Kulanu-Kaifeng Speaking Tour

Event Planning Kit

2011: Shi Lei

Thank you for hosting Shi Lei in your community during his 2011 speaking tour through the United States and Canada! We have made this Event Planning Kit available online to help you coordinate a successful speaking tour presentation in your town. If you have further questions, please use our online question form and we will respond as soon as possible.

And, if you haven't already, please fill out the 2011 Kulanu-Kaifeng event details page. It's important we have this information in order to coordinate Shi Lei's travel! (Include the information you have now. You can always come back later to add or modify details.)

**Please note that the online version of this Kit, below, is the most updated copy**

Contents

  1. About the Presentation
  2. Hosting Shi Lei
  3. Promotional Materials
  4. Setup at Your Event
  5. Merchandise and Literature
  6. Expanding the Event’s Impact

I. About the Presentation

The original speaking tour announcement gives an overview of what to expect from Shi Lei's visit in your town. In general the presentation lasts 45 to 90 minutes, depending on what the group prefers. A typical schedule involves:
30-45 minutes on the history of the Jewish community of Kaifeng, with an accompanying slideshow
15-30 minutes question and answer

Before and after the presentation, we also hope you set up a table with more information about Kulanu and the Kaifeng Jews, and possibly with merchandise for sale. Merchandise sales benefit isolated and emerging Jewish communities around the world. See the Merchandise and Literature section, below, for more about table displays at your event.

To find out the latest information on Shi Lei's schedule, check out our online calendar - more details are added all the time!

To learn more about this community and Kulanu's work with them, see the Kaifeng section on Kulanu's China page at www.kulanu.org/china.

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II. Hosting Shi Lei

Itinerary: We will be sending you Shi Lei's itinerary and details of his arrival when his schedule and transportation (usually by plane or train) have been confirmed. Generally speaking, our goal will be to have him in each new location by early afternoon.
We request the name and contact information (especially cell phone number) of the person(s) picking up and dropping off Shi Lei, so he has this in case of an emergency.
Please remember that due to recent airline changes, most of his flights will not include any meal. Please pack or purchase a bag lunch for Shi Lei when he leaves your city, and check whether he needs a meal when he arrives.

Communication: During his stay in the US, Shi Lei will be carrying a cell phone and we will be sending you that telephone number with the arrival information.
You can contact the New York office at 212.877.8082 during our regular office hours; we will also provide the cell phone number of a Kulanu emergency contact person.

Comfort: We hope that whoever is hosting Shi Lei will talk with him regarding his needs while he’s staying in your community. For example, you might ask him whether he would like to check email, have time to rest, go sight-seeing or do laundry.

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III. Promotional materials

We update this section as we create new materials, so check back here for more samples and guides to help you promote this fascinating event in your community!

  • Announcement Poster - use this to advertise your event in your local community- hang it in local community and religious centers, stores, and schools. Add your event details prior to printing. To save this poster after adding your details, use a PDF converter. You can download free software and learn how to use it here. Note: You don't need the software if you don't plan to save your changes! If you have any questions, please email us!
  • Announcement Poster (2) - use this to advertise your event in your local community. This is a Word Document, so you can fill in the date/time/location before printing or saving.
  • Sample press release - use this as a guide for alerting your local media outlets about the Jews of Kaifeng and Shi Lei's upcoming visit to your community
  • Sample announcement - for notices on websites, calendars, newsletters etc
  • Photos for promotional purposes - visit www.kulanu.org/press to see photos you can use to promote Shi Lei's presentation in your community
  • Shi Lei's biography - a short summary of Shi Lei's education and experience, useful in introducing him at your event

The original speaking tour announcement is available here.

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IV. Setup at Your Event

Audiovisual and Other (optional for Shabbat events)

Merchandise Sales Setup (if you choose to sell Kulanu goods)

  • Someone to order merchandise, receive goods and track inventory (more info below)
  • Table(s) for product sales and chairs for volunteer sales staff
  • Someone to staff the merchandise table at the event

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V. Merchandise and Literature

Display Table - Literature and/or Merchandise

Please display the following on a table at the event:
(These documents will be included in the literature package we mail you, and we have them available online so you can print more.)

