Explore Posts by Author (Choose name under “Topic”)

Many of the Jewish professionals I interviewed described how working in the Jewish communal sector enabled them to live integrated and authentic lives. They thought of their work as an expression of their Jewish identities. Their exposure to a multiplicity of Jewish organizations and ideas increased their sense of connection to Jewish tradition, culture and community. Having dense and overlapping social and professional networks was a point of pride and a source of fulfillment.

Jewish identity has long been measured by whether a person holds certain attitudes or practices certain behaviors, but there's a different way to look at it.

Holy Yearnings seeks to address one of the biggest challenges churches face today: reaching millennials in meaningful ways. This multiphase project aims to help congregations create innovative ministries to support young adults’ flourishing.

As is the case across traditions, Jewish organizations are concerned about the decline of religious affiliation and are looking for new ways to keep people interested in religion. Amichai has developed a thriving career of making Jewish texts and stories accessible with his ability to use dramatic flair to engage people in religious ritual.

The American Muslim Civic Leadership Initiative (AMCLI) was founded in 2006 and launched programming in 2008. This evaluation was designed to investigate and articulate program outcomes and to obtain a more nuanced understanding of the various impacts directly from alumni.

In this latest issue, I discovered an ad for a battery-operated "deluxe hanukkah tree topper," described as "the perfect meeting place between two beautiful holiday traditions and bound to generate smiles to all that see it." About $40 (plus shipping costs) buys you an 8-inch diameter, battery-operated Star of David with a "steel coil for easy mounting atop any size tree."

So, rather than putting forth a variety of diverse measures designed to understand respondents’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors--in effect, asking young adults to tell us how they fit into the framework of Jewishness as we define it--we’re attempting to locate narrative authority with the research subjects themselves.

Creative endeavors have the power to transcend the boundaries of religion, race, class and gender, making space to explore diverse Jewish narratives and empower cultural/secular Jews to contribute to a conversation in which they might not otherwise take part.

During this time of year, the multiplicity of Jewish expression is highly visible. The wide array of opportunities underscores the variety of expressions of contemporary Jewish identity. To varying extents, each service illustrates a negotiation of traditional and contemporary sensibilities.