The challenge of religion, not just Judaism, in the modern world is that religion is based on recognition of a higher authority, while modernity inculcates the idea that the individual is the final, and perhaps only, arbiter of his own fate. Even religion has been subsumed into this framework, in that “God says so” has little resonance. If religion once had subjects, or adherents, now it has consumers, who will simply drop the product if it no longer seems to have any utility.

Ruchele- you talked about wanted a “religious experience that is joyful, passionate, cultural, intellectual, and community-minded” I am SO with you. I didn’t find what I was looking for until I came to Israel. Just a thought for you

Michael and Shtriemel, I can tell you from my experience that piercings sure don’t seem to be a real conflict with Orthodox Judaism. Almost every frum girl I know has a nose ring. I had to take mine out a while back to make a statement. And as far as pot smoking goes, it’s a bit more complicated, but Michael and I could both be rich if we had a shekel…

Muffti, you essentially asked why don’t we go to teenagers, ask them what they want out of Judaism and customize it accordingly, as well as looking at other cultures in a similar situation. It’s interesting in the book “Jew and the Lotus” mentioned above, the Dalai Lama was actually looking to Jews to answer the problem of assimilation the Tibetans are facing (we’ve lasted 2,000 years, we must have done SOMETHING right). My feeling is that you don’t ask teenagers what they want and give it to them. Teenagers seem to be a little short-sighted. I’m more in favor of a build it and they will come sorta thing, or some hybrid of the two ideas, assuming what your building is good enough.

TM, the truth is, Judaism is less about faith, and more about commitment. We are not Christianity.

Ok, all for now, back to work.

But when it comes down to it, I have tools in my arsenal that non-yeshiva educated kids don’t have. I have a breadth of knowledge and understanding that gives me more questions than I have answers, but at least the knowledge is there. And I feel exceedingly lucky to have that.

Holidays, Hebrew language and literature, liturgy, Torah knowledge, aggadot, halakhot, Jewish values? The schooling is all there. Now it’s all churning away in the giant hopper in my head–along with my sense of humor, my personality, my world view and all the other things that make me me–in the ongoing attempt to define myself.

And most days, it’s still a struggle, because I haven’t found the “label” of Judaism that seems to appropriately fit me. Educationally, I’m Orthodox. Practice-wise, I’m Conservadox (whatever that means). Ideologically, I’m mostly Conservative (but there are parts of Conservative ideology that don’t jive with me). And of course, the Reform dictum (which is not solely Reform) of tikkun olam makes a lot of sense. And to top it all off, I personally believe that (almost) whatever gets people to connect to their Judaism and to Jewish spirituality and faith is AOK and groovy.

All that said, I’m going to make a brash generalization: most kids who grew up “Conservative” did not observe in the classical JTS sense, with a gestalt of keeping kosher and observing Shabbat–after shul on Saturdays, they went to the mall, or to movies with friends. Their education was bar/bat-mitzvah centered, or was stuff that filtered through from summer camp. While most of my friends are strongly, culturally identified Jewish, their daily lives are largely secular–their homes are not always kosher, shul is still a place you go before you pick up your drycleaning at the mall, etc. I’m not judging those who live their lives this way. But it’s very different from the way I live mine. And I wonder about the mixed messages that some of them may be sending their kids.

If education espouses a Judaism that will never be practiced by the students’ families at home, how much of a lasting resonance can it have? If teachers, curricula and the education itself consist of uninspiring, and unrelatable rhetoric, how can it have an impact? There are certainly challenges that face all the movements, and I agree with Laya, that at the core of it all is education.

I don’t have any solutions right now, but I think that actual and virtual places where Judaism is an active element (like the Jewish blogosphere) and allows for diverse opinions is a real step in the right direction. The programs like Storahtelling which are spinning tradition in a more creative and modern sensibility are another step in the right direction. And of course, conferences and birthright trips based on cool blogs are clearly another way to provide connections for today’s Jews to their cultural and spiritual heritage.

Let’s compare this thesis to my “Conservative” family experiences this past Shabbos.

On Friday afternoon I borrowed my three kids from their “Modern Orthodox” day school for an hour so that we could enjoy the performance of three traveling Breslev musicians (simplytsfat.com) with whom we are privileged to share friendship. Later, after dropping off my oldest daughter at the NCSY shabbaton at the local “Modern Orthodox” shul, the rest of our family had a nice quiet family Shabbos dinner featuring my wife’s stunning Challah.

On Shabbos day, we walked a mile to our “Conservative” shul, as did many of the other families in attendance. It’s a tough call, but this Shabbos I’d give the edge to the men that leined – a welcome change from the usual mastery displayed by several of the women in the congregation. We have no cantor; all leading and leining is performed congregation members and the rabbi.

All is not perfect in “Conservative” land, of course – some of the legal decisions in the shul make me itch (e.g. calling a bat cohen aliah), and I’d love to ditch the sound system (fixed “kosher” condenser microphones, system turned on before Shabbos, etc.), but no place is perfect, and neither are we. Most importantly to us, the members are warm, caring and friendly, and the rabbi is an open-minded mentch that leads with the carrot rather than the stick.

My children, by the way, are fourth generation members of this shul. Now, I’m sorry – what were you saying about “not enough”?

Kol tuv.

If I hadn’t went on a JUF mission to Israel, which set up friendships that directly led to me marrying a Jewish woman from a Traditional background, I’d likely be skateboarding for Jesus and be raising kids whose main religious holidays involve a Christmas Tree and Easter dinners. Hell, that’s what almost everyone on both sides of my family have done (except the grandparents). And we live in Chicago, a metro area with a major Jewish population base!

