Jewish Megatrends: Charting the Course of the American Jewish Future

Registration for this event is now closed.

Walks ups will be accepted.

Rabbi Dr. Sid Schwarz

The American Jewish community is riddled with doubts about the viability of the institutions that well served the Jewish community of the 20th century. Synagogues, federations, and Jewish membership organizations have yet to figure out how to meet the changing interests and needs of the next generation. This talk will look at the social norms that are shaping the habits and lifestyles of younger American Jews and suggest four guiding principles that can actually lead to a renaissance in Jewish life.

Rabbi Sid Schwarz is a social entrepreneur, author and teacher. He is currently a Senior Fellow at Hazon, a national organization based in New York playing a leadership role in promoting Jewish inspiration and sustainable communities.  

Rabbi Sid founded and led PANIM: The Institute for Jewish Leadership and Values for 21 years. He is also the founding rabbi of Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation in Bethesda, MD where he continues to teach and lead services.  Dr. Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in Jewish history and is the author of two groundbreaking books–Finding a Spiritual Home: How a New Generation of Jews Can Transform the American Synagogue (Jewish Lights, 2000) and Judaism and Justice: The Jewish Passion to Repair the World (Jewish Lights, 2006).  

Rabbi Sid directs the Clergy Leadership Incubator (CLI), a program that trains rabbis to be visionary spiritual leaders.  He also created and directs the Kenissa: Communities of Meaning Network which is building the capacity of emerging spiritual communities across the country.

Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, founder of Clal and one of American Jewry’s most notable leaders, has written about Sid: “Rabbi Sid Schwarz’ life and career embody a unique mix of religious vision and an ability to implement that vision in the real world.”

Sid was awarded the prestigious Covenant Award for his pioneering work in the field of Jewish education and was named by Newsweek as one of the 50 most influential rabbis in North America. Sid’s most recent book is Jewish Megatrends: Charting the Course of the American Jewish Future (Jewish Lights, 2013).