OLAM

AFTER THREE YEARS OF ONLINE AND HYBRID EVENTS, FOCAL POINT IS BACK IN PERSON!

Focal Point 2023 invite

OLAM’s annual Focal Point conference is an exclusive opportunity for Jewish and Israeli individuals and organizations engaged in international development, humanitarian aid, and global service to network, exchange ideas and best practices, and celebrate their shared commitment to serving the world’s most vulnerable individuals.

May 8 – 9
Georgetown Marriott Hotel
Washington, DC

REGISTER NOW

This year’s Focal Point will include:

Pre-matched “braindates” that will allow you to share your expertise, and learn from others, in an intimate setting

Meaningful conversations about our role as a Jewish community in addressing global issues

Meetings with DC leaders in international development and in the Jewish community

Mentor and mentee opportunities

And so much more!

WHY IS FOCAL POINT FOR YOU?

Focal Point is where you can network and connect with OLAM partners and individual members, and other practitioners from around the world, within a Jewish context.

Meet others working in your field, sector, and geographic region, to discuss partnerships, as well as share challenges, successes, and best practices.

Explore the unique opportunities and challenges of working as a Jew in this sector.

Highlight your own organization’s activities, programs, and projects.

Not sure if you’re an OLAM partner? Check our list of partners. We welcome diverse participation from partner staff at all levels – including headquarters and field staff – and encourage you to let your colleagues know about Focal Point.

Not yet an individual member? Find out if you’re eligible!

Meet Jews and Israelis who are supporting some of the most vulnerable populations across the globe. Think together about the Jewish community’s role in addressing the climate crisis, refugees, and more.

Learn new ways to engage your constituents with global issues, through a Jewish lens.

Discover volunteer, study, and fellowship opportunities to share with young Jewish adults in your network.

Network with practitioners on all levels and from all sectors, as you learn about the fields of international development, humanitarian aid, and global volunteering.

Be matched with a mentor, get practical tips on job searching within OLAM’s network and beyond, and meet the people who can become your peers, colleagues, and counterparts.

Pick the brain of senior international development practitioners, and share your own expertise, during our “braindates.”

REGISTRATION RATES

OLAM partners & individual members*	$250
Everyone else	$350

The registration fee is non-refundable and covers conference attendance and all meals.

*Thanks to the generous support of OLAM’s funders, we are able to offer up to 2 nights of accommodation in a double-occupancy room at the Georgetown Marriott hotel for the first 120 partners and individual members who register for Focal Point. Please note this is only available to those outside of the DC area. In addition, partners that send more than 3 staff members to Focal Point are eligible for a group discount of 15% per person – to be reimbursed to the organization after Focal Point.

Travel to and from Focal Point is the responsibility of each participant. A limited pool of need-based travel subsidies is available. See details in the Logistics and FAQ sections below.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: APRIL 10

FOCAL POINT AGENDA*

*The agenda is under development. Check back for updates.

SPEAKERS & BRAINDATES

Check back in as we update our confirmed speakers list.

Jonathan Arogeti

Humanitarian Planning & Communications Manager, CARE USA

Jenette Axelrod

Director, Global Programs, JDC Entwine

Robert Bank

CEO, American Jewish World Service

Robert Beiser

Director, Strategic Initiative on Sex Trafficking, Polaris

Shoshana Boyd Gelfand

Director of Leadership & Learning, Pears Foundation

Andy Bryant

Executive Director, Segal Family Foundation

Yonatan Bukhdruker

Project Manager, Pears Program for Global Innovation

Aldrin Calixte

Executive Secretary, Haiti Survie

Joel Charny

Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) Advisory Group

ChatGPT

Artificial Intelligence

Rabbi Jessy Dressin

Senior Director of Jewish Education, Repair the World

Larry Garber

Independent Consultant

Yovav Gavish

Israel Representative, World Bank Group

Tigist Girma

Director of Localization, HIAS

Amanda Glassman

Executive VP & Senior Fellow, Center for Global Development

Marci Harris-Blumenthal

Director of Global Programs, AJC Project Interchange

Laura Hendy

Climate & Resilience Programmes Manager, World Jewish Relief

Rachel Jacoby Rosenfield

Executive Vice President, Shalom Hartman Institute of North America

Jerrold Keilson

Senior Director, Arizona State University's Global Implementation and Impact Unit

Leora Klapper

Lead Economist, Finance & Private Sector Research Team of the Development Research Group, World Bank

Shawn Landres

Founder, UA Support Teams (UAST) - Ukranian Grassroots Network

Abby Levine

Executive Director, Jewish Social Justice Roundtable

Rabbi Yonatan Neril

Founder & Executive Director, Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development

