Why so many conferences in the Jewish world?

In one of the larger Jewish-related events of the year, more than 1,500 people as well as an impressive lineup of political and thought leaders convened for the Jerusalem Post newspaper’s annual conference in New York on June 7. But why was an Israeli newspaper hosting a conference on American soil, and why does the Jewish world put on conferences to begin with?

A conference “is a powerful way to engage people,” says Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) spokeswoman Rebecca Dinar. 

Yet in an increasingly digital age, with news and speeches at practically anyone’s fingertips through a simple Web search, are brick-and-mortar conferences likely to remain a staple of the American Jewish immersive experience? Dinar believes so.

Dinar says that conferences generally achieve at least one of two goals: getting a community to focus on ideas important to the host organization, or getting the ideas of a community out to a larger audience.

“A conference has the potential to propel a cause forward,” she says.

In the case of the recent Jerusalem Post conference—or the Times of Israel gala, which took place earlier this year—the goals might be slightly different, says Steve Rabinowitz, founder of the Bluelight Strategies public relations firm and White House director of design and production under former president Bill Clinton. In his role as a messaging, marketing, and media outreach and relations professional, Rabinowitz has watched (or helped) dozens of Jewish conferences grow and evolve.  

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) hosts the largest annual conference of any Jewish-American organization, with 15,000 attending the latest iteration in March. Major organizations ranging from the Anti-Defamation League to Chabad-Lubavitch also hold annual conferences, with Chabad’s event focusing on gathering its emissaries serving communities around the world. JFNA’s annual General Assembly (GA) draws around 5,000 people.

“But I do not think [the] J Post or Times of Israel [conferences] serve the same purpose,” Rabinowitz tells JNS.org. “Those are branding opportunities.”