Forget Committees. We Want A Community.
“The Conservative movement is dying!” I have heard so many adults say this with concerned looks on their faces that it no longer fazes me. In fact, I’ve begun to understand why they’re worried. As I look inside Conservative synagogues today, I see a deficit of young people. Instead, I witness older generations who seem to spend most of their time arguing over the rules and regulations that should govern our congregational life. “Can Rachel’s non-Jewish boyfriend walk onto the bimah?” “Can we consider serving meat for Kiddush lunch instead of bagels?” “Should we try to include the Imahot in the Amidah one week?”
It seems like an endless cycle of fractioning committees of elders into smaller sub-committees to examine such issues, and the message appears to be that above all, we are an institution that places politics above people. Meanwhile, my generation, the people who will ideally propel this movement forward, are hardly to be found. These young people, my friends, are often found outside of institutional synagogues, striving to find their voices in places where they will truly be heard.
No longer willing to shout over the din of institutional politics, many young adults are leaving the pews of rigid and hierarchical synagogues and discovering the essence of Jewish living: community. We are seeking places where our opinions and insight are not underestimated but rather encouraged.
I have no intention of degrading the movement that raised me. Conservative day schools provided me with the core foundation of my education; its Ramah Camping movement grounded my Jewish identity in ways I needed; and its seminaries train the educators and leaders who will ultimately drive the Jewish future. But I worry that when the rising leaders from these groups assume the pulpits of Conservative institutions – rather than communities – they will become the last young people to regularly walk inside the sanctuary.
In order to strengthen the Conservative Jewish world, our synagogues must focus less on the politics and embrace the young people who want to become leaders. Our rabbis must meet their congregants halfway, taking Judaism out of the pulpits and offices and into the coffee shops, basketball courts, and homes. Our Hebrew schools must look towards Ramah and USY as successful models of Jewish learning and growth and replicate those experiences for synagogue youth. Our boards must represent our communities without isolating themselves from them. Our services and minyanim must emphasize the enduring beauty of communal voice, rather than the authority of the rabbinic voice. Our parents must encourage us teens to see our synagogues as second homes rather than weekly chores.
Most importantly, we, as an evolving multi-generational Jewish world, must open our synagogue doors to the teens who feel excluded. We must transform synagogues from mere houses of worship to outlets for community building. Teens my age should not need to look outside their synagogues for social action opportunities, tutoring programs, inclusive youth groups, interfaith and Israel groups, or Saturday night movies. We should see our synagogues and the people in them as the rock that upholds our busy, volatile lives; we should see Jewish values being echoed in every aspect of our lives with the synagogue at the core.
Today, I hold the Conservative movement to this standard; I believe whole heartedly that we can create these sacred moments and places once again.
Emily Goldberg is a rising freshman at Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania. She contributes to blogs such as Sh’ma: A Journal of Jewish Ideas, Tikkun, and Kerem and records her own ideas in her blog, “A Leap of Faith.” Last summer she participated in the Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel. This past year, she pursued her passion for spiritual leadership through her rabbinic internship at Romemu, her pastoral internship at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and working as a counselor at her second home, Camp Ramah Darom in Georgia. She hopes to lead an innovative Jewish community of her own some day, one where others can be inspired to pursue meaningful Judaism and positive change.
Emily, I could not agree with you more! I want to see the conservative movement survive, but people have to make compromises. There is so much that can be done, but people do not budge. I like the outreach ideas. If other movements can do this, which they are, we can to. Kol tuv!
I can’t speak for everywhere, but I know what helps is having a full time youth coordinator who can devote more time than a part time individual usually.
