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SHJ HuJews Conclave 2004
Toronto, Ontario
Highlights
In April 2004, an energetic group of teens and young
adults gathered in Toronto for yet another successful SHJ youth conclave. The
conclave featured a few new twists as well as some time-honored classics.
We were excited to welcome many new faces to the recent
conclave, including Lanny Mandel from The City Congregation who delivered the
youth keynote address with warmth and inspiration. This year was also the debut
of the Young Adult Conclave, which will allow us to reach out to college
campuses and continue building on the success of the Teen Conclave.
The community service activity, another new feature, proved
to be fun and satisfying despite rain and soggy boxes. Undeterred by the
weather, the group set off Saturday morning for Toronto’s Centre Island where
they planted trees to help stabilize the shoreline. People on the island were
rather surprised to discover that a group of Jewish youths from Michigan,
Ontario, New York, Massachusetts, the Washington D.C. area, and Florida had come
to Toronto to plant trees!
The conclave also stayed true to its roots with these
popular traditions:
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Silly mixers, junk food, and card games to put everyone in the right
mood.
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Workshops on topics ranging from Jewish literacy to social activism.
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The havdala service, this year led by Rabbi Ben Biber and followed by a
spirited discussion on the rights of sexual minorities.
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The Saturday night talent show, complete with the requisite performance
of the moose song and Jared Conrad-Bradshaw’s rendition of the infamous clown
joke.
- Deborah
Rose, 2004 Young Adult Conference Coordinator and Board Representative
For More Information and Registration
contact: Society for Humanistic Judaism at (248) 478-7610 or e-mail info@shj,org. All
teens must submit a medical consent form and responsibility form. No teen will
be permitted to attend the conclave if SHJ has not received signed originals of
these forms.
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