For years, the biggest Jewish American institutions have obsessed over Jewish demographics, drawing on the tragic loss of life in the Holocaust to encourage more Jews to identify as Jewish and affiliate with Jewish communities. Unfortunately, this focus on demographics fails to effectively engage young Americans.
This isn’t surprising. Young American Jews are not interested in shaping their lives in response to the Holocaust. They live in a society where Judaism is evaluated with the same scrutiny as any other lifestyle choice; and an attractive lifestyle must promise something more than simply perpetuating itself. No matter how glitzy and well-funded Jewish programming is, it will fail to attract people as long as it frames its guiding principle around – to borrow a famous quotation from U.S. President John F. Kennedy – the narrative: Ask not what Judaism can do for you; ask what you can do for Judaism.
Read Full Article »