History Repeats Itself

How different is the “millennial” generation of Jews? Some attitudes and behaviors have certainly changed, as the sociologist Steven M. Cohen discusses in a recent interview with Manfred Gerstenfeld. There is a danger, though, of confusing superficial differences with fundamental change, and of overlooking parallels with the past. Discussing the rise of independent minyanim in the past decade, Prof. Cohen says “its leaders try to differentiate their community from what they see as the spiritually unengaging and experientially passive suburban synagogues that most of them grew up in.” Aside from the suburban setting, that also was an important rationale in the founding of the Reform movement in the 19th century and the spread of Hasidism beginning in the 17th century. In the area of culture... Continue Reading

Conservative Judaism, Still at the Crossroads

Three years ago the Forward published a forum entitled “Conservative Judaism at a Crossroads,” just before Dr. Arnold Eisen was inaugurated as chancellor of the movement’s flagship institution, the Jewish Theological Seminary. Thirteen opinion-leaders offered their advice about the future of the movement, including prescriptions to be more spiritual, more charismatic, more intellectual; to have better worship services and better communication; to be more pluralist, more balanced, more differentiated; to bring more confrontation and more healing. Chancellor Eisen, a leading scholar of Jewish communal life, is of course deeply conversant with these questions, and he might have been tempted to tackle them as his first order of business. Instead he wisely turned to the less glamorous but more urgent... Continue Reading

Shifting Paradigms at Federations

Among the various Jewish institutions buffeted by change, Federations may face the greatest challenges. Their value proposition is losing traction as cultural values shift, while their style of governance and management are ill-suited to reacting swiftly to change. As a result they may become victims of their own success. Federations have traditionally dominated the Jewish terrain in their communities through their size, power, and influence. They were created in response to the huge influx of Jewish immigrants that began in the 1880s, whose needs overwhelmed the small Jewish service organizations already in existence. These new umbrella organizations could coordinate available resources more effectively, and could raise money more efficiently too. Then the flow of immigrants was drastically curtailed... Continue Reading

JTA and Jewish Newspapers

Two weeks ago the news service JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency) announced that its publisher, Mark Joffe, was stepping down suddenly after 17 years in that position, and that his successor had already been named. The board chair acknowledged only Joffe’s “vision and his many years of loyal service,” not any of his accomplishments, and there was no transition period. To an outside observer this gives the unmistakable appearance of an abrupt break rather than a planned, orderly progression. A report this week in The Jerusalem Post does little to alter that impression. Early comments by incoming publisher Ami Eden, JTA’s editor-in-chief since 2007, suggest that he is making a fresh start, with definite new ideas about content and collaboration. He observed to the Post, for example, that American... Continue Reading

Shifting Paradigms in Synagogues

This week marks the 200th anniversary of a foundational event in Reform Judaism, the dedication of a Temple in Seesen, Germany. With the aim of reconciling Jewish tradition with modernity, it embraced a different aesthetic and modeled a new practice for Jewish worship. Today’s non-Orthodox synagogues face a different challenge – not to adapt their ideology to the present day, but rather to transform their institutions. The Jews of twentieth-century America celebrated their achievements partly by erecting magnificent buildings that conveyed the solidity and success of the communities they served. The staff and operations of the synagogues, which often became correspondingly large, were supported mostly by member dues. Although synagogue attendance may not have been frequent, members paid... Continue Reading

Post-Startup Nation

For several years now the organized Jewish community has rallied around the innovative work of social entrepreneurs and the programs that support them. Hundreds of new projects and organizations have been launched as a result of this movement, which has been spearheaded by organizations like PresenTense, ROI, the Joshua Venture, Bikkurim, The Natan Fund, Jumpstart, Upstart [Bay Area], and the Lippman Kanfer Institute at JESNA. And the flow of startup projects shows no sign of abating. If the recent past is any guide, however, we will soon see some restlessness about the continuing focus on startups, and a desire to move on. That happened after “continuity” was heralded as the most urgent priority; it happened after day schools were favored. And it happened again after Jewish camping moved to... Continue Reading

Shifting Paradigms

Just about everybody agrees that the attitudes and behaviors of younger Jews today are very different from those of the preceding two or three generations. Jews who lived through the Holocaust and saw the birth of the State of Israel viewed those events as defining aspects of Jewish identity. The many who suffered as Jews from legally sanctioned discrimination in housing and employment felt anti-Semitism to be an ever-present threat. A generation later, baby boomers rebelled against their parents’ assumptions, and some of them moved beyond the Jewish community into antiwar or feminist activities. But many still felt a strong connection to their Jewish identities and set out to change Jewish institutions rather than abandon them. Now, as we regularly see, a lot of younger Jews in the United States... Continue Reading

Creativity and Connectedness

An elaborate video, projected across three screens, launched the discussion of a new strategic plan at last week’s meeting of the Jewish Agency’s Board of Governors in Jerusalem. It began strikingly with a scene of two small children painting together. As this captivating image introduced young “Ben and Zoe,” the voice-over aptly described their artistry as “unique and personal, an affirmation of identity.” This brief scene vividly illustrated the power of self-expression. It also resonated with emotional associations evoking nurture, human potential, interconnectedness, beauty, and lasting value. That was the last time anything was said about art or culture for the next three hours. The video used the impact of words and images to make a point more powerfully than logic or reasoning... Continue Reading

Leap of Faith

The president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz, sent a memo to the RRC community last week with news of a major initiative planned for the coming fiscal year. Described as a “promising method” to “grow a larger base of supporters,” this “Digital Outreach Initiative” is said to be budgeted at half a million dollars a year. RRC’s total budget is estimated at around $5 million per year. The rationale for the initiative is that “on-line avenues for enhancing Jewish life provide an opportunity” and “we need to become adept at using these modalities” to “bring the Jewish sensibilities and excitement that exists at RRC directly to the Jewish community.” In addition, “if we can place ourselves in the position of creators of new forms of Jewish... Continue Reading

Against Definition

Recently I was talking with a colleague who asked about my organization and what we do. When I explained that we work with partner organizations to plan cultural programming, she retorted: “Define cultural programming.” This isn’t unusual. I work for the Center for Jewish Culture and Creativity, and by now I’m used to being asked to define “Jewish culture,” not to mention “Jewish music” and “Jewish literature.” It’s not just a question of culture. Not long ago I was part of a conversation about changes in Modern Orthodoxy where one participant asked another to define “Orthodox Judaism.” The list lengthens quickly. What is tikkun olam? Who is a Jew? What is loyalty? What is anti-Semitism? These demands for definitions appear to seek clarity, but they are really about... Continue Reading

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