CONTACT AUTUMN 2009/CHESHVAN 5770 VOLUME 12 NUMBER 1 THE JOURNAL OF THE STEINHARDT FOUNDATION FOR JEWISH LIFE

IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE contact FROM THE EDITOR

AUTUMN 2009/CHESHVAN 5770 VOLUME 12 NUMBER 1

Eli Valley Editor IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE Erica Coleman Copy Editor he current chapter of the American Jewish story is Janet Mann Administration unique: Never before in Jewish history has a society Yakov Wisniewski been so receptive to Jewish culture, ideas and people. Design Director Here Jews experience not only tolerance, but THE STEINHARDT FOUNDATION FOR JEWISH LIFE T celebration. This has engendered a central paradox of the Jewish Michael H. Steinhardt Chairman engagement industry: the effort to entrance American Jews about Robert P. Aronson Jewish experiences might seem superfluous in an era in which America President Rabbi David Gedzelman itself affirms Jewish culture and values. Executive Vice President

Rabbi Irving Greenberg How to respond to the challenges and opportunities of this paradox Founding President Jonathan J. Greenberg z”l might determine the success of Jewish engagement efforts. By now it Founding Director has become clear even to many who work inside the insular Jewish CONTACT is produced and distributed by The Steinhardt Foundation communal world that treating American society as a threat is not only for Jewish Life, 6 East 39th Street, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016. absurd, but out of touch with the experiences of the very Jews they All issues of Contact are available for download at www.steinhardtfoundation.org/journal.html seek to reach. The parallel paradox is that in some cases, American Individual subscriptions are free of charge and are provided as a service to the community. Jews are repelled not by Judaism but by the methods and perspectives To subscribe, please send your name and mailing address to [email protected]. of the Jewish engagement industry. Phone: (212) 279-2288 Fax: (212) 279-1155 Email: [email protected] This issue of CONTACT explores this unique period of American Website: www.steinhardtfoundation.org For media inquiries about The Steinhardt Jewish history, and examines the opportunities offered by Judaism’s Foundation for Jewish Life, please contact Dan Gerstein at [email protected]. acceptance in the public sphere. Articles consider cultural offerings, Copyright © 2009 by The Steinhardt Foundation community service, Jewish studies classes in universities and Hebrew for Jewish Life. in public schools as venues for potential Jewish involvement outside The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life is dedicated to strengthening and transforming Ameri can Jewish Life to ensure a flourishing, the traditional structures of Jewish life. In all, the articles suggest ways sustainable community in a fully integrated free society. We seek to revitalize Jewish we might harness the potential of the public sphere to heighten Jewish identity through educational and cultural initiatives that are designed to reach out to connections and involvement in this unprecedented era of celebration all Jews, with an emphasis on those who are on the margins of Jewish life, as well as to in America. advocate for and support Hebrew and Jewish literacy among the general population.

Eli Valley Cover photo montage created from photo by Joel Jefferies, courtesy of Comedy Central, and image from Dreamstime. 2 CONTACT A RISING CREDIT RATING, AND THE OPPORTUNITY IT PRESENTS by BETHAMIE HOROWITZ rom the vantage point of 2009, it’s hard pain.” (Mordecai Kaplan, The Meaning of God to imagine what it was like to be Jewish in Modern Jewish Religion, 1937.) F in America 100 years ago. Jews were These conditions set the stage for a pecu- These new social overwhelmingly poor and dispossessed, arriv- liar psychological dynamic: Jews could either ing on America’s shores along with Irish Catho- accept the state of separation and otherness or conditions have led to lics, Italians, Poles and others viewed as try hard to escape from Jewishness. Out of this new ways for Jews to inferior by the American Anglo-Protestant environment emerged the well-known phe- mainstream of that time. nomenon of “self-hatred,” a term coined by the orient themselves It was in such a climate that Mordecai social psychologist and German-Jewish émigré Kaplan lamented, more than 70 years ago, that Kurt Lewin. One benign effect was that instead beyond a primary focus “[t]he average Jew today is conscious of his of naming their sons Isaac, Moses or Benjamin, Judaism as one is conscious of a diseased organ a whole generation of anxious American Jewish of taking care of our that gives notice of its existence by causing parents settled on Irving, Milton or Barry as own, to the wide array more promising. Bethamie Horowitz, Ph.D., is a socio-psychologist who Many of the major American Jewish com- of issues in the world. teaches in the graduate program in Education and Jewish munal organizations were established during Studies at NYU’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and the first half of the 20th Century, a time when Human Development, where she is Senior Research Scientist. America was less hospitable to Jews. Since

AUTUMN 2009 3 larger American society didn’t make the their feelings about being Jewish, the care of Jews a priority, Jews had to vast majority feel positive, some are THE make do for themselves. The tremen- neutral and a small minority are ambiv- dous Jewish communal infrastructure alent or negative. Self-hatred has largely we have inherited was built during this disappeared. Judaism and being Jewish JEWISH era to acculturate the new immigrants, are attractive to many people, not all of care for the sick (and in so doing create them Jews. jobs for Jewish doctors!), and develop a The fact that the American main- PARTICULAR communal safