So You Think You’re Welcoming: 5 Best Principles for Creating Successful Events for Families with Young Children Presenters: Cantor Rachel Kohlbrenner and Joy Gluzman
Take our welcoming and engagement assessment challenge to see how well you do. Then, we’ll share the 5 best proven principles and the practical steps needed to “ready” your synagogue so that you’re poised to create memorable events that attract young families and build word-of-mouth momentum.
This 10:40 am to 11:35 am breakout session is designed for Education Directors, Executive Directors, Clergy, Family Engagement and Membership Professionals.
Cantor Rachel Kohlbrenner is the Cantor and Director of Youth and Family Programming at Central Synagogue - Beth Emeth in Rockville Centre, New York. She started her tenure with the congregation in September 2009 serving as the youth director, Hebrew tutoring coordinator and teaching in the religious and high school programs. Cantor Kohlbrenner has designed the Congregation’s family programming since its inception and continually makes adaptations based on the changing needs of the local community in which she serves.
Cantor Kohlbrenner was born and raised in Miami, Florida. She attended the University of Florida in Gainesville. Cantor Kohlbrenner graduated in May 2004 with a BA in Jewish Studies and minors in music history and classical studies. Immediately after college graduation, she began her cantorial studies at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. As a cantorial student, Rachel worked at Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester in Chappaqua, NY; Temple Shaaray Tefila in New York City; B’nai Israel in Southbury, CT; Temple Concord in Binghamton, NY, and Brooklyn Heights Synagogue. Shealso spent two summers working as the Teenside Jewish programming supervisor at Surprise Lake Camp in Cold Spring, NY.
Cantor Kohlbrenner graduated with the degree of Masters of Sacred Music and cantorial investiture in May 2009.
Rachel is an avid scrap booker and enjoys spending time with her husband and their two young daughters. She is thrilled to have this opportunity to share her knowledge of programming for families with young children with colleagues in the Chicago area.
Joy Gluzman is the Social Media and Event Coordinator at Central Synagogue - Beth Emeth in Rockville Centre, New York. Joy joined the CSBE team in August of 2014 and has worked diligently to design a dynamic strategy for marketing and engagement. As Social Media Coordinator, she oversees the congregation's various Social Media accounts and websites. She also serves as the liaison between the synagogue and local media outlets.
As Event Coordinator, she assists with programs and events aimed at engaging local community members in activities with our community. She has worked alongside Cantor Rachel Kohlbrenner to design programming for young families to engage families from within the congregation and its early education, as well as, the local community at large. Joy has a BA in English from Stony Brook University and has worked in Jewish communal life since graduation. She is deeply committed to assisting and enriching the Jewish journeys of others.
In addition to her professional skills, Joy has a background in the performing arts. She has been performing and taking theatre classes since a young age and is the graduate of one of Long Island’s most respected public performing arts programs. When not at work, she enjoys performing in local theatrical productions and spending time with her husband and their young daughter. She is looking forward to sharing and learning with all of you and is grateful for this opportunity.
This workshop is part of a series of CEELI Boot Camps promoting the engagement of families with young children, sponsored by the Chicago Early Engagement Leadership Initiative (CEELI) - Union of Reform Judaism.