SAVE THE DATE!
2026 SLBC International Conference
February 15-17, 2026

HOW WILL SLBC IMPACT YOU?

Education and Inspiration, Grounded in Strategic Planning

The SLBC International Conference (Songleader Boot Camp), provides powerful Jewish leadership training for clergy, Jewish educators, religious and day school teachers, family engagement and early childhood specialists, teen leaders, Jewish camping staff, veteran and new songleaders, and volunteer/lay leaders. Led by nationally renowned Jewish thought leaders, educators, and music artists, SLBC teaches participants specific skills and strategies to inspire transformative change in their Jewish communities. At SLBC, education and inspiration are grounded in strategic planning.

SLBC programs include the SLBC International Conference and SLBC Day of Leadership regional conferences, individual coaching, and leadership training seminars for synagogues, synagogue board of directors, and Jewish conferences.

The SLBC International Conference, held every February over President’s Day weekend, features a wide range of dynamic courses that explore a holistic approach to powerful and effective leadership in the Jewish world. The conference experience is soaked in inspirational Jewish music and communal singing. Participants do not need to sing or play an instrument to fully experience ALL that SLBC has to offer. Music is just one of many vehicles for connection and inspiration that is explored at SLBC conferences.

 SLBC is a national signature initiative of the St. Louis Jewish Community Center.

  • Engage in intensive, super-charged learning with nationally respected Jewish educators, thought-leaders and music artists
  • Become a more effective and engaging presenter and public speaker
  • Create meaningful connections from the bima, in synagogue hallways, at camp, and in all aspects of synagogue life
  • Collaborate with a community of like-minded Jewish professionals
  • Utilize music as a powerful, educational and inspirational vehicle. You don’t need to be a musician!
  • Learn dynamic and relevant ways to reach specific age demographics
  • Acquire new and exciting repertoire

2025 SLBC Educators & Presenters

view profile

Rob Aronson

view profile

Daniel Barash

view profile

Dana Bederson

view profile

Rabbi Cecelia Beyer

view profile

Miriam Bird

view profile

Joe Buchanan

view profile

Matthew Check

view profile

Cantor Carol Chesler

view profile

Rabbi Noah Diamondstein

view profile

Rabbi Rebecca Dubowe

view profile

Hazzan Joanna Dulkin

view profile

Rabbi Dr. Koach Baruch Frazier

view profile

Carla Friend

view profile

Rabbi Yosef Goldman

view profile

Hannah Gundersheim

view profile

Alex Hogan

view profile

Rabbi Brad Horwitz

view profile

Rabbi David Ingber

view profile

Billy Jonas

view profile

Shira Kline

view profile

Charlie Kramer

view profile

Jordan Lawrence

view profile

Rabbi Sandra Lawson

view profile

Naomi Less

view profile

Rabbi Annie Lewis

view profile

Eliana Light

view profile

Shahanna McKinney Baldon

view profile

Chava Mirel

view profile

Craig Parks

view profile

Mikey Pauker

view profile

Jay Rapoport

view profile

Elisa Heiligman Recht

view profile

Rick Recht

view profile

Greta Rosenstock

view profile

Rabbi Isaiah Joseph Rothstein

view profile

Rabbi Joel Seltzer

view profile

Rabbi Scott Shafrin

view profile

Cantor Shimon Smith

view profile

Rabbi Susan Talve

view profile

Zoey Waldman-Schein

view profile

Rabbi Josh Warshawsky

view profile

Naomi Wilansky

view profile

Morgan Zweibel

View Our
Past Presenters

Course Offerings at SLBC

At the SLBC International Conference, participants have the option to organize their learning experience by attending workshops associated with one or more tracks. Tracks include Worship Leading, Jewish Educator, Early Childhood, Songleader, Inclusion, and Mindfulness & Movement. Tracks are meant to be a helpful guide for participants when weighing the many elective sessions offered at SLBC; participants can attend ANY session regardless of whether they ‘identify’ with a particular track.

Chavurot, such as the SLBC Staenberg Teen Chavurah, Atid: The SLBC Middle/Day School Chavurah, and  SLBC Ramah Chavurah, are cohorts that have their own independent programming during the conference in addition to attending many of the elective sessions. Some Chavurot sessions are open to all SLBC participants; sessions listed as “Closed” in the schedule are meant exclusively for members of that Chavurah.

During the registration process, SLBC Teen Chavurah and Ramah Chavurah participants can indicate they were pre-selected for those Chavurot on their registration form. Pre-teens in Grades 6-8 who indicate they are in middle school will automatically be added to Atid: The SLBC Middle/Day School Chavurah. View last year’s SLBC International Conference schedule.

Worship Leaders

The Worship Leader Track was created to support the spiritual, educational, and professional goals of worship leaders including rabbis, cantors, Jewish educators, teens, songleaders, and lay leaders.

read more…

Jewish Educators

All SLBC attendees are Jewish educators. Some teach on the bima, at synagogue, in classrooms, at camp, at youth group events, in song, or other areas of Jewish life.

read more…

Songleaders

Jewish songleaders are some of the most powerful educators and leaders in Jewish life. From its inception, SLBC has featured a diverse offering of courses for both new and veteran song leaders.

read more…

Early Childhood Educators

SLBC offers a variety of courses for individuals who work with young children and their families. Courses in the track focus on leadership skills, strategies, and resources that are particularly unique to this demographic.  read more…

Atid: Middle/Day School Chavurah

In 2018, SLBC launched the Atid: The SLBC Middle/Day School Chavurah for students in Grades 6-8 read more…

Ramah Chavurah

For more than a decade, Ramah campers and staff have gathered to be part of the annual SLBC Ramah Chavurah for 3 days of immersive learning, tefilah, strategic road-mapping, songleadership, and spiritual exploration at the SLBC International Conference.

read more…

Staenberg Teen Chavurah

With gracious support from the Staenberg Family Foundation, SLBC is excited to continue the SLBC Teen Chavurah. Led this year by Craig Parks, the goal of the Teen Chavurah program is to build strong, vibrant, future leaders of the Jewish world.

read more…

Sign Up for the SLBC Newsletter


    Got a question? Get in touch 🙂