1. Community Trusteeship Overview
In many aspects of our lives, we have grown dependent on learning from others how to navigate our
own lives towards a more successful dynamic. These individual mentors, friends, or community leaders
that we look to often make significant contributions to strengthen and transform our community lives.
For example, maybe a teacher suggested you apply for a scholarship, maybe a neighbor invited you to a
networking social, or maybe a friend modeled a healthy behavior that you did not learn at home.
However significant these moments were to you, these teachers, mentors and friends were all acting as
community trustees; helping us move forward in our lives without ever really understanding their
significance to us.
This concept of community trusteeship is not one-sided we may never know our significance in the
people’s lives around us either. Becoming a community trustee is less a specific skill to be mastered than
the acceptance and active pursuit of a new way of interacting with the community. It means purposely
seeking a wider span of awareness while navigating in our shared community space.
Workshop Objective
This workshop is an opportunity for participants to explore the concept of LGBT Jewish Community
Trusteeship – the ambition to work for the common good.
Workshop Structure
This workshop is meant to:
Begin with the workshop objectives, anticipated results and an overview of the agenda
It will provide time for both group discussion and one on one interaction
Provide opportunities to observe learn and practice leadership skills.
Conclude with a summary, group feedback via written evaluations either at the end of the day or at
the end of the specific workshop.

2. Workshop Timeline
1. >2 Minutes.Welcome: provide objective, how much time we will spend on each activity, and what
folks could take away from participating
2. >5 Minutes.Introductions:w. a fitting ice breaker exercise based on how well the group already
knows each other.
3. > 2 Minutes.Introduction to Community Trusteeship:Re-State the Workshop Objective with a
different explanation i.e. It means that you are going to plan a proverbial tree that you may never
sit under. Then provide an introduction to community trusteeship and provide a concrete personal
example of how a community trustee influenced your life as a LGBT Jew.
4. >10 Minutes.Community Brainstorm:as a group lists of different communities that the group has
wanted to be a part of… church, school, arts, dog parks, popular clicks, work; gay, queer, activist
spaces… write it on a board if it is not Shabbat.
5. >20 Minutes.Worksheet Overview: Distribute the Community Trusteeship Timeline. Ask people to
draw their own history, present and future. Each crosshatch represents a decade. Show major
events in your life, as well as community activities. If sitting in a circle ask people to count
one/two/one/two and have the one’s look to the right to see their partner… or pair up with the
person sitting next to you… or do the Noah’s ark pairing - hand out a seemingly random selection of
snacks with at least two pieces in common… ask everyone to find the other person who also
received a red packaged granola bar… Have the partners discuss what they wrote.
6. >10 Minutes.Review: Ask about what people learned about their partner or themselves. Ask how
many people had an easier time looking into the past than the future. Ask the group where they
might want to go to be a community trustee. Ask for feedback if appropriate. Provide a review of
workshop briefly if appropriate.

3. Community Trusteeship Timeline
Draw*your own history, present and future. Each crosshatch represents a decade. Show major events in
your life, as well as community activities. In the sidebar, list your own “Community Trustees”, as you feel
appropriate. Once complete you will be asked to share what you wrote with another person.
Decade Life Events / Community Activities Your Trustee(s)/ Mentor(s)
1 – 10
11 -20
21 - 30
31 - 40
41 - 50
51 - 60
61 - 70
71- 80
*During Shabbat feel free not to write or draw but use this paper as a guide.