Intensives

Choose from six immersive Intensives—exceptional 4.5-hour learning opportunities designed to deepen your expertise, expand your leadership, and enhance your impact. 

These aren’t run-of-the-mill conference sessions. Led by experts and innovators, each Intensive is built around applied skills, fresh ideas, and deep connection. It’s time to sharpen the tools in your toolkit—and elevate your practice.

How it Works

Tuesday: Choose one Intensive or two back-to-back Labs. 

Wednesday: Everyone attends one Lab. You pick the pace—deep and immersive or fast and wide-ranging, the choice is yours.

Return home with a toolkit of practical techniques to train and mentor others as well a certificate of completion.

Tuesday, October 28, 2025 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Topics Include

• Bringing Jewish Values to Life: Exploring What Makes Your JCC or JCC Camp Meaningfully Jewish
• Fundraising: We're in the People Business!
• Inclusion as Infrastructure: Building Belonging Into Your JCC or JCC Camp 
• Lead Like a Pro: Supervision Skills for Real Life at the JCC
• Post-October 7: Navigating Antisemitism in Our JCCs and JCC Camps 
• Strategic AI for JCC Implementation Leaders

Bringing Jewish Values to Life: Exploring What Makes Your JCC or JCC Camp Meaningfully Jewish
This session is about the values that shape how we lead, serve, and build community. JCCs and JCC Camps are rooted in a rich tradition of Jewish values, including respect, responsibility, and belonging. How do we bring these values to life in everyday moments—from swim lessons to staff meetings? How do these values guide our response to challenges and create welcoming, meaningful experiences for all those involved with our JCCs? In this interactive session, we’ll explore what Jewish values look like in action and how they can become a central part of the culture at your JCC or JCC Camp. Come discover how to connect your personal purpose with your organization’s mission and inspire others to live with greater intention and fulfillment. Everyone is welcome regardless of background.

 Takeaways: 

• Identify Jewish values of interest and their definition (For example, what does “respect” look like in your life and in your community?) 
• Better understand the needs and interests of the JCC or JCC Camp constituents you serve 
• Learn how to unpack some of the big headlines and challenges of the day through Jewish values 
• Develop practical skills to better incorporate Jewish values into your conversations and programs 
• Become a more reflective, confident, and engaged JCC or JCC Camp professional 

FACILITATORS: 
Tamara Rebick, founder and chief experience officer, Coriphery Consulting Solutions, and facilitator, M2: Institute for Experiential Jewish Education, Values in Action
Joanna Tasch, program coordinator, M2: Institute for Experiential Jewish Education, Values in Action

Maximum:     35 participants

Fundraising: We're in the People Business! 

Moving From Transactional to Relationship-Based Fundraising: Prospect Identification, Cultivation, Solicitation, and Stewardship

If you want to raise more money with greater confidence and are ready to turn the people who love your JCC or JCC Camp into champions who support its future, then join us for a dynamic, hands-on journey through the donor lifecycle—from identifying and engaging prospects to making the ask and building long-term loyalty. With expert guidance, practical tools, and real-time practice, you’ll learn to build authentic relationships with donors beyond the film festival, golf outing, book fair, or gala. Come away ready to forge deeper relationships, boost donor retention, and raise more—by putting people at the heart of your fundraising.

Takeaways: 

• Discover where to find strong donor prospects—and what motivates them to give. 
• Analyze your current list of supporters and donors to identify high-potential champions and engage with the people who care most about what you do. 
• Create tailored cultivation and stewardship plans for key donors and prospects. 
• Gain tools and strategies to help integrate mission-driven messages into everyday work. 
• Learn language and techniques to confidently engage with donors. 
• With hands-on training on mechanics of the ask, you will leave confident and ready to jump into these conversations with strategy and style!

FACILITATORS:
Jessica Grossnickle, director of fundraising services, Evolve Giving Group
Amy Schiffman, president and CEO, Evolve Giving Group

Maximum:     35 participants

Inclusion as Infrastructure: Building Belonging Into Your JCC or JCC Camp 
True inclusion isn't an add-on program—it's the foundation on which your JCC or JCC Camp is built. Just as your facility needs strong physical infrastructure to serve your community, it needs an equally strong inclusion infrastructure woven into every department, policy, and interaction. 

In this session, you'll learn to assess your current inclusion gaps, map how belonging shows up across all programming areas, and build sustainable systems that create lasting change. Using interactive exercises, reflection, and case studies, you'll develop practical tools to make inclusion everyone's responsibility—from front desk staff to fitness instructors to senior leaders. You’ll leave with a foundational understanding of what creates a culture of belonging, tools to begin your own planning process, motivation to transform your JCC into a place where every community member truly belongs, and the confidence to champion this work regardless of your role or title.

Takeaways: 

• Practical tools to assess and build on your current inclusion culture 
• Strategies to embed inclusive practices in all departments 
• A roadmap for sustainable, systems-level change 
• Skills to lead inclusion initiatives in your specific role 
• Connection with other JCC professionals committed to this work

FACILITATOR: Arielle Levy

Maximum:     35 participants

Lead Like a Pro: Supervision Skills for Real Life at the JCC
Ready to level up your leadership game? Whether you're a seasoned, new, or aspiring supervisor, this dynamic Intensive will give you the skills and confidence to be a rock star leader. We’ll dive deep into the real stuff—giving feedback that actually helps, handling tough conversations like a champ, keeping your team motivated, and balancing it all without burning out. Through interactive activities, real-life scenarios, and a little bit of humor, you’ll walk away with practical tools you can use right away. Come build a culture of accountability, growth, connection, and collaboration—one great conversation at a time.

Takeaways: 

• Learn essential leadership competencies, including self-awareness, effective communication, feedback delivery, and navigating conflict. 
• Gain practical tools to motivate, coach, and support staff while holding them accountable. 
• Participate in real-world case studies and interactive exercises to strengthen your leadership skills. 
• Explore ways to create a culture of accountability, collaboration, and ongoing staff development. 
• Return home with a rich and deep toolkit of practical techniques to train, coach, and mentor others

FACILITATOR: Maya Dolgin, Dolgin Leadership Group

Maximum:     35 participants

Post-October 7th: Navigating Antisemitism in Our JCCs and JCC Camps
Why is antisemitism on the rise—and what can we do about it? In this timely and thought-provoking Intensive, we’ll unpack complex issues, including the impact of Israel’s war and the surge in anti-Jewish rhetoric across North America. Together, we’ll explore how “the world’s oldest hate” shows up in today’s headlines, protests, and conversations—and how to tell the difference between legitimate criticism of Israel and when anti-Zionist tropes devolve into antisemitism. By analyzing data and being open to creating brave, safe spaces where difficult topics can be addressed thoughtfully, you’ll leave with new tools and perspectives to help your JCC or JCC Camp become an inclusive, welcoming hub of dialogue and community-building in challenging times.

Takeaways: 

• Understand what Jew-hatred is, why it has grown since October 7, its connection to Israel, and what we can do about it as JCC and JCC Camp professionals. 
• Learn how to counter common misperceptions of Israel and antisemitic stereotypes and messaging. 
• Gain confidence and tools to build an antisemitism and Israel game plan for your JCC or JCC Camp.
• Join a network of JCC and JCC Camp professionals and partners working to strengthen global Jewish peoplehood, pride, and connection to Israel.

FACILITATORS: 
Rachel Fish, Ph.D., special advisor, Brandeis University President's Initiative on Antisemitism and co-founder, Boundless Israel
Andi Meiseles Ed.D., senior advisor for Jewish education and director of the Martin Pear Fellowship at JCC Association of North America

Maximum:     35 participants

Strategic AI for JCC Implementation Leaders 
AI isn’t coming—it’s already here! And the JCC Movement needs bold, grounded leaders who can bring it to life so it aligns with our mission, uplifts our teams, and serves our communities. 

This in-depth Intensive is built for you: the JCC professional who is ready to move beyond experimentation and into meaningful implementation. You’ll get your hands dirty building real AI tools, designing training that meets your team where they are, and crafting a roadmap to bring it all home. 

Rooted in a human-first approach, this session blends strategy, creativity, and leadership development. You’ll leave with a deployable AI use case, an implementation plan, and the confidence to champion responsible, values-aligned AI adoption. 

Prep: 30-minute virtual session prior to ProCon 2025 (time and date To be finalized)

Takeaways: 

• Discover where AI can make a difference in your JCC 
• Build and test a real AI agent that solves a need in your organization 
• Learn to integrate AI into daily work while centering trust, ethics, and people 
• Walk away with the tools to lead AI adoption with clarity and heart

FACILITATOR: Amanda Loveland, chief marketing officer, Peninsula JCC

Maximum:     25 participants