“If you’re passionate about building community, the MALL Conference is the place to be,” says Denver Kollel Director Rabbi Moshe Heyman.
Together with Agudah Colorado Director Rabbi Yossi Kaplan, Rabbi Heyman recently attended the annual MALL (Midwest Agudah Lay Leadership) Conference hosted in Cleveland, Ohio. For ten years now, the Agudah of Illinois has facilitated the MALL group to maintain communication among Midwest cities as they address the various hurdles they face and share successful ideas and projects. Connecting with community leaders representing cities of all sizes allows the group to tackle common issues more effectively.
Some of the many highlights of this year’s conference included a presentation by Boruch Rothenberg of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit who gave insight into how federations operate and how to make a proper ask that would result in non-profit and communal funding. David Kushner of Amudim Community Resources from Philadelphia, PA shared important lessons in askanus and Rabbi Chaim Helman, Executive Director of Naaleh Cleveland, shared an innovative approach to addressing mental health by training trusted community clinicians and operating a subsidized community-friendly clinic. The group was also treated to a tour of the Cleveland Chesed Center by its Director, Rabbi Avrohom Adler, where they witnessed first-hand the myriad social services provided under one roof.
“It’s not well known,” says Rabbi Kaplan, “but the 2016 MALL Conference actually inspired the founding of Agudah of Colorado. Coming back each year is not only incredibly meaningful but has also inspired new initiatives to implement in Agudah of Colorado that have seen success in other cities.”