Program areas at CLAL
Pluralism - for more than 47 years, clal has been defined by the creation, cultivation and dissemination of new ideas always animated by deep pluralism and a fearless embrace of how new realities shape both people's experience of jewishness, and the resulting opportunities to apply Jewish wisdom to those new realities within Jewish life and beyond. Rabbis brad hirschfield and irwin kula and the entire clal faculty teach and consult worldwide, offering a rich and pluralist Jewish wisdom that contributes to the public good, addresses our cultural and political polarization, and helps communities and individuals to grow and flourish. Having long embraced new media, clal faculty and fellows are reaching organizations, think tanks, universities, seminaries, and business, technology, and innovation conferences.
Taking Jewish wisdom public -- the stand and see fellowship, our newest initiative, uses a deeply Jewish method to nurture and build a larger american religious Leadership, which can more deeply love the land of israel, better appreciate the real value and importance of modern israel, and more fully understand the lives of a wider range of both israelis and palestinians than they would otherwise encounter. Stand and see ultimately nurtures fellows' ability to lead more effectively on any tough issue to lead with greater nuance and sophistication in the face of the too easy, and often dangerous, polarizations which threaten so many parts of our culture, our nation and our world. In a moment of increasing fear and scarcity, at home and abroad, this program builds leaders who nurture clear-eyed hope and genuine possibility for the future. The program has expanded to include us army chaplains.
Building dynamic communities -- rabbis without borders (rwb) pushes the borders of what it means to be a rabbi today, preparing rabbis across every denomination to teach Jewish wisdom that serves anyone, anywhere. The 260 remarkably talented rabbis in this network serve existing audiences and are engaging new ones on a constant basis. They are reimagining synagogues across the nation, have launched more than 100 new organizations and ventures, and annually reach some 1.5 million people with a judaism that transforms people's lives. Rwb are creating new forms of social connection and innovative ways to serve. Clal's innovation work is centered in glean, the world's first incubator and network for spiritual entrepreneurs. Clal is creating a new field of spiritual entrepreneurship, equipping faith-rooted leaders with the training to seize the opportunity in this time of great change in american religion, enabling them to build sustainable ventures that help people and communities flourish. Glean continues to teach in seminaries through the united states, canada and england.