ViZionPRO Hosts First Professional Development Workshop
Over 30 individuals of all ages, various Jewish backgrounds, and strongly connected to the Zionist movement through activism or profession, gathered on May 17 in NYC for a dynamic and thought-provoking workshop, hosted by ViZionPRO. Founded in 2008 under the name ViZion, ViZionPRO is a professional development group which creates programming geared towards professionals working in Jewish/Israel/Zionist related non-profits, and is a project of the American Zionist Movement (AZM).
The first of two annual interactive half-day workshops, the goal for this seminar was to provide attendees the opportunity to learn more about navigating the world of foundation funding and communicating effectively on behalf of a cause.
Dr. David Bryfman, Director of the New Center for Collaborative Leadership and Teen Engagement (of The Jewish Education Project), skillfully moderated the sessions. David elaborated on how Zionism fits within the scope of an individual’s Jewish identity through group exercises.
During the first session, Mark Charendoff offered a greater understanding of Jewish foundations, the impact they have in the world of Jewish philanthropy and beyond, and the importance of relationship-building. Charendoff shared his experiences during his tenure as President of the Jewish Funders Network and now as president of the MSC Philanthropic Services and the Maimonides Fund. He emphasized the importance of developing personal relationships, saying that people do business with those they trust. “Money is not power. Making decisions about money is power.” And, people will be more inclined to use their power to your benefit if they know and trust you.
The seminar’s second session featured Micah Halpern, who extolled the importance of understanding the message of a cause in order to communicate it effectively. Halpern, a syndicated columnist and social and political commentator, led the group in an interactive activity where participants had to list the top five aspects of a leading Jewish cause. A major part of effective communication is to know your audience. “It is important to know when and how to change the context of your message so that it will be heard by those to whom you are speaking.” Micah echoed Mark’s sentiments by saying that it is easier to communicate your message to those who trust you.
Participants lingered at the conclusion of the workshop, reviewing topics that had come up, approaching the speakers, and networking with each other. Leora Kaufman, Chair of ViZionPro, encouraged everyone to attend future events such as one of ViZionPro’s signature Roundtables scheduled for July 12th and September 20th.
For more information about ViZionPro, contact vizionpro@azm.org or visit www.azm.org.
The winning team walked off with a meal for each team member at Hummus Place, and the second place team scooped up a large serving of gelato from 
The event, which was co-sponsored by Boston’s CJP, Masa Israel Journey, and the Consulate General of Israel to New England, was a kickoff for the newly formed Boston Israel Group – a group of Jewish, Israeli and American young adults in Boston, who care about Israel. BIG seeks to facilitate an awareness of Israel in the greater Boston area, and works specifically within the young adult community. Through a special partnership with AZM, ViZion and BIG are work together continuously to provide high quality Israel programming to Boston’s Jewish Young Adults.
Ohad Knoller, Karmit Arbel
