Jewish Reconstructionist Federation

PEARL, the distance-learning classes offered by JRF, provides meaningful information and strategies beneficial to congregational leaders, members, clergy, educators and staff. Expert speakers partner with JRF professional staff and lay leaders to support the strengthening of congregations and havurot, grow leadership, deepen Jewish spiritual life and continue critical tikkun olam/social justice work. Based on results from a survey of JRF congregational leadership, a variety of PEARL topics are selected each year.

With 50 programs now available (http://jrf.org/pearl/archive) as well as other congregational resources (http://jrf.org/cong-resources), and based on feedback from those of you who participated last year, consultation with movement leadership and staff across regions and our analysis of needs based on consultations, we are working on a plan to use the rich resources we have developed in affinity working groups by communal size appropriate to our movement (small 20-99hh, medium 100-199hh, large 200hh up). These sessions are in addition to calls offered by RENA for educators, CEDAR for executive directors, Harmoniyah (for music/liturgy leaders) and Tikkun Olam/Social Justice organizers and program staff/lay leaders. These calls will take place between February and June 2012 under topic headings with staff or expert volunteer backing using the resources we have developed to deepen the work of growing and sustaining healthy and vibrant sacred communities.

Each PEARL class meets for one to one and a half hour by telephone conference call. Classes are often supported by downloadable resources, webinars and select audio files. Some classes, are a follow up or expansion on previously presented topics.

Since our launch of PEARL in 2008, annual participation has increased from 40% to nearly 70% of our member communities. As of 2010 year, the PEARL series was integrated with JRF's annual Omer Initiative (begun in 2005, seven weeks of learning between Passover and Shavuot with session focusing on "tikkun hanefesh v'olam", the well-being and active repair of self, community and the world. Please see http://jrf.org/omer/home.), which itself has a listerve of over 700 participants from the Reconstructionist movement and beyond.

PEARLS FROM PEARL

The 2011 PEARL series took PEARL to the next level by providing curriculum culled from existing materials in audio and print for both PEARL and OMER along with new material and best practices from our communities and the larger world. The ongoing goal is to deepen the learning in key areas of congregational life as identified by JRF and our member communities' clergy, staff and lay leadership.

We offered 18 sessions many of 2 sessions each throughout the February-June, 2011. Topics were drawn from the areas of: Leadership, Education, Reconstructionism in action, Growth, Finances, Sustainability, Community Organizing, Spiritual Life. There was a requirement of registering in advance for participants to listen to and read selected PEARL and other resources ahead of and during each class. Sessions were offered under the direction of a course facilitator and guest teachers representing the best Reconstructionist communal practices from around the movement and beyond. 

Stay tuned for more details.

L'Shalom,

Rabbi Shawn Zevit

Director of Congregational Services, Tikkun Olam and Outreach

SZevit@jrf.org

See an alphabetical listing of all PEARL sessions since 2008: http://jrf.org/pearl/archive

Also available are PEARL Programs available on audio.