Master Class: Facilitating Group Conversation

Master Class

Facilitating Group Conversation: Concrete Skills for Every Community Builder

This June, join Assembly and IYUN for a 2-part virtual Master Class on core facilitation skills for community builders. Together, we’ll explore practical techniques to transform group conversations from awkward and aimless into engaging, inclusive, and full of life.

Join us virtually on:
June 11 & 18 | 1-2:30 EDT
1.5 hours each day, 3 hours total
Cost: $54

Ever found yourself leading a group conversation that flatlined before it even began? Maybe you asked a beautiful question… only to be met with crickets. Or someone took your prompt and sprinted in the opposite direction. Or folks offered a few words, then sat back, leaving a sea of glazed eyes and awkward silences in their wake. These moments can feel defeating—but they’re also incredibly common. The truth is, guiding a dynamic, inclusive, and participatory conversation isn’t magic—it’s a skill. And like all skills, it can be learned.

In this Master Class, co-presented by Assembly and IYUN, you’ll gain practical tools to turn “meh” into meaningful. This isn’t theory—we’re talking real-deal techniques for asking better questions, setting the right tone, navigating tricky dynamics, and sparking energy that spreads. Whether you’re leading a small circle or a full room, you’ll leave equipped to cultivate conversations that are lively, grounded, and full of connection. Because the way we speak with one another shapes the communities we’re building—let’s make those conversations count.

Course Overview

How do we ask the kinds of questions that effectively engage a variety of people? How might we curate questions that actively build understanding and ownership over the material we are exploring, as well as lead to new discovery? In this session, we will learn an approach to asking questions that increases richness and depth of discussion. We will learn:

Identifying “Autopilot Questions” — the ones we get stuck in asking that don’t serve our larger goals
The Essential Question — how we subtly weave every part of discussion through our larger purpose
The “Four Questions Methodology”: Clarifying, Analytical, Imaginative, Personalizing
Scaffolding Questions to Create Vibrant Conversation without leaving anyone behind
Workshop: Applying the Methodology

Participants will try on what others have called an “eye-opening” Mini Mission between Part 1 and Part 2, enabling them to put these ideas to work in their setting immediately.

When facilitating, what is the goal of my speech at each moment? Do I speak because it has an impact on my participants, or because I feel a need to be heard? In terms of vocal elements (like tonality and pace), how can I become more aware of a variety of techniques, using my voice to both deepen my impact and enliven my participants’ experience? This session will include:

Debriefing Our Mini Mission
A Self-Assessment: Reflecting On Our Patterns and Successes
Jewish Inspiration: The Torah of Voice
What Engages and What Disengages
5 Techniques to Elevate Your Authentic Voice
3 Categories of “Diverse Feedback” for Our Participants
Reflective Practice and Application

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Lizzie M.

"These gatherings were incredibly well-organized and well-run. I only wish we had a year of learning together, instead of just two sessions! It was clear from the beginning that the Assembly staff care deeply about supporting Jewish professionals in creating meaningful interactions in their communities. Furthermore, the Assembly staff have real, on-the-ground experience that allows them to help participants turn the theoretical into something applicable."

Lizzie M.

"I have been in the field for nearly 40 years, and this training expanded my vision of learning and my growth as a teacher."

Sami H.

"The Four Questions Methodology gave me SO much insight on how to ask, what to ask, and to whom I should be asking, and why!"

Sami H.

Meet Your Faculty

We are lifelong teachers and community builders. We don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk (and draw with chalk). Meet your faculty.

Leah Kahn (Maestra Educator, Artist of Gathering, Shabbat Queen) is Assembly’s Vice President of Education.

She previously served as the Senior Director of the Meyerhoff Center for Jewish Experience at Hillel International, where she oversaw the Jewish Learning Fellowship (JLF). Over the last decade, Leah has developed a unique pedagogical approach that has been used to train more than 400 rabbis and educators. She is the recipient of the Covenant Foundation’s Pomegranate Prize, an inaugural member of the M2 Pedagogies Research Fellowship, and a Wexner Field Fellow.

Leah is also a certified yoga teacher, lifelong modern dancer, Shabbat enthusiast, and a mean vegan cook. She lives in Berkeley with her husband and two children.

Erica Frankel (Joyful Coach, Toastmaster, Expert Thrifter) is the Executive Director of Assembly.

Over the past 16 years, Erica has founded and grown five new Jewish organizations and initiatives into existence, has touched the lives of over 20,000 Jewish college students, has trained and supported more than 500 rabbis and Jewish educators, and has seeded a thriving Jewish ecosystem in Harlem. She holds an MA in Dance and Sacred Texts from NYU and was a Wexner Field Fellow.

Erica and her husband Rabbi Dimitry Ekshtut (and their two toddlers) annually welcome ~600 unique young adults into their home for Shabbat and holidays, Jewish learning, and service.

Is This For You?

This Master Class is open to Jewish community builders and educators of all experience levels and roles.

We also encourage you to forward this to 2-3 friends or coworkers — it’s more fun when there are friends in the private chat (that's the best part of a virtual course, if you ask us).

Alumni of Assembly-incubated projects (IYUN, Atra, JLF, Base, and Civic Spirit) are eligible for discounted registration. Didn’t receive a code? Reach out to us.