Meetings  |  Religious Services

For more on this year's GA theme, read these welcome letters from UJC Leadership, our International Chairs, and our Israel Chair.

7:30 am - 1:30 pm
Securing the Jewish Future: the Endowment Leadership Institute (ELI)
Pre-registration required
Please join UJC Planned Giving and Endowments and the entire UJC Development Team for a half-day motivational and strategic program, featuring the inspiring Rabbi Steven Leder, senior rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple, and author of More Money than God: Living a Rich Life without Losing Your Soul. Learn how to motivate and engage the next generation in endowments; find out how communities are attracting major financial support through legacy campaigns; and hear about new legislative developments impacting planned giving and endowments. Click here to register. (Registration separate from the GA)

8:00 am
Registration

8:00 am - 1:30 pm
Exclusive Tour of One of LA's Great Jewish Museums
Pre-registration required
Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance Learning Center provides a unique and provocative experience that challenges visitors to become witnesses to history and confront the intolerance that is still embedded in society today.
Note: Tour leaves from the Westin Bonaventure, and returns to the LA Convention Center

10:00 am - 1:30 pm
Exclusive Tour of One of LA's Great Jewish Museums
Pre-registration required
Hailed by The New York Times as a lesson on how to connect the eye to heart and mind, the Skirball Cultural Center is one of the world’s most dynamic Jewish cultural institutions, and among the most prominent cultural venues in the United States.
Note: Tour leaves from the Westin Bonaventure, and returns to the LA Convention Center

11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Exhibit Hours

1:15 pm - 2:00 pm
GA First Timers Orientation

2:30 pm
Opening Plenary
One People, One Destiny, One Great Day in November
Sponsored by El Al Israel Airlines
The latest war in Israel gave us more questions than answers. But, as ever, Israelis were determined and resilient. And the Diaspora raised its voice and used its influence in another extraordinary show of compassion and unity. Join inspirational leaders from around the world to kick off this unique GA. Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Zeev Bielski, Karnit Goldwasser and Fentahun Assefa-Dawit will be joined by artists Debbie Friedman, Mare Winningham, Jon Voight, Jeff Goldblum, Mike Burstyn, Dave Koz, Dan Gordon and Julie Silver for an afternoon of music, hope and unity.

Produced by UJC and the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles in cooperation with Craig Taubman and Craig 'N Co.
 
Greetings: Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa

Speakers: Zeev Bielski, Chairman of the Executive, Jewish Agency for Israel; Fentahun Assefa-Dawit, Director, P2K Galilee Panhandle, Jewish Agency; Karnit Goldwasser, wife of kidnapped Israeli soldier Ehud Goldwasser; Dan Gordon, Scriptwriter/Filmmaker; Shuki Hassan, Israeli Volunteer, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee AMEN Program; Galia Maor, GA Israel Chair; Carlin Rosenberg, Alumna, Taglit-birthright israel

Keynote Speaker: Israel Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tzipi Livni

“Chazak Amenu: We Stand As One”, Courtesy of Voices for Israel (www.voicesforisrael.org); Produced by Jordan Gorfinkel; Music Directed by Yehuda!

4:30 pm - 5:45 pm
Breakout Session
Women on the Front Line
War affects women and girls differently than it does men and boys. Jewish women's foundations, their grantees and other Jewish organizations have teamed up to address the gender-specific needs through strategic and collaborative grant-making processes. Join us to learn more.

Speakers: Charlene Seidle, Associate Director, Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego; Moria Shlomot, Director, The Counseling Center for Women (CCW), Israel; Carole Solomon, Chair, Board of Governors, Jewish Agency for Israel

Breakout Session
Ethiopian Jewry in their Own Words
Israel is home to more than 110,000 Ethiopians. When else in human history has a first world country actively and eagerly welcomed an immigrant population of largely illiterate, impoverished African people? Israel has been doing it since Operations Moses and Solomon in the 1980s and 90s, and we are committed to using our skills and expertise to make this aliyah as successful as possible. Join us to exalt in the history and look to the future through fascinating first-hand accounts of successes and challenges.