Ernest Ngabonzima

Senior Consultant and Head of Research & Business Development, FATE

Tanyah Murkes

CEO, Society for International Development-Israel

Yotam Polizer

CEO, IsraAID

Katherine Raphaelson

President, Society for International Development-US

Shiri Sandler

Managing Director, Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village

Rabbi Sid Schwarz

Senior Fellow, Hazon

Leora Ward

Gender in Emergencies Director, CARE USA

USEFUL INFO

Venue
The conference will take place in the centrally located Washington Marriott Georgetown Hotel, 1221 22nd St NW, Washington, DC. (Scroll down to “Getting Here” on the hotel’s website, for tips and information on getting to the hotel from local airports, and nearby metro, bus, and train stations.) Explore the area:

Hotel Subsidies
OLAM will cover up to 2 nights of accommodation in a double-occupancy room at the Georgetown Marriott Hotel for the first 120 partners and individual members who register. (Please note this subsidy is only available to those who live outside of the DC area.) The subsidized nights are Sunday, May 7 and Monday, May 8.

There is an option to upgrade at your own cost. Details can be found in the registration form.

Those who receive the hotel subsidy, OLAM will book the hotel for you. You need not call the hotel to make a reservation.

All other participants are responsible for their own accommodations, at the Marriott Georgetown hotel or elsewhere.

Travel Subsidies
Travel to and from Focal Point is the responsibility of each participant. However, as OLAM is committed to making Focal Point as accessible as possible, we have procured a limited pool of need-based travel subsidies, ranging from $200-$1,200.

Priorities will be given to:

> partner organizations with a budget below $1 million USD

> individual members traveling from outside the US East Coast, and/or

> young Jewish professionals (up to the age of 35) who are engaged in international development.

As OLAM divides up these subsidies, we will strive for an equal distribution of partner organization representation. Complete this travel subsidy request form to apply. OLAM will respond to your request within 1 week.

All travel subsidies will be paid as reimbursements, following Focal Point.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Focal Point offers many opportunities for those within the OLAM network and beyond, to meaningfully engage in international development and global Jewish responsibility. Participants benefit from:

Pre-matched “braindates” that will allow you to share your expertise, and learn from others, in an intimate setting
Meaningful conversations about our role as a Jewish community in addressing global issues
Meetings with DC leaders in international development and in the Jewish community
Opportunities to mentor someone interested in the field of international development, or to meet a mentor!

And much more!

Check our list of partners to see if your organization is part of the OLAM network.

All staff of partners on this list can access the Focal Point subsidies!

OLAM’s individual membership is open to Jewish practitioners working in the fields of international development, humanitarian assistance, and global service. Members are employees of a non-sectarian (not Jewish) organization or company, or they’re independent consultants, entrepreneurs, retired, or in between positions, with a minimum of 2 years of work experience in these fields or have graduated from a degree related to international development.

Learn more and become an individual member.

In order to take part in Focal Point, you must register by the April 10th deadline.

Our hope is that you are fully present for the entire conference. Trust us, you’ll be happy to not miss a thing!

OLAM is committed to taking steps to minimize our impact on the environment whenever possible, even for international gatherings. For Focal Point, we have taken the following actions:

Limiting conference swag
Reducing paper printing and single-use materials as much as possible
Offering only vegetarian food and being mindful of food waste

We recognize that there is always room for improvement, and we will continue to seek ways to minimize our carbon footprint.

All food served at the conference will be vegetarian and strictly kosher.

There is no dress code for Focal Point. We suggest business-casual attire for the daytime and business-formal attire for Monday evening’s dinner and reception.

OLAM will cover up to 2 nights of accommodation in a double-occupancy room at the Georgetown Marriott hotel for the first 120 partners and individual members who register. (Please note this subsidy is only available to those who live outside of the DC area.) The subsidized nights are Sunday, May 7 and Monday, May 8. Details can be found on the registration form.

Partners that send more than 3 staff members to Focal Point are eligible for a group discount of 15% – to be reimbursed to the organization after Focal Point.

In addition, a limited pool of need-based travel subsidies is available. Complete this travel subsidy request form to apply.

The health and safety of Focal Point attendees is OLAM’s top priority. To that end, we encourage all attendees who are eligible and able, to be up to date on their Covid-19 vaccinations and boosters per current guidance of your home country before attending. We also encourage masking as a means of reducing the risk of transmission of Covid-19 and other illnesses, at the discretion of attendees.

In addition, we ask attendees who are not feeling well not to travel to Focal Point. If an attendee feels unwell or displays symptoms during the meeting, we recommend testing and refraining from contact with others.