My childhood Jewish identity revolved around two main things. One was the synagogue. I was either begrudgingly sitting through services, or devising new ways to get out of them without arousing my Mom’s suspicion. The other was Hebrew school, which I was coerced into attending on Saturday mornings while my non-Jewish friends were sleeping in. And then, before I could say “Baruch atah Adonai,” I turned 13, had my Bar Mitzvah, and my Jewish upbringing as I knew it was over.
A handful of my Jewish peers went on to get confirmed. Some continued to go to a Jewish summer camp. Others got involved in BBYO. But I would guess for at least half, including me, the connection to Judaism in the years that followed was minimal at best. I considered myself Jewish, of course. When the High Holy Days rolled around, I missed school and sat in temple. Still, amid the flurry of activities–including but not limited to sports, music, friends, video games, television, and the internet–my Jewish identity faded.
I found it again in college, in part because I got involved with Hillel. However, this program alone does not cut it for many young Jews in the Diaspora. Its size and scope renders it unresponsive to the wants and needs of particular people. And when dealing with a generation as capricious and individualistic as ours, that can be a serious problem. Perhaps that is one reason why a growing number of young Jews feel disenchanted or indifferent about Judaism.
That said, my suggestion for strengthening Jewish identity has nothing to do with overhauling Hillel, or any other Jewish organization for that matter. My suggestion is much simpler: explore Judaism on your own terms. Circumvent the traditional avenues and take your identity in to your own hands. This does inevitably require some effort, but not much. Furthermore, given the rich cultural and religious history of the Jewish people, connecting aspects of Judaism to your own personal interests should not be hard to do. Let’s say you are in to art. For starters, simply type “Jewish art” in to Google. I just did, and received more than eight million results in 0.11 seconds. More than enough to keep the art buff occupied.
Apply a similar method to any subject of interest. If you are feeling really motivated, you could even check out a book or two at the closest library. Venture a little off the beaten path, and you can discover fascinating parts of Judaism you never knew existed.
