It’s a personal relief to see so many Jewish innovators and new Jewish organizations really giving a lot of thought to the Jewish experience, which is something I feel was left out too often in my Jewish day school and Young Israel synagogue experience. But I’m confused about one thing:
Where is God?
The question arose just this week; I’ve relocated temporarily from my intern’s cubicle in the Jewish Book Council’s midtown-Manhattan office to Brandeis University for the Gralla Fellows Program for journalists in the Jewish press. Among the fascinating lecturers who have enlightened us fellows about issues worth covering in the American Jewish community (off the record, of course) is Professor Yehuda Kurtzer, a visiting assistant professor and the inaugural Bronfman Chair of Jewish Communal Innovation at Brandeis. With his permission, I’m going to share part of the discussion he held Monday night about American Jewish youth. It resonated strongly with me, as I’m sure it will with many readers of this blog.
Professor Kurtzer introduced the fellows to Slingshot. Here’s a little synopsis of this annual publication from its website:
“In an effort to highlight Jewish innovations of today, we created Slingshot, a resource guide to 50 of the most creative and effective organizations and leaders across the country, all of whom offer valuable projects with different missions, perspectives and strategies. Slingshot is meant to be used by funders of all sizes and ages who want to support contemporary Jewish life.â€
Needless to say, most journalists of this era are not quite equipped to fund entire organizations. But the list, Professor Kurtzer explained, is critical to understanding where Jewish innovation lies today. Young Jews have created organizations that reflect their interest in living a rich, multifaceted Jewish experience. These organizations work for American Jewish youth: They attract young Jews, engage them, and leave an impact. Birthright Israel and American Jewish World Service, for example, are on the list, as well as smaller organizations like Jdub Records and—a personal favorite—the Jewish Book Council.
Now, I’m a die-hard fan of Jewish communal innovation, particularly among American Jewish youth. Living a normal day-to-day life in the Jewish spirit regardless of one’s location, job, or level of observance SHOULD be a priority. These Slingshot organizations reflect such an interest. Organizations like Advancing Women Professionals and the Jewish Community aim to integrate Judaism into one’s regular lifestyle. Organizations like Hadar, a trans-denominational egalitarian minyan in New York and Mayyim Hayyim, a new-age liberal mikvah in the Boston area, reflect a similar goal of focusing first on the experience of the Jewish individual, unlike mainstream Orthodox/Conservative/Reform synagogues that focus on cultivating a community at large within the boundaries of their respective denominations.
As exciting as this is for my peers and me, that nagging question remains in my own head: Whatever happened to God? I know I’ve just written a long shpiel about how great it is that we’re finally prioritizing experience, culture, identity, etc. in a Jewish context, and the question may seem a little bit bizarre and out of place. Yes, we’ve learned about both in the dreaded institutions of day schools and mainstream synagogues. But God and Torah are fundamental concepts in Judaism. It seems a bit odd to stress a unique, personal prayer experience in partnership minyanim and simultaneously lose the object of our prayers amid this search for our ideal comfort zones as Jewish youth.
I do not, in any way, condemn the progress that the 50 organizations have made. My previous statements about God probably don’t even extend to all 50—and they certainly don’t mean to impose on Jewish atheists, agnostics, and the like, who I respect and regard as I would any other Jew. I only wish to point out that my peers’ innovative religious behavior appears, on occasion, to neglect integral parts of our tradition. And Judaism’s all about tradition! How can we ignore it?
Here’s what I propose: We’re focusing a great deal on individuality within Judaism. We’re creating communities and niche organizations that aim to satisfy the needs of a Jewish individual who cannot identify with mainstream, institutionalized Judaism. While we do this, it is of the utmost importance not to lose sight of God, family, and the other elements that make up a Jewish experience. Judaism is rich with tradition that has evolved over generations. Let’s make fusing that tradition with our modern experience a priority as well.
