Ayekah? 

The question posed to the first human being in the Book of Genesis has so many possible answers. It literally translates to “Where are you?” but the core of the question is so much deeper. My favorite interpretation is that this statement is less of a “where” question and more of a “why” question. God is calling out to the first human being and asking: Why are you here? What is your purpose, your “why,” the thing that gets you up in the morning and keeps you up at night? 

This question needs to be posed to and answered by every organization that looks to engage Jews so they can focus on what’s truly important to them and attract people who feel the same. 

I remember speaking with a colleague who was frustrated that people were joining another synagogue and not theirs. “Why are you so worried about what they are offering?” I asked. “Focus instead on your unique value proposition, the thing that is most compelling about this place. Then you will do the work of attracting the people who want to be here.” That unique value proposition stems from the answer to “Ayekah?”

Project Bet-A, a national initiative of The Jewish Education Project, helps Jewish educators running supplementary education programs articulate and put into practice an answer to “Ayekah?” — why Jewish education is a critical part of their learners’ lives. Educators need space to consider this crucial question, explore it with a group of colleagues and then refine it in partnership with their congregational leadership. Right now, Jewish education — and especially in a part-time setting — needs to evolve to meet the needs of the learner and be nimble enough to continue evolving as learners’ needs shift. 

And every “why” we have seen has included instilling joy (simcha) and pride in being Jewish.

Jewish joy 

The largest percentage of non-Orthodox North American Jewish children are enrolled in supplementary programs, and they live most of their lives in a secular society that has become increasingly lonely for so many Jewish children. Our educators recognize that our learners are bombarded with the “oys” of Jewish life: the rise in antisemitism, the plight of the hostages, the ever-evolving situation in Israel, and far too many more to name. Instilling joy in these learners is crucial. This is accomplished by celebrating all the wonderful parts of being Jewish. By lifting up the Jewish role models and heroes who inspire us. By embracing the beauty of Jewish prayer, tradition and history and mining it for the inspiration to live a meaningful and joyful life. And by refusing to accept that the “oys” are all that define us as Jews. 

This principle is reflected in the name of the supplementary Jewish education program at Woodlands Community Temple in White Plains, N.Y. Kesher, which means connection, aspires to instill joy by ensuring that learning is fun and engaging and to build community in the learning space every time they gather. Kesher is a fixture of the local Jewish community, present for people through the joys and “oys” of life. Indeed, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks z”l argues that simcha is a communal feeling and can exist alongside other emotions: even when talking about terrible topics like antisemitism or remembering those who have died, there is an element of joy when one experiences this as part of a community. When we’re together, we can consider the right response to our fractured world; we can also respond to moments of hate by engaging with those we love.

Jewish pride

While Jewish joy happens in community, Jewish pride is the sense of self that educators strive to cultivate within each learner, that Judaism adds value to their lives and helps them to live a more meaningful life. For decades, when asked “Akeyah?” the answer was continuity; that we can’t give Hitler a posthumous victory through assimilation and apathy, hoping that would be enough. But living for someone else — living only for history, not the future — is not enough to cultivate a sense of pride and purpose. Our educators see their learners’ Jewish pride grow on immersive trips like Temple B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills’ seventh grade passport program, where the whole year is dedicated to finding meaningful Jewish experiences outside their building, from services in a different synagogue to delivering food to the homeless. It grows when educators follow their learners’ curiosity, like at Jewish Discovery Lab of Beth Am, where the young people explore Jewish history through video games or Hebrew letters through sculpture, pairing their artistic passions with the beauty of the Jewish tradition allowing them to carry it throughout their lives. It grows when we nourish it over time and through a multiplicity of experiences and opportunities.

In tandem with clarifying each supplementary learning program’s answer to “Ayekah?”, careful work needs to be done to choose where to focus their energy, and how that clarifies the learning goals for each program. As the Talmud teaches:

Tafasta merubeh lo tafasta; tafasta muat, tafasta 

The Talmud teaches (Yoma 80a): “If you try to grasp too much you won’t get anything; if you try to hold a little, you’ll get something.”

There is much work to be done to determine the learning programs that will help learners survive and thrive in the 21st century. These programs will look different in various communities around the country. We help education leaders make the best use of their time and energy by utilizing the My Aspirations Playbook, featuring 20 aspirational learning goals so they can begin to answer the question, “What is it that I and my community should focus on?”

Finding that answer will help educators create centers of Jewish joy and pride, where more and more families see what a Jewish learning program can offer them — that Jewish education is not just a transactional moment but a chance to help every learner grow into the confident, purposeful and joyful Jews that they are meant to be.

Rabbi David E. Levy is the director of field consultation at The Jewish Education Project. His primary work focuses on supporting congregational educators across the country to explore the big questions in Jewish education and how they are particularly positioned to respond to them.