Alive in the Marketplace of Life - Judaism Wants YOU!

Leaders of the American Jewish community have been pouring over the latest demographic and cultural data from a survey done by the Pew Research Institute. Rightly so, there is much to be alarmed at from the findings. And yet, I believe the time is ripe for a new Jewish renaissance. For far too long, Judaism has kept a low profile in the marketplace of religion in America. We have a tradition of not actively proselytizing and even turning potential seekers away. Whether this was due to the historical effects of anti-Semitism, or a circling of the wagons, we have often only focused our attention in the Jewish community on those that were by birth traditionally considered Jewish. In the modern world we live in though, this alone is not enough. After all America is about competition in the marketplace of ideas. It is about the best rising to the top and succeeding. The fastest growing religious group in America is “None of the Above.” Interestingly however, the Pew study found that 94% of those polled said they were, “proud to be Jewish.”

Like the 94% I am proud to be called a Jew. I am proud of what Jewish wisdom and ethics has to say about our world and our lives. I am proud of the multiplicity of opinions, and ideas that our Jewish tradition uniquely applauds and cherishes. I am proud to be part of the creative enterprise which is the growth and prosperity of the State of Israel. I am proud to teach and learn, sing and dance, celebrate and comfort, remember and create anew with my fellow Jews. I am even proud to make choices that run counter-cultural to what everybody else is doing (some of the time). I am proud to believe that there is something greater than myself, and that I am indebted to, grateful for, commanded by, and in partnership with God. Yet, are we as a community too proud to encourage and actively seek out and welcome spiritual searchers who have no particular faith affiliation? We should be saying, “Come one, come all! Learn what Judaism and Jewish living has to offer!”

Ask any rabbi who has guided new Jews-by-Choice into the Jewish people how they feel when these Jews become vibrant and active in our community. It is a deeply sacred experience to see people so moved by Jewish life and practice taking the plunge into the mikveh, making their declaration of faith, and choosing their new Hebrew names. The power of the moment reminds us that our tradition is indeed compelling, meaningful, and holy. People choose and want to be a part of it. Our tradition celebrates Jews-by-Choice by giving them, as part of their Hebrew name, the spiritual parents of Abraham and Sarah, and reminds us that it is from Ruth the Moabite that King David descends.

I believe the future vibrancy of the Jewish community rests in part on reaching out to all spiritual seekers, both those traditionally defined as Jewish, and to the countless people who are just searching for something meaningful. I believe there are many people just waiting to be invited into our tradition, to be welcomed into our tent. We must not turn people away, but instead invite them to join in the experience, the wealth, and the benefits of Jewish life. In America as in the modern world at large, we cannot be a closed community, we need to recognize that we are all Jews-by-Choice on our journey of faith and life. So a big welcome to all! Judaism wants YOU!

A Jewish Success Story

     As Alice Cooper’s song goes, “School’s out for Summer!” Yes, another school year has ended but that doesn’t mean that the best opportunities for Jewish connection and growth aren’t just ahead for our children. One of the most Jewishly impactful and meaningful experiences for children is attending a Jewish summer camp. Whether it is a day camp like Temple Beth David’s, the JCC’s Camp Shalom, a Jewish travel camp like USY on Wheels, or a sleep away camp like Blue Star, Camp Shalom, Camp Ramah or Camp Coleman, these camps provide an intensive dose of Jewish life that is both innovative, filled with fun and ruach (spirit). Camp is where many of the latest and greatest Jewish songs and music find their origin. Camp is where ruach reigns and Jewish life comes alive. Jewish summer camps are the trendsetters for our children creating their own Jewish communities, and taking ownership of what they should look like. They are the intensive social laboratories where Jewish values and traditions meet our fun, social, and energetic children where they are. Part of the magic is that parents are out of the picture for a little while, and part of it is the idillic natural settings that inspire wonder and foster community. This allows for the kids to find out who they are, and what they enjoy without being graded or pushed in a particular direction. They can explore, try new things, and test out freedom in the safety that only camp can provide. 

     Imagine our children all singing together arm in arm for Havdallah, connecting with Israeli schlichim (ambassadors) at soccer tournaments, using the Hebrew language not in the classroom but in their common vernacular for things at camp, or just making lasting Jewish friends that travel to each other’s b’nei mitzvah from all over the country. Jewish sociologists and identity researchers who are often pessimistic about the American Jewish community have long know and universally agree that the intensive Jewish social atmosphere of camp indelibly shapes Jewish observance and commitment in our children for a lifetime. When adults are asked what their best spiritual Jewish experience has been they often wax poetic about the Jewish camp they attended.  The friendships made, the connection with Judaism energized all in the context of fun in the sun continues to be transformative to our Jewish community years after our children have grown up and left camp. So if your children are off to a Jewish summer camp, I pray that they experiment freely with their Judaism, grow, laugh, sing, and fill their hearts with the vitality of Jewish community. And if you have been thinking of sending your child to a Jewish summer camp but are not sure - even the youngest of children can benefit. So go ahead try it! - your child may not be the only one transformed by the experience.