To help parents, educators and youth workers better understand the spiritual dangers that students will eventually face, Jews for Judaism will be convening a special conference on Sunday, Dec. 11 from 9.30 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Empowering Our Students conference will be held at Shaarei Tefillah Congregation, 3600 Bathurst St.

A recent survey of Jewish students in Grades 7-12 revealed that 65 per cent experienced some attempt to convert them to another religion.

This conference will feature four modules that will provide attendees with valuable resources to help strengthen Jewish youth.

Self-esteem issues are among the most significant risk factors in the profile of vulnerability. Motivational speaker Adrienne Gold will be sharing her insights on fashion and body-image pressures that students bring to the classroom. She is a former “insider” who was a fixture on Canadian television who hosted her own successful daily style show. She will discuss the barrage of messages that children receive from the media and how they are impacted. Gold’s Reclaiming Self-Esteem in the Glare of the Media will enable participants to better understand their charges and provide healthy direction.

Mike Kropveld, founding executive director of Info-Cult – a Montreal-based organization that is the largest resource centre of its kind in Canada dealing with cult awareness – will be leading an interactive session entitled, Cults: Choice or Manipulation? Attendees will see how people can be led to suspend their critical thinking and ultimately be recruited into destructive organizations by skilled manipulators. Techniques will be shared to help parents and teachers empower their students to be more “street-smart” and less vulnerable to those seeking to influence them.

Rabbi Craig Miller, who is the director of Jewish Communal Spiritual Care for the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, will be present Winning the Battle for the Jewish Soul. This session will clarify the dynamics of how missionaries work to influence Jews and why so many are vulnerable to their lure. Rabbi Miller will be sharing a unique insider’s perspective on this issue, as he himself was converted to Christianity while a student at university.

Rabbi Michael Skobac, director of education of Jews for Judaism, will present the final workshop on Conveying the Spirituality of Judaism. Years of research have revealed that virtually all Jews who come to embrace other religions report that they never experienced Judaism as a path for spiritual growth or as a way of connecting with God. Rabbi Skobac will explore the spiritual richness and vibrancy of Judaism and offer practical suggestions on how to share these ideas with students.

The Empowering Our Students conference promises to be a unique opportunity for parents, teachers and youth workers to gain invaluable tools to help inoculate their students against some of the serious challenges they are facing and will be increasingly facing in years to come.

There is no charge for attending this special conference, and lunch will be provided. Advanced registration is required and anyone interested in attending this program may contact Jews for Judaism at (905) 761-0040.