Dear Emily, As a 46 year old Cantor of a large “institutional” congregation on Long Island, NY, I can tell you that we are constantly challenged by your wonderful ideas, trying our best to balance the needs of all of our populations. For instance, last year we had a few events at bars and restaurants in NYC for our 20′s and 30′s. They were well attended and appreciated and we will definitely continue with such initiatives. Otherwise, the biggest obstacle to your views is that your generation tends to want their synagogue experience to be as close to “free” as possible, leaving the “institution” to grapple with the dilemma of how to continue to support its staff and facilities. Your expectations are valid but I want you to know that while we do still have many committees, most of them are working hard to meet you challenge to produce events to attract the young crowd, whether at temple or out somewhere but even the best initiatives take time. I hope your generation will give us the time and the chance to prove that we are listening and trying our best to respond before they leave us behind….
Cantor,
While I respect your views– there is no time. ??? ?? ???? ?????
And people will not wait, they’ll just leave (many are gone for good) and find someone who can provide better. Things that attract my generation do not necessarily have to be at bars or cost money. We want to hang out and have meaningful conversation with other Jews in our age range. Simply doing that at least shows people that they don’t have to be the lone young person in shul or Jewish life in general. ??? ??? ???!
Oh and the question marks were Hebrew text “im Lo achshav, eimatai?” And “Ein Lanu zman”
David, I have been tasked with heading up my synagogues young adults programming for the year, and I see that these bar events are well attended, but what about other events with substance? Things like a wine and cheese event, an improv night, a shabbat dinner networking event, a super bowl pick up game and viewing party? Reaching out to a variety of interests can surely help before hurt, correct?
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Ms. Goldberg’s enthusiasm and idealism are certainly refreshing and most welcome. But I fear the problem is not that our synagogues and schools have difficulty following the USY and Ramah models successfully. What Ramah and USY can do that our synagogues cannot is take people and put them in a very positive environment in which religious life is not a cultural or intellectual experience like visiting a museum, but a requirement for participation. At official USY and Ramah events, you don’t have a choice about kashruth, tefilah and Shabbat. Everyone does it, period. Then we send our Jewishly turned-on kids back to homes and communities where many if not most of them reside in families and synagogues where religious life is more than likely that respected but optional cultural experience. Ramah and USY alumni have a choice, go Orthodox who follow the all too familiar pattern of their parents most Conservative synagogue affiliates who respect but don’t committed to the mitzvot of daily living. How do we break this cycle is the real question that escapes many if not most of us who genuinely believe in the values, teachings and philosophy of Conservative Judaism.
We have to make it fun and exciting, and relevant to their lives, in order to get them to want to attend.
As a former eidah counselor of yours, I am impressed with your commitment to issues like this, and thrilled that you have brought attention to this very important and growing concern. I also would like to acknowledge that you gave solid justifiable actions to take in regards to these concerns, which usually people don’t do when presenting an argument:
I would like to comment on some of your points from a Jewish youth professional who works in a conservative synagogue, and has been involved with the Ramah movement for the past 17 years (wow I feel old!):
-Synagogues must focus less on the politics and embrace the young people who want to become leaders.
There are easy ways to go about doing these. Seeking out the young individuals who have passion and show an interest in Judaism, and get them involved. Take them out for Ice Cream or pizza, get to know them. Bring their excitement and energy, and turn it into something that can be worked with. I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without some encouragement and faith from the folks who believed in me.
One thing I have done these past two years as a Youth Director is to make myself approachable, fun, energetic, and unique in ideas and implementation. An example of this is the Middle School breakfasts I started once a month before school. The kids come to a Kosher style restaurant in the area, where they get to eat breakfast, hang out with friends, and develop a sense of kehillah (community). The kids get so excited about this that they beg for the breakfasts every week!
-You talk about teens that feel excluded. In my opinion, one of the best ways to fix this is through availability and accessibility. First, we need to make these places feel like home. Having a youth lounge is a great way to accomplish this. It gives the kids a central location to gather, and they can come during the day to work on homework, see friends, grab a snack, and catch up with the director to talk about what is on their mind.
These are just a few of my thoughts, but I know these are what can make a difference between having some kids excited about Judaism and having many kids passionate about being Jewish.
One more thing: Make contact with each and every child and parent. Whether it be through texts, phone calls, facebook messages… there is always a way.