Rabbi Jay Miller – Religion Sector Specialist

Education | Diversity Trainer | Achievements | Board Positions | Clients | In Action

Rabbi Jay Miller

Specialist:

  • The Landscape of the Religion Sector in the 21st Century
  • Regional Clergy Engagement
  • Design of Congregation and Civic Sector Institution Partnerships
  • Religious Practice and Religion Sector Institutions
  • Multi-Faith Diversity Training
  • Congregation Based Resources (CBR)
  • Congregation Based Constituent Engagement (CBCE)

Rabbi Jay Miller has been a pioneer in advancing comprehensive multi-faith clergy relationships and civic engagement for over 30 years. He is a community leader among clergy of all faiths and in developing civic sector partnerships with the religion sector’s primary resource of clergy and congregations.

In 2002, Rabbi Miller was recruited by the Peninsula Community Foundation (now the Silicon Valley Community Foundation) to direct an historic effort to design an infrastructure with the capacity for Regional Clergy Engagement (RCE).  The success of that design provided the infrastructure which was able to enable all clergy in a region in mutual relationship and in partnership with the full spectrum of civic sectors’ professional and elected leaders.  This resulted in the formation of the components and methodology to secure community access to the totality of Congregation Based Resources (CBR) and Congregation Based Constituent Engagement (CBCE). This methodology for networking with all clergy framed an unprecedented transformation in society.  From 2002 to 2012, Rabbi Miller working on the Peninsula and in pilot projects in communities across the nation.

Rabbi Miller now leads Religion Sector 3.0, supporting the advance of all aspects of the religion sector, the relationship between religion sector institutions and those of the other four sectors, and the nature of religion in 21st century society.

In 2010, Rabbi Miller co-authored “A Local Official’s Guide to Working with Clergy and Congregations” with the publisher, the Institute for Local Government (ILG), the research institute of the California State Association of Counties and the League of California Cities. The Guide is a transforming document that defines the core components for framing partnerships between civic leaders and clergy, providing the first comprehensive gateway to the whole of the community’s congregations.

Education

  • BA, Political Science, UC Berkeley
  • MA, Judaic and Middle Eastern Studies, Hebrew Union College
  • Harvard Business School, Summer Institute, “Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management”

Diversity Trainer and Consultant in Multi-Faith Awareness

Established trainer, augmenting multi-cultural training, (a) providing an understanding of the religion dynamics and practices related to serving clients, engaging community and staff development, and (b) addressing perceptions and misperceptions of religious beliefs and practices, which effect individual advancement, civic involvement and a sense of a civil society.

Consultation for community leaders and institutions enhancing the capacity to:

  • Extend civic sector institutions community education and outreach
  • Deepen and diversify public engagement and community service
  • Partner in the delivery of programs and services
  • Master the vocabulary of a multi-faith society
  • Articulate clear, consistent and balanced statements concerning the religion sector and its concerns
  • Design strategies to diversify, deepen and sustain relationships with clergy and congregations
  • Frame protocol for congregational visits for worship, festivals and other events

Professional positions, community achievements and recognitions

  • 2012 California Governor’s Community Service Award for the Peninsula Clergy Network for “exceptional impact based on comprehensive networking of clergy in the community context”
  • 2017 NAACP Annual Community Service Award
  • Consultant on religious diversity for EXPO 2010, Shanghai, China, “Better City, Better Life”
  • Coordinator and presenter, Shanghai university seminar during EXPO on religion in China, “Religion and City Life”
  • Directing the 10-year series of 31 Regional Dialogues, three each year, among clergy and civic leaders on both religion sector and community-based issues
  • Over 10 years, initiated and shared in the most candid of discussions with clergy of all faiths
  • Worship with over 150 congregations, encompassing over two-dozen faiths and eight languages
  • 2002-2012, Executive Director, Peninsula Clergy Network, 2012 named Executive Director Emeritus
  • 2007-2012, directed PCN Project, funded by Sequoia Healthcare and San Mateo County, to design and implement model for inclusion of all congregations in Office of Emergency Services systems
  • 2005, first clergy person to earn certification at the California State Training Institute (CSTI) Emergency Managers Course, and the National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) certification
  • 2000, first clergy named to President’s Honor Roll of the American Professional Society on Child Abuse for engaging clergy with professionals in social service, law enforcement, medicine and education
  • 1999-2016, Chair, San Mateo County Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration
  • 1977-1997, two decades as rabbi for colleges and universities in San Diego CA, working with students, faculty and administrators
  • Five years as a congregational rabbi

Board positions

  • Community Advisory Board, The Center for Civility and Democratic Engagement at the Goldman School of Public Policy, UC Berkeley;
  • Chair, Committee on Adolescents, San Diego County Commission on Youth and Children;
  • Vice-Chair, Regional Advisory Board of the Florida Department of Drug Rehabilitation;
  • President, San Diego Community Child Abuse Coordinating Council, San Diego County;
  • Executive Committee, California Professional Society on the Abuse of Children;
  • Thrive: the Alliance of San Mateo County Non-Profits;
  • Daly City Peninsula Partnership Collaborative;
  • San Mateo County Peninsula Partnership Leadership Council (Education);
  • San Mateo County Housing Our People Effectively-HOPE (State mandated 10 year plan).

Clients (Partial list)

  • The City of San Mateo
  • The County of San Mateo
  • Santa Clara County
  • Sequoia Union High School District
  • San Mateo Union High School District
  • Habitat for Humanity, San Mateo County
  • Office of Education, San Mateo County
  • US Census Bureau
  • Department of Senior Services, Westchester County, NY
  • The City of Riverside, CA
  • The League of California Cities
  • PICO – San Mateo County (PIA), Santa Clara County (PACT)
  • Pudong District, Shanghai, China, EXPO 2010
  • Children Now
  • Assembly Member Kevin Mullin
  • Los Altos United Methodist Church/Circuit

(Partial list)

In Action:

Rabbi Jay Miller   RELIGION SECTOR 3.0
1.0  On the Town Square         2.0  Walls of Separation
3.0  Alignment: Among Congregations – Within Society

jaymiller@blueconnect.org      650.740.4411