Moderator: Stephen Hoffman, President, Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland
Speakers: Fentahun AssefaDawit, Director, P2K Galilee Panhandle; Dr. Rick Hodes, Medical Director, Ethiopia, JDC; Nigist Mengesha, Director General, Ethiopian National Project

Breakout Session
In the Footsteps of Ben Gurion
2006, the 120th Anniversary of the birth of David Ben Gurion, finds the State of Israel with a renewed commitment to the strategic development of the Negev and a multi-billion dollar financial plan to back it up. Let’s look together at what the future may hold, through the lens of Ben Gurion’s dream.

Moderator: Prof. Ilan Troen, The Karl, Harry and Helen Stoll Professor of Israel Studies, Brandeis University, Lopin Prof. of Modern History, Ben-Gurion University
Speakers: Dr. Natan Aridan, The Ben Gurion Research Institute at Sde Boker; Prof. Rivka Carmi, President, Ben Gurion University of the Negev; Amram Mitzna, Mayor of Yerucham, Leader, Israel Labor Party

Breakout Session
Fighting the Hezbollah Terror Army: A New Kind of Warfare
With sophisticated arms provided by Iran, with Iranian training, and using complex tactics, Hezbollah functioned more like a terror army, or even a unit of the Iranian armed forces, than as a conventional terror group during the recent war. We’ll look at the implications.

Moderator: Richard L. Wexler, Chairman-Elect, United Israel Appeal
Speaker: Gal Luft, Executive Director, Institute for the Analysis of Global Security

Breakout Session
Covering Israel for the People of Israel
The way the news from and about Israel is reported in Israel offers revealing insights into the nature of a free press in Israel and into local perspectives on the news.

Speakers: Jon Feder, Editor-in-Chief, Ynet & YnetNews; Amir Mizroch, Chief News Editor, Jerusalem Post; Keren Neubach, Senior Anchorperson, Channel 1; Shlomi Stein, Vice President, Channel 10 News; Nachman Shai, Senior Vice President and Director General, UJC Israel

Breakout Session
Finding Common Ground: A Dialogue Between Americans & Israelis
Take part in a real-time laboratory that will generate discussion among participants from the three Wexner Leadership Initiatives, and all attendees. This highly interactive session focuses on bold questions relevant to this critical time of conflict and hope.

Moderator: Rabbi B. Elka Abrahamson, Vice President, Leadership Programs, The Wexner Foundation
Round Table Participants: Sandy Antignas, Alumnus, Wexner Heritage Program, Member of the Board of Directors of UJA-Federation of New York, its Commission on the Jewish People and a Founder of Kol Dor; Gadi Baltiansky, Alumnus, Wexner Israel Fellowship, Director General "Education for Peace Ltd." Israel; Deborah Housen Couriel, Alumna, Wexner Israel Fellowship, Policy Analyst, Reut Israel; Rami Wernik, Alumnus, Wexner Graduate Fellowship, Dean, Fingerhut School of Education, University of Judaism, LA

Breakout Session
Israel the Brand
Nation branding techniques are being used to present Israel through a human lens. We’ll present new research that analyzes the impact of images of conflict projected through non-stop coverage of the war, as well as describe breakthrough concepts designed to change the way Americans feel about Israel.

Moderator: Michael Kotzin, Executive Vice President, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago
Speakers: Ido Aharoni, Senior Advisor & Spokesman for Israel Minister of Foreign Affairs; Boaz Mourad, Principal, Brand Israel Group; Fern Oppenheim, Brand Israel Group; David Sable, Vice-Chairman & COO, Wunderman Worldwide

Breakout Session
Israel on the North American Campus
Beginning with the outbreak of the Intifada in 2000, North American campuses experienced a significant increase in anti-Israel activity. Thanks in large part to resources and support provided by the Federation system and local Community Relations Councils, campuses have also witnessed a remarkable surge in student Israel activism. This session will examine the state of college campuses and Jewish student activism today, especially in light of this summer’s events in Israel. Observations will be provided from the perspective of a faculty member, a student activist and a community leader.

