By Peyton Greenberg
Guest Columnist
This past November, Jewish organizations across our community came together to launch A Year of Civil Discourse with Part One: Training in Constructive Dialogue workshops. The Year of Civil Discourse team includes Bill Altman (JCRC Chair), David Finke (JFCS CEO), Trent Spoolstra (JCRC Director), Courtney Evans (JFCS Director of Advancement), Rabbi David Ariel-Joel (The Temple), Rabbi Ben Freed (Keneseth Israel), and me. The YOCD initiative was made possible by the generous sponsorship of Marilyn Schorin. With the guidance of professional workshop trainer Michele Freed from Resetting the Table, we will hold our third and final session on Dec. 1. This means that more than 100 members of our Jewish community will have taken their initial steps of practicing constructive dialogue.
This training focuses on truly hearing one another: listening for meaning, honoring what someone is trying to express, and practicing kavod: respecting the person before they make their point. It’s a simple idea, but a transformative one.
One of the most powerful aspects of these sessions has been witnessing this transformation in real time. People who disagree deeply on difficult, emotionally charged issues sat across from one another – talking, sharing their stories, and connecting as human beings. In those moments, disagreements didn’t disappear, but something shifted. Participants discovered unexpected common ground, even if that commonality was simply a shared willingness to try. That willingness matters. It’s where trust begins.
Part One is only the beginning of a yearlong journey to strengthen our community’s resilience. These workshops alone won’t change the world, but they show our collective commitment to moving in the right direction. In a time when divisions can feel overwhelming, we choose to lean in and build skills, show up, and practice connection even when it’s difficult. And that choice matters. Choosing to participate, listen, and stay in community, especially when it would be easier to step back, is the most important step toward real, lasting change.
What makes this effort beautiful is that it doesn’t try to erase disagreement. Instead, it honors it. Our differences, our diversity of thought, and even our tensions are part of what makes us stronger. This first phase teaches us how to bridge those differences with curiosity and respect so we can grow together rather than drift apart.
I’ll be honest: I struggle with this practice just like everyone else. But the point is to keep trying, because our community is worth trying for. Showing up, reaching out, listening deeply, and connecting with people we may not know is sacred work.
The more than 100 participants who invested their time and trust in this training should be truly proud of their engagement. From this group, a smaller cohort will move on to advanced facilitator development, helping lead our community toward deeper, more constructive conversations.
Throughout 2026, we’ll host additional speakers, learning opportunities, and dialogue events — open to the entire community — to continue building on what we started in Part One. I hope even more of you will join us as we work toward a community culture that honors differences, puts people first, and celebrates the joy of coming together.
Peyton Greenberg is Strategic Initiatives & Community Engagement Director at the Jewish Federation of Louisville