While my wife and I are both pretty secular at home (not Shomer Shabbat, but we do keep separate plates at home, and buy perhaps 60% explicitly Kosher food and don’t mix), we’re getting active in our Conservative synagogue and send our seven-year-old son to religious school.

Thanks to the Internet, I’ve developed a network of friends with a deep interest in Israeli music (we’re probably one of the few HH in Chicago that would go to NYC to go see the awesome groups Subliminal and Tipex!), and am taking Hebrew at an Ulpan. I probably spend more time reading Jewish blogs and websites than I do following baseball these days — go figure.

With cultural assimilation, and the prospect of 16 years of Republican control of gov’t, I see aliyah as an inevitable step if we want to develop a legacy of Jewish identify for ourselves and our kids. Anything else than that means long-term assimilation, or the prospect of retreating into an Orthodox world, both of which I find uncomfortable. Oddly enough, I see aliyah as the best way to live a culturally (but not exclusively) Jewish life. So shalom haverim — see you in Israel when we’re ready to move to Tel Aviv or one of the Anglo suburbs in about 10 years!

Right, it is crazy. Because children learn from behaviors they see and when they see parents who choose paths that their parents (possibly more religious Holocaust survivors) are not happy about, they learn that happiness comes through something selfishly chosen over compromise. But of course, that isn’t always the case. American society is a frighteningly selfish one. The whole concept of, “it’s my life, I can do what ever I want now that I’m an adult,” is totally unJewish and yet totally everywhere so that even if parents are not selfish, they really have to show their children a tolerance for them and a love and acceptance for their children so that their children only want to give back to their parents in that manner.

Besides, in shul this week my Rav said an interesting dvar Torah about how sometimes we need an Amalek to help us bond together and, basically, find our Jewish identities but that this is only like a back-up. That if we build up our shuls (the closest we have to a Beit HaMikdash) and treat them with respect, and build up our communities and treat each other with dignity, we can find our strength as a nation in that and the need for an Amalek will not exist.

I think I lost my point somewhere…

Consider moving to Israel. It’s our only hope.

Attempting to discuss how to save ‘American’ Jewry for the next 50 years is, IMO, h o p e l e s s . The only way to save the Jews is to move to Israel. Start studying hebrew today, or start improving it if you have the base already. I made aliyah when I was 22. not religious, and had some hebrew. Everyone can do it. Think about it.

Josh

We see above 50% intermarriage rates, affinity with Israel has gone down from 72% of the Jewish community to 56% etc. etc. Young secular Jews are choosing more and more to remain unaffiliated – forget synagogues, they also want nothing to do with otherwise secular Jewish communal organizations.

As Alan Dershowitz once said, “… the Orthodox have built in mechanisms to help deal with continuity …” – more liberal streams of Judaism and secular Jews, not so much. I’m not passing judgement on anyone – I am merely reflecting the statistical reality of what’s going on out there.

Participating in Orthodox Judaism does require a certain measure of faith and absent that, it is still possible to revel in the cultural aspects of Judaism, for we are after all also possessed of a beautiful cultural and historical heritage. But then again so are many other cultures and civilizations. Many people study and are fascinated by Roman history, or Florentine history or Chinese culture etc. But that sort of thing is like a hobby and the love of particular hobbies are notriously difficult to pass on to your children and grand children.

I mean imagine telling your kids they can’t marry the love of their lives because their beloved does not share YOUR love of model railroads and will therefor not maintain your train sets after you pass on? That’s crazy!

But whatever. It’s all good. Shabbat Shalom! Great discussion so far!

I think we should revisit your ideas in the near future by asking for input from our guests to see what things they see as key to a vibrant Judaism.

To all those who keep talking about Orthodox Judaism as booming, I’d like to point out that in order to live as an Orthodox Jew, at least one who isn’t living a lie, one has to have faith. This would be faith not only that god exists, but that his manifestation is that of the god we know from the bible.

Does that mean that one cannot be a Jew with a future if one doesn’t subscribe to that faith? Does that mean that the very same points Laya lists above don’t apply to Conservative, unaffiliated and Reform Jews? I don’t think so. I think the reason the Orthodox community is better able to resist the very same problems that plague most Jewish organizations and communities today is that faith overcomes these hurdles. It is a very powerful tool.

Since non-Orthodox communities cannot rely upon absolute faith in the same way, they have to rely upon spirituality. Spirituality is not as strong a lever in ensuring that people remain within the fold.

However, I don’t see why a non-Orthodox Jew cannot benefit and find Judaism far more enticing if exposed to the things Laya lists in her post. On the contrary, it is precisely that belief that guides me in many of the Jewish-related ideas, activities and community I pursue.

At Bialik, the benefits are not obvious. When we focus on Holocaust related issues, the benefits are not obvious. When we cow-toe to the 2% of our wealthy donors, the benefits are not obvious. When our shuls resemble museums, the benefits are not obvious.

At Jewlicious, the benefits seem to be more obvious. Y’ashear koach.

Every single dollar wasted on a new “Museum of Tolerance” or some damn “The Goyim Hate Us 10% More Than They Did Last Year, We Need $100 Million for Anti-Anti-Semitism Education” study is a dollar not being spent on giving our youth what they really need: real, solid, Torah-true chinuch.

I don’t know about you guys, but our Ortho shul is growing, and there are so many children underfoot that kiddush is downright dangerous.

The organized non-Orthodox community has every reason to fear for it’s continued existence. Spiritually, it has nothing to offer. The only purpose it can serve is to be an entry way for people to learn a little until they are mature enough to go on to the real thing.