Growing up, my Jewish identity was largely focused on the polarities of the State of Israel and antisemitism (including the Holocaust).
For me, the system “worked.” Hearing about the Holocaust touched me and built within me a sense of responsibility to the Jewish people. Furthermore, Israel – the greatest comeback story in human history – fascinated me: I made aliyah, my kids are Sabras and I am still in love with this country.
However, the “Jewish identity = Israel + antisemitism” equation doesn’t seem to work so well anymore. For many people, antisemitism is a “downer.” Rather than inspire Jewish commitment, often it turns people off. Like the Holocaust, it is just too hard and depressing to focus on.
Similarly, despite the great work of Birthright (and let’s not forget the crucial more advanced trips and programs of Masa, Onward Israel, Chabad and Olami), for many Jews today, Israel is – at best – defended.
It is no longer seen as a beacon of light, or particularly connected to daily life. Furthermore, today, while the Holocaust is clearly still very important to Jewish identity, the books have been written. The movies have been made. The stories have been told. For most people, today the victims are the Ukrainians.
Experts' opinion
To better understand the current situation, I consulted with a number of experts in the field.
Scott Copeland, senior director for education at Onward Israel (now a project of Birthright Israel) pointed out that things are always changing.
“In so many places, you hear and see messages that don’t ring true in light of contemporary challenges.... Educators cannot fairly expect people in their twenties and thirties to relate to the memory of the Holocaust and the existence of the State of Israel like their grandparents do and did.... For many of our... program participants, the Shoah and the State of Israel are not that different than significant events that took place long ago and far away.”
If so, what should we talk about? Anything. Or, at least, almost anything.
Of course, I don’t mean to completely drop Israel’s security challenges and antisemitism from our conversations. These issues remain central, to say the least. However, if the past is an indication of the future, such discussions will not inspire the next generation to stay Jewish. What will?
Rabbi Avi Cassel, North American director of Olami (one of the largest Jewish education and social organizations in the world, focusing primarily on college students and young professionals), explained that, “of course we need to talk about the Holocaust and focus on Israel.
Indeed, we bring many thousands of students and young professionals to Poland and Israel every year. However, as time goes on it is clear that students want more than this. They want to know about Judaism – but not just as information. They want to understand how Judaism is relevant to them and their modern, busy lives.”
Rabbi Dov Wagner, Chabad shliach at USC in Los Angeles, largely agrees, and cautions that, as important as it is to fight antisemitism, we must make sure that it doesn’t become the center of Jewish conversation.
He explained that “my own experiences... indicate that the broader Jewish world seems far more interested and activated by a single instance of negative hate on campus than by thousands of positive Jewish engagements.”
His point is well-taken: There is so much Jewish philosophy, mysticism and Torah knowledge to know about and connect to. Perhaps we should focus a little more on them and a little less on the current threat levels? Are our Jewish conversations out of balance?
One wonders sometimes if we are perhaps a little afraid to discuss, learn and argue about core Jewish ideas. It reminds me of the story of the new rabbi who gets up to speak for the first time and focuses on the beauty of Shabbat. The president of the shul approaches him after the sermon and says, “no one keeps Shabbat here, rabbi. Please talk about something else.”
The next week, he discusses kashrut, and the same thing happened. This goes on, week after week. Finally, exasperated, the rabbi asks the president of the shul, “I can’t talk about this and I can’t talk about that and I can’t talk about this and I can’t talk about that – what can I talk about?”
“I can’t talk about this and I can’t talk about that and I can’t talk about this and I can’t talk about that – what can I talk about?”
Rabbi Avi Cassel
“I don’t know, rabbi,” responded the president – “something Jewish.”
The story (I’m not quite sure it qualifies as a joke...) has much truth to it, but doesn’t tell the full story either. When I asked for his thoughts on the Jewish identity equation, Hillel International’s president and CEO, Adam Lehman, was kind enough to explain his “take” on the subject.
“There’s no question that Holocaust education and Israel engagement are still important elements within Jewish life in America, including for college students today. At the same time, we know that for young people, Jewish life is broader, more multifaceted, more diverse and more interconnected with other aspects of their lives than ever before.
“Whether their interests lie in more traditional aspects of Jewish life or in the way Jewish life, values and community can bring meaning and purpose to their other identities and passions, Gen Z students expect their Jewish lives to fit with their whole selves.... The Hillel movement reaches 140,000 students a year, and the truth is in the course of a year, we see and enable just as many ways to engage with Jewish life, inspiring 140,000 unique, self-authored Jewish journeys.”
Hillel, Onward Israel, Chabad and Olami are all essentially saying the same thing: Speaking of Israel and antisemitism remains crucial, but the focus of young Jews today is shifting. Young Jews want to know how Jewish wisdom is relevant to their lives.
Are we providing answers?
The writer is the author of Why Be Jewish? and the cofounder of Mosaica Press.