  • Mailing list sign-up sheet - encourage attendees to get on Kulanu's mailing list. We send out short and informative "Kulanu Updates" every 4 to 6 weeks.
  • About Kulanu - please copy and display these colorful 2-sided sheets that describe Kulanu's work. (They also look great in black-and-white, so you can print them in gray-scale if you prefer.)
  • Kulanu newsletters - published two to three times per year, our fascinating newsletter is packed with information about the communities we work with and our volunteers and activists' projects around the globe
  • Shi Lei fliers - find out where to learn more about Jewish Kaifeng, including how to go on a guided tour of China with Shi Lei himself!
  • Bar/Bat Mitzvah Project brochures - get young people in your community involved in tzedekah, beginning with this important lifecycle occasion.
  • Donation envelopes - help Kulanu raise needed funds to support isolated and emerging Jewish communities worldwide

On collecting donations:

We have found that audiences are often moved to make a donation after learning about the inspiring lives of Jewish people across the globe. The funds Kulanu receives from events such as this are directed to our work supporting these isolated and emerging communities.

  • When sending us donations, please do not send cash. We accept checks, money orders, or online contributions at www.kulanu.org/donate.
  • Checks should be in U.S. dollars, payable to Kulanu, and should have donor's mailing address and phone number.
  • If someone would like to make a donation after the event, they can give safely and easily online at kulanu.org/donate or mail checks to Kulanu, 165 West End Ave, 3R, New York, NY 10023.

On selling Kulanu Boutique items:

See below, and check out www.kulanuboutique.com for lovely products that are made by and benefit Jewish communities around the world! Email us at boutique[@]kulanu[.]org to discuss what Judaica merchandise might interest your audience, and what types of deals we can offer your organization.

In conjunction with Shi Lei’s visit to your community, we invite you to sell Under One Canopy: Readings in Jewish Diversity, a wonderful book edited by Kulanu founder Karen Primack. This collection is filled with essays, poems and stories by Jews from around the world about their Jewish experiences. It's a great way to learn about the rich tapestry of world Jewry and is an excellent choice for book clubs, adult education classes, social justice committees, bar/bat mitzvah students and more.

The books retail for US$15 each, but we have deals for as low as $5 per book when you purchase 40 to sell at your event! Some venues mark the price back up to $15 or $18 and use the proceeds either to fund the speaking event or to donate back to support Kulanu's work with Jewish communities around the world. You can take advantage of the great bulk rates on this book and other unique Judaica products through our Boutique website, www.kulanuboutique.com.

image: book under one canopy for sale

Under One Canopy: Readings in Jewish Diversity A wonderful compilation published by Kulanu and edited by Karen Primack. It is a delight to read, containing reflections, essays and poems by Jews worldwide (US$15).

It's easy to order online; just be sure to place your order at least four weeks before your event to allow time for packing and shipping. While you're visiting kulanuboutique.com, check out the other items we have available that represent the diversity of the Jewish people!

Tips for Selling Kulanu Boutique Items

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VI. How can you and your community extend support of Kulanu, Shi Lei and the Kaifeng Jews?

Before the Event

  • Show the About Kulanu slideshow or other Kulanu media to your congregation
  • Seek additional synagogues, churches, university departments and other religious or cultural organizations to co-sponsor the event
  • Invite diverse and multicultural residents of your area to attend, such as Asian and Asian-American community members
  • Get press coverage for this event and for isolated and emerging Jewish communities in general - contact newspapers, magazines, radio and TV shows, and promote on blogs, websites, Facebook, etc (see our sample press release).

While Shi Lei is in Your Town

At Any Time

  • Promote the Kulanu, Inc fan page on Facebook (www.facebook.com/kulanu) and share how to become fans to show support
  • Encourage people to sign up for Kulanu’s mailing list (just send an email to database[@]kulanu[.]org with your name and email address!)
  • Adopt Kulanu as an ongoing Tikkun Olam/Social Action/tzedakah project for a religious school or youth group, women’s or men’s club or tzedakah collective
  • Continue to sell Kulanu merchandise and Judaica in your gift shop or other outlets
  • Encourage bar/bat mitzvah candidates to select Kulanu as the focus of their Mitzvah Project by distributing Kulanu’s printed bar/bat mitzvah brochures to students in your own synagogue and to leaders in nearby synagogues and day schools
  • Ask friends and family to make contributions to Kulanu in honor of special lifecycle moments, including high school graduation, adult b'nei mitzvah, weddings, anniversaries and birthdays, etc.
  • Make donations to Kulanu (www.kulanu.org/donate) in lieu of gifts for special occasions
  • Create and sell gift cards that could be used to inform people about gifts made to Kulanu in their honor
  • Plan a congregational visit to a Jewish community outside of North America or Israel
  • Run booth about Kulanu and the communities that we work with at a Jewish community fair
  • Hold concert or other special event to raise funds for Kulanu
  • Introduce Kulanu to potential large donors or foundations in your area

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Didn't find the information you were seeking? Send questions to the Speaking Tour Coordinators here.

Thank you for hosting Shi Lei in your community, and for supporting Kulanu and our work with the Kaifeng Jewish community of China!