Over the decades, the Catskills have hosted many generations of Jewish gatherings, from Borscht Belt resorts to modern summer camps. And in October, there will be one more. 

More than 30 young adults will gather in the Catskills with 10 rabbis from across the country to learn, explore and spark profound conversations about what it means to pursue a life in the rabbinate. Known as the Rabbinic Accelerator Venture, or RAV, this effort reflects Mem Global’s commitment to strengthen the rabbinic pipeline so that the young adults we serve — and Jews for generations to come — can continue to benefit from rabbis’ spiritual leadership, pastoral care and deep wisdom.

Courtesy/Mem Global

Participants in Mem Global's Base program on the Upper West Side in Manhattan examine a example of sofrut, Jewish scribal arts.

The research on the rabbinic space in the past few years, led by our partners at Atra, shows the urgency of this work. Rabbinic school enrollments have gone down steeply in the non-Orthodox community, dropping nearly 60% since 2008. There are significant barriers for people entering rabbinic school, from the schools’ locations, to their cost, to finding denominational alignment.

At the same time, the research is also clear that Jewish young adults need relationships with rabbis. Having access to great rabbis is critical as they form and develop their Jewish identities, find their place within Jewish communities and learn how to live Jewish lives that are full of joy and meaning.

Rabbis bring our rich Jewish traditions of texts and teachings to life. Using tools and wisdom honed over thousands of years, they guide people through hard times and uplift people in joyful times. I know this is true from the data, but I also know this is true from my own lived experience. When my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer while I was a college student, the support I received from the rabbinic leaders on campus helped me through that incredibly difficult time. Those relationships were also there for me through some of my happiest moments (for example, the same rabbi officiated at my wedding a decade later).

My hope is that every Jewish person will have a relationship with a great rabbi — and that starts with making sure that we are working to recruit great future rabbis so that our rabbinic tradition continues to flourish in all kinds of settings.

At Mem Global, we create spaces where young adults in their twenties and early thirties can form close, personal bonds with rabbis and other Jewish educators. Young community builders work with rabbis and rabbinical students, called “Jewish life specialists,” to enrich their programs with Jewish learning. With the Jewish Learning Collaborative, participants study Jewish texts through deep, one-on-one sessions with experts around the world. In the Embark program, rabbis help interfaith couples explore Jewish life and tradition, in a welcoming and non-pressured environment. In our most wide-reaching program, Base, rabbinic couples connect with people in low-barrier settings, from the traditional format of Shabbat dinners and holiday celebrations hosted at their home to cooking classes, river rafting and beach clean-ups. 

Each program model creates new access points for young adults seeking rabbinic relationships. Through these programs, our rabbis and Jewish educators are in hundreds of conversations with young adults year-round. Rabbis are there as young adults move from city to city, change careers and develop an ever-evolving vision of their future. Their guidance is built on a foundation of Jewish learning and wisdom and often inspires and helps these young adults become leaders of their own communities.

We realized that the volume of these conversations, and the connections they foster, gives us a unique perspective. Through the thousands of interactions between the rabbis at Mem Global and young adults we have learned so much, and learned that we have a responsibility and opportunity to help grow the field by recruiting the great rabbis of the future.

Which brings us back to the Catskills — and how to increase the rabbinic pipeline. 

The same research that highlights the narrowing of the rabbinic pipeline also highlights the reason that most people join rabbinical school: a teacher, mentor, or someone else they admire said they would make an excellent rabbi. 

Held in partnership with the H&F Baker Foundation, the RAV retreat will leverage our network of rabbis, who have been empowered to invite young adults whom they think would make great rabbis to join the retreat. These participants will consider, some for the first time, the possibility of serving the Jewish community as a rabbi. Together with our diverse group of rabbis, the young adults will have the opportunity to learn about rabbinic work, including core skills, training programs, what an average week looks like for a rabbi and why rabbinic life is so rewarding.

We have already been in conversation with the selected invitees, and each of them is in some way open to considering the rabbinate. By forging their connections with rabbis who have served in pulpit roles and as community rabbis, teachers and thought leaders, we hope to open their minds to the multitude of ways that rabbis positively and deeply impact people and communities. Undoubtedly, not every participant will come away with rabbinic school as their next step; but we hope that some will want to pursue it, and we will be there to help them along the journey. We know what an impactful path it can be, not just for them, but those they will go on to serve as rabbis.

After the retreat, interested participants will have access to ongoing sessions through the Jewish Learning Collaborative so that they can enrich their understanding of Jewish text. We’ll also facilitate follow-up conversations with the rabbis. And for anyone who decides that they are ready to move forward, we will be there to help them along the way, from identifying the right program to navigating the application process.

We hope that this RAV retreat can be a beginning, inspiring talented young members of our community to begin their journey and pursue a future in the rabbinate. Together, we can continue to build upon this crucial work: creating the next generation of exceptional rabbis, for our young adults and for us all. Ultimately, it will serve not just Mem Global but the entire Jewish community and the world.

David Cygielman is the CEO of Mem Global.