2023 San Diego Convention
June 26 to 28, 2023
Rancho Bernardo Inn, San Diego, California
Join us June 26-28, 2023 for the long-awaited San Diego convention. Relax, heal, learn, engage, and be inspired with colleagues and friends, old and new. Throughout the convention, we will explore the idea of transitions. These past years have been a time of so much change for each one of us. How has this changed us? How has it affected our congregations and communities? What sort of healing or guidance do we need? How can we explore these new horizons, share our challenges and grow together? We need one another now more than ever! We are looking forward to being together in Rancho Bernardo!
ACC and GTM communities will find renewal in praying together and rejuvenation in learning from our Scholar-In-Residence, Rabbi Jonathan P. Slater, Co-Director of Programs of The Institute for Jewish Spirituality. Rabbi Slater cultivates mindful leadership among rabbis, cantors and Jewish leaders through retreat based and other study programs, grounded in Jewish texts and traditions, to transform Jewish life.
Click here to register today!
Registration continues with subsidized rates through May 20, 2023. Download the latest draft schedule here.
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Transitions
Oxford Languages and Google define transition as:
tran·si·tion
/tranˈziSH(ə)n/
As a noun: transition; plural noun: transitions
the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another. similar nouns: change, move, passage, transformation, conversion, adaptation, alteration, changeover
As a verb: transition; 3rd person present: transitions; past tense: transitioned; past participle: transitioned; gerund or present participle: transitioning
undergo or cause to undergo a process or period of transition.
As a theme for our San Diego Convention:
Darkness to light - light to darkness.
From illness to health
From grief to resolution
From disagreements to resolution
From school to career
From career to retirement
Transition is a daily part of our everyday life. Nothing stays the same. Join us in San Diego as we explore transition in our lives, our profession, our homes, and our world. With our Scholar-in-Residence, Rabbi Jonathan Slater, and through our experiences of transitional music ideas, peer led workshops, musical presentations, and prayer, we will engage in a journey to wholeness and peace.
Transition from your home to a car, an airplane, a train, and an uber to the Rancho Bernardo Inn and transition with your known colleagues and new friends into a setting of learning, eating, praying and rejoicing.
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Hotel, Schedule and Registration Details, including Pre-Paid Registration and Sponsorship information
HOTEL DETAILS
Rancho Bernardo Inn is a retreat-like setting in beautiful San Diego County.
Hotel Rooms are $260 per night inclusive of tax for up to double occupancy (with no resort fee!). Free self-parking. Discounted golf and spa services are available.
Guest Rooms: Note that the hotel rooms are on the first or second floor of "walk up" buildings. If you require a first-floor room, please note it on your registration. There is a charge of $40.00 per night for more than two people in a room. Children 17 years and under may share their parent's room at no additional charge.
All hotel reservations must be made through the Ayelet Tours system as part of your conference registration. For airline discounts, visit the ACC website.
PRE-PAID REGISTRATION INFORMATION
If you have funds on deposit with Ayelet Tours from the 2020 cancelled convention, you must use those funds for this ACC-GTM Convention or a future tour with Ayelet such as the ACC Mission to Poland and Prague. If you have funds on deposit with the ACC, you may use those funds for this convention or any future convention. If you wish to use those funds, on the registration payment page, select "I will be sending a check..." and you will be contacted by the ACC office to finalize arrangements. If you need to check your funds on deposit balance, please contact the ACC office.
SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION
The ACC-GTM Convention relies upon the generosity of our partners, local business, our friends, supporters, and members to financially support our events. We invite you to show your support to our organization by sponsoring an portion of our convention. All underwriting helps to make our conventions more affordable for our members. Click for more information. Thank you in advance for your generous support.
PARTICIPATION INFORMATION
You will have the opportunity to volunteer to participate in various components of the convention through the online form. As programs need to be finalized in the coming months, priority is often given to those who register during the early bird time period.
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
The scholarship application process is closed.
SCHEDULE INFORMATION
This year’s convention will begin midday Monday, June 26 and continue through the closing banquet on Wednesday, June 28. The schedule has been designed so both “local” participants driving from surrounding areas and attendees flying to the West Coast should be able to arrive on Monday morning in time for the of programming. Limited hotel rooms are available for Sunday arrivals. Click here to download the draft schedule.
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Scholar in Residence: Rabbi Jonathan Slater and his keynote address, "These are the journeys of our lives"
Rabbi Jonathan P. Slater is Co-Director of Programs of The Institute for Jewish Spirituality, cultivating mindful leadership among rabbis, cantors and Jewish leaders through retreat based and other study programs, grounded in Jewish texts and traditions, to transform Jewish life. He was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and has served congregations in New York and California. He received a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Pacific School of Religion where he studied the nature of rabbinic authority among Conservative rabbis.
He is one of the founding teachers at Makom: Center for Mindfulness at the JCC in Manhattan, leading meditation and other programs there, and teaches Jewish mindfulness meditation in other venues. In addition, he was a Synagogue 2000 Fellow, writing curricular materials and serving as a consultant.
Rabbi Slater has served congregations in Northern California, in particular as rabbi of Congregation Beth Ami in Santa Rosa for nineteen years. During that time he was involved in many community projects including those specifically related to the Jewish community (Jewish Community Federation allocations committees; opening the local office of Jewish Family and Children’s Service) and the community at large (on the Board of Social Advocates for Youth, providing short-term counseling for teens and families; the United Way; President of the Interfaith Ministerial Association; Head of the Santa Rosa Hate Free Community Project).
He is the author of A Partner in Holiness: Deepening Mindfulness, Practicing Compassion and Enriching Our Lives through the Wisdom of R. Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev’s Kedushat Levi, published by Jewish Lights (summer 2014). His book, Mindful Jewish Living: Compassionate Practice was published by Aviv Press in 2004 (available through the Institute for Jewish Spirituality). Rabbi Slater has also contributed essays and articles in various books and journals.
