We are working to build an event in which each participant:
- Feels valued as an individual.
- Can identify a welcoming spirit adopted by all organizers and presenters as their posture.
- Sees presenters leading with respect and honor for all participants.
- Can be confident that all staff, regardless of role, are treated with equal care and concern.
- Feels that they matter to others and are essential to the conference mandate and vision.
- Understands that the conference is built with a belonging lens that keeps in mind the personal, communal and environment itself and that acceptance, sharing and mutual responsibility are paramount to the entirety of the conference.
Leading Edge presents JPro25 in partnership with Jewish Federations of North America will gather 1,000 Jewish professionals in Baltimore, MD from May 5-7, 2025. We will celebrate the rich diversity within our sector and welcome professionals of all races, cultures, faiths, genders, sexual identities, and abilities. JPro25 is intended to honor the vital work of our field and provide an opportunity for us to come together to learn and connect. JPro25 aims to foster a culture of belonging for all people within our communal spaces while bridging across social groups to deepen our understanding and appreciation for one another.
Organizers, presenters, and volunteers at every level will incorporate belonging best practices into the processes, curation and content of JPro25 – from recruitment and marketing to decision-making for each program component. Together, we will assume a posture of empathy at every opportunity, and this posture should be evident in our interactions, our program, our communications, and all other aspects of the conference experience. JPro25 staff, chairs, and host committee will share ownership, collective power, and shared responsibility at all stages of implementation. As part of the belonging framework, there will be opportunities to meet in affinity groups during the conference.
We’re so proud of our approach to belonging at our last conference, JPro22: Going Places, Together in partnership with JFNA. Check out these articles, “Cleveland conference mirrored Jewish demographics – by design,” authored by Gamal J. Palmer and Stacey Aviva Flint, and “Equity by Design: Behind the Scenes,” authored by Ilana Aisen. We look forward to ensuring that belonging is ingrained into every aspect of JPro25.
If you have any questions about our commitment or approach to belonging, please reach out to us at jpro25@leadingedge.org.