization several steps ahead … and lead … your people (who are) armed with cheap, accessible technology, and are connecting with customers and building innovative new solutions.

What are your strategies for managing change? Where have you been successful? What’s hard? Do you have advice or other resources to add to the conversation? Onward!