NAASE – The North American Association of Synagogue Executives

Conference Overview:

Embrace Tradition. Build Tomorrow.

This year’s NAASE conference brings Executive Directors together at a moment of profound change and possibility. Across the field, we’re being asked to hold the weight of history while leading communities through shifting expectations, evolving technologies, and new models of Jewish engagement.

This gathering is designed to meet that moment with substance, strategy, and soul. Nowhere else will you find this blend of practical skill-building, real-world case studies, and conversations that speak directly to the work—and the world—you’re navigating.

Across three days, you’ll learn from top thinkers, sharpen tools you’ll use the minute you get home, and reconnect with colleagues who understand your life better than anyone. The conference app (launching after registration) will guide you through the full schedule, speakers, and session selections.

Not Keynotes, Turning Points:

Monday with Bill Fox:
Israel and the Facts – How Did We Get Here?

A clear, compelling overview of Jewish history and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—giving you the essential facts and context to lead with confidence.

Renowned civic leader, legal scholar, and international entrepreneur, Bill Fox serves on the national boards of FIDF, Israel Bonds, and AIPAC, and is a sought-after educator on Israel and Jewish history.

The Jewish people first settled in the land of Israel over 3,000 years ago. Exiled and scattered throughout the world repeatedly, we endured unimaginable atrocities while maintaining a deep connection and longing for the land of Israel. In 1948, after 2,000 years, we reestablished our homeland in the Levant as the State of Israel and made it a refuge for all Jews. This one-hour talk will provide a concise, fact-based historical overview of the Jewish people, the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and an exploration of the complex chain of events that created the current reality. This talk and discussion will provide a foundational understanding of the facts and equip participants with the essential facts and historical context needed to engage thoughtfully on the subject.

William Z. Fox is co-founder and Executive Committee Chairman of REXTAR.com, an Internet marketplace for buying and selling residential real estate. He is also Chairman and CEO of traditional real estate auction firms Fox Residential Auctions, LLC, and Fox Commercial Auctions, LLC. He was Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of GoIndustry-DoveBid, plc, an international Internet-based asset disposition, valuation and management company headquartered in London with offices in 25 countries throughout the world. Prior to its acquisition by Liquidity Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: LQDT), GoIndustry-DoveBid was a public company listed on the London Stock Exchange. Mr. Fox is a professional auctioneer, co-author of the book SOLD! The Professional Guide to Real Estate Auctions, and an inductee of the National Auctioneers Hall of Fame. He is also a lawyer, a licensed real estate broker, and his business background includes a 5-year career in the securities industry as a senior executive and board member of two New York Stock Exchange brokerages. In addition to his business activities, Mr. Fox is a member of the National Board of Directors of the Friends of Israel Defense Forces (FIDF), the National Board of the Development Corporation for Israel (Israel Bonds), and the Baltimore Board of the America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). He is also active on the boards of numerous civic, charitable, and religious organizations. Mr. Fox attended the University of North Carolina and Johns Hopkins University, and received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Baltimore School of Law. He and his wife Myra live in Baltimore, Maryland, and have four daughters and ten grandchildren.

Tuesday with Dr. Sarah Rubinson Levy:
Tradition Meets Tomorrow – AI and the Synagogue

An interactive, values-driven series of workshops that demystifies AI and equips you with synagogue-specific tools to streamline operations and spark innovation.

A national voice in Jewish education and organizational development, Dr. Sarah Rubinson Levy is a TEDx speaker, AI expert, and former head of school whose work integrates Jewish values with modern tools for impact.

Session 1 – Tradition Meets Tomorrow: AI as a Partner in Synagogue Leadership

Purpose: Build foundational understanding and spark possibility.

Content:

  • The current state of AI: What it is, how it works, and why it matters now.
  • Real-world synagogue use cases: from automating routine tasks to supporting member engagement.
  • How Jewish values and tradition can guide our adoption of new technologies.
  • Hands-on exploration: Participants experiment with prompts relevant to their work (e.g., drafting member emails, creating event descriptions, generating policy outlines).