Learn about Rabbi Slater's keynote address, "These are the journeys of our lives" by downloading this PDF.
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Chai Tide with Cantor Billy Tiep: Surfing in San Diego on Monday Morning
8 a.m. departure. $180 per person
Have you ever wanted to stand up on a wave? Have you ever wanted to become one with the ocean? Surfing is a way to strengthen our connection to the natural environment and the divine. We will look, feel and experience the ocean together from the beach and in the water. Learn from experienced surfers the technique of standing up on a wave and receive the power of what the ocean has to offer us.
We will be renting surf boards and wetsuits from the surf school and finish our morning with an iconic San Diego lunch. Space is limited! Transportation will be leaving from Rancho Bernardo Inn at approximately 8 a.m. We will return around noon in time to change for our 1 p.m. Convention kick off!
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Exhibitor Information
The ACC and GTM are excited to welcome exhibitors back to our convention this year. Click here to visit our Exhibitor and Sponsor List. We will have an Exhibitor Hall in the Avalon Ballroom building. Exhibitors will be open Monday afternoon, Tuesday and Wednesday through the closing banquet. For Exhibitor Registration information, click here. ACC and GTM members are welcome to "add on" an exhibitor space to your convention registration for $100.
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The Rancho Bernardo Niggun
Thanks to ACC member, Cantor Natalie Young, the ACC-GTM San Diego Convention at the Rancho Bernardo Inn has its very own Niggun! As we count down to the end of Early Bird Registration, we hope you will take the opportunity to listen to the melody and be inspired to register to join us in San Diego!
“I was leading a women’s retreat at the Rancho Bernardo Inn and woke up with this song in my head,” commented Natalie. “I introduced it at the morning program, and it stuck.” And so was written the Rancho Bernardo Niggun!
You can find a link to a YouTube recording here as well as the sheet music here. We invite you to become familiar with the piece and help it prepare you to transition to “convention mindset” as you register to join us in San Diego this summer!
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2023 Composer's Workshop Submission Information
On behalf of the Convention Committee and the 2023 Composer's Workshop Committee, I am delighted to announce a call for submissions to the Composer’s Workshop at the 2023 ACC-GTM Convention in San Diego. The 2023 Composer's Workshop Committee is Boaz Dorot, Cantor Laurie Akers, Cantor Ben Ellerin, and chair, Dave Schlossberg.
For all of the information, please visit the submission form here. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to me via email at davewave31@hotmail.com.
We look forward to hearing your beautiful music!
Dave Schlossberg, Chair of the Composer’s Workshop, 2023 ACC-GTM Convention
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Stories of Music - The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music: Sharing the sounds and stories that embody the American Jewish experience
In a series of bite sized mini-classes, pieces of the Stories of Music curriculum will punctuate the San Diego ACC/GTM convention like a Chatzi Kaddish, providing a transition from one section from another and directing our thoughts on a new journey. These mini-classes are derived from a full and substantive program that Cantors and music educators across the nation are using to engage congregants and constituents to think about their lives and histories in America in new and different ways.
Stories of Music is a turnkey adult education project of the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience at The UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Their goal is to provide easy to deliver, fully prepared lessons on a broad range of musically related topics. Each lesson is designed to engage participants in adult education programs to think about the American Jewish experience through stories of the evolving nature of Jewish music.
Throughout the conference we will have the opportunity to learn from a variety of peers, who will make these lessons come alive for our community.
Special thanks to Dr. Mark Kligman and the Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish experience at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
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A West Coast Musical Journey
What is the journey that leads us to find our calling in life? What makes us step into the unknown, pursuing a path through the brambles and weeds of the wilderness? Moving through the transitions of our lives, how do we shape the people around us, as they in turn shape the twists and turns of our journeys?
Theatre Dybbuk and the West Coast Jewish Music Community have collaborated to create an innovative and deeply personal script that tells the story of the Jewish musicians and composers and the cantorate. In a series of freewriting exercises led by Rabbi Cantor Alison Wissot, approximately 70 cantors and Jewish artists told their stories with pen and paper. Theatre Dybbuk's artistic director Aaron Henne wove their words into a script, and Cantors Jay Frailich and Lonee Frailich crafted this into a musical and theatrical experience. Directed by Dr. John Stefano, actors in our midst will bring these stories alive.
Whether you wrote part of this script or not, cantors and Jewish musicians all over will find pieces of their own story embedded in this beautiful staged reading that you do not want to miss.
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Underwriting and Sponsorship Opportunities
Every summer, the membership of the American Conference of Cantors, together with members of the ACC's affiliate the Guild of Temple Musicians join together for our annual Conference gathering. Sponsorship opportunities are available for many of the exciting programs and workshops in which our attendees will engage. Additionally, financial sponsorship levels are also available. Click here to donate!
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2023 Tribute Journal--Honor cantors, colleagues, and friends
We invite you to honor your ACC and GTM colleagues in the 2023 Tribute show! The 2023 tribute slide show, formatted for a "widescreen" PowerPoint presentation, will be presented at every opportunity during the conference and on our organizational websites. We recommend creating your ad directly in PowerPoint. All ad files are due to the ACC office by May 15, 2023. You are invited to upload your finished file below or email it to adjournal@accantors.org.
As each computer monitor is slightly different, we suggest formatting your slide based on the PowerPoint parameters for "widescreen 16:9" resolution slides. For half or quarter page slides, we reserve the right to adjust your dimensions to fit correctly in our layout. For single line congratulatory messages, please email the recipient's name and your name. Please email your slide(s) and congratulatory messages to adjournal@accantors.org no later than May 15, 2023. Click to reserve your space!
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