Moderator: David Harris, Executive Director, Israel on Campus Coalition
Speakers: Jasmin Niku, member of Bruins for Israel (UCLA), active with Hillel, AIPAC, and UCLA student government; Prof. Laurie Zoloth, Professor of Medical Ethics and Humanities, and of Religion, at Northwestern University, the Feinberg School of Medicine; Ron Leibow, Chair, Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

Breakout Session
Identity, Israel, the Jewish People, and the Next Generation
Younger Jews have a radically different relationship to Israel than their parents and grandparents. Older generations have collective memories and emotions. Younger Jews view themselves as free thinkers and want to make their own decisions about Israel. They value the opportunity to listen, learn and speak in a non-judgmental environment. Join us to examine challenges and opportunities inherent in building relationships between the next generation and Israel.

Moderator: Ted Sokolsky, President, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto
Speaker: Rabbi Sharon Brous, IKAR; Adam Weisberg, Executive Director, Berkeley Hillel; Dr. Len Saxe, Professor of Jewish Community Research in the Hornstein Program and the Heller School, Brandeis University; Rachel Hochheiser, MBA, Area Executive Director, BBYO, Inc.

Breakout Session
We Are Not Alone: Allies in Making the Case for Israel
Public opinion polls say that there is a base of support for Israel among Americans, and our own Israel advocacy work is enhanced by the efforts of friends and allies. We’ll examine the nature of such alliances, and discuss the possibilities and occasional problems in working them.

Moderator: Rabbi Steve Gutow, Executive Director, JCPA
Speaker: Joe R. Hicks, Vice President Community Advocates, Inc. and Former Executive Director of the Los Angeles City Human Relations Commission; Randy Neal, California Regional Director, Christians United for Israel; Nancy Coonis, Superintendent of Secondary Schools for the LA Archdiocese

Breakout Session
Philanthropy Now
Demographics, psychographics, Jewish values and the transfer of wealth. How do we transform our federations into true Centers of Jewish Philanthropy in these tumultuous and demanding times? Get both insight and stimulus from experts in the field of philanthropy, including Paul Schervish, one of the continent’s leading authorities.

Moderator: Mark Lainer, Board Member, Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles
Speakers: Chip Edelsberg, Executive Director, Jim Joseph Foundation; Carol Kassel, Sr. VP of Integrated Development, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto; Paul G. Schervish, Director, Boston College Center on Wealth and Philanthropy

Breakout Session
Jewish Learning: Activism and Social Justice
We know that new generations of Jews are deepening their Jewish identity and connections through service programs. Classical Jewish texts can provide the framework to motivate all Jews to become social activists. Learn all about it with Rabbi Miriyam Glazer, Dept. of Literature, Communications & Media at the University of Judaism.

Speaker: Rabbi Miriyam Glazer, University of Judaism

Breakout Session
The Impact of Baby Boomers
The first of the Baby Boomers are set to retire. Address the challenges and opportunities that this demographic phenomenon offers to the federation system, in terms of service delivery and engagement strategies. Bring home the ideas and innovations to help serve, support and involve this important population.

Speaker: Mark Goldstein, President, Impact Presenters & Co-Founder, AgeWave, Inc.

6:30 pm
Community Receptions

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Kosher Dinner

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Connect to a Career with Meaning, Connect to Federation
If you are considering a new career to the federation one where you can make a difference this session is for you. Network with senior federation professionals who have successfully made the transition. For mid and senior level professionals, only.

Speakers: Doug Seserman, President & CEO, Allied Jewish Federation of Colorado; Lisa Gurwitch, Director of Gift Planning, Jewish Community Endowment Fund of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties

9:00 pm
Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles and the Tel Aviv-Los Angeles Partnership's Master Class in Film Production present Night at the Movies
39 Pounds of Love, Favella Rising, and Freedom's Song
At the Bonaventure Hotel