Takeaway: Participants leave with a baseline understanding of generative AI, examples of immediate workplace applications, and at least three customized prompts they can use right away.

Session 2 – Keeping AI Human: Values-Aligned Usage in the Synagogue Context

Purpose: Ensure adoption is ethical, mission-driven, and safe.

Content:

  • Understanding bias, misinformation, and limitations in AI tools.
  • Exploring Jewish ethical principles that apply to technology adoption.
  • Frameworks for values-based AI usage and synagogue-appropriate policy guidelines.
  • Small-group work: Apply the framework to real synagogue scenarios (communications, HR, member care, education).

Takeaway: A draft values-based AI usage guide customized for synagogue work.

Session 3 – AI Sandbox: Experiment, Collaborate, Innovate

Purpose: Give participants space and support to apply what they’ve learned.

Content:

  • Guided “sandbox” time with live coaching: participants bring real tasks (e.g., event flyers, donor communications, board updates) and work alongside peers and the facilitator to complete them using AI tools.
  • Peer sharing of discoveries and ideas.
  • Closing conversation: integrating AI into daily work while keeping the focus on the human connections that make synagogue life vibrant.

Takeaway: A personalized “AI Toolkit for Executive Directors” including prompts, recommended tools, and strategies tested during the session.

Dr. Levy brings academic expertise, Jewish communal experience, and national thought leadership—including a TEDx talk and training work across the field.

Wednesday with Avi Olitzky:
The Courage to Name It – Leading Change Through Hard Conversations

A powerful framework for approaching difficult conversations with clarity and purpose—transforming silence into alignment and trust.

Nationally respected strategist and former senior rabbi of one of North America’s largest synagogues, Avi Olitzky helps Jewish organizations navigate change with integrity, clarity, and mission-driven strategy.

Jewish communal leaders face deep challenges: balancing tradition with modernity, responding to shifting member expectations, addressing security and financial realities, and navigating generational divides. Too often, hard conversations are delayed or avoided out of fear—yet silence erodes trust faster than disagreement.

In this keynote, Avi Olitzky reframes these tough conversations as sacred opportunities to strengthen community integrity and resilience. Drawing on practical examples and grounded in Jewish values, Avi offers a framework for moving from avoidance to alignment, empowering leaders to speak with clarity, listen deeply, and act decisively.

Participants will leave prepared to lead necessary conversations about identity, change, and the future—without losing themselves or their community’s core.

Learning Objectives
Identify why avoided conversations undermine community trust and engagement.
Apply a structured framework to approach difficult topics with clarity and confidence.
Develop practical strategies for transforming disagreement into alignment and collective action.

Avi Olitzky is the President and Principal Consultant of Olitzky Consulting Group. He is a nationally respected strategist, speaker, and consultant who helps associations, synagogues, and nonprofits in general navigate change and position themselves for long-term success. His career began in the pulpit, serving as senior rabbi of one of the largest synagogues in North America—an experience that shaped his deep understanding of leadership, legacy, and the complex dynamics of member-centered communities. As founder and president of Olitzky Consulting Group, Avi partners with boards and executive teams to reimagine membership value, modernize governance, and unlock new revenue opportunities. He is known for helping organizations balance tradition with innovation, always grounded in mission alignment, cultural sensitivity, and measurable outcomes. Avi is currently working on a new book, How to Be a Toxic Board Chair, which draws on real-world leadership challenges through storytelling to illustrate common pitfalls—and offers practical takeaways to help board chairs lead with greater intention and impact. He was recently invited to serve on the faculty of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management. Whether leading strategic planning, facilitating board retreats, or keynoting regional and national conferences, Avi challenges leaders to think differently, ask sharper questions, and lead with clarity in complex times. His insights are shaped by lived experience, rigorous analysis, and a commitment to helping organizations build not just sustainability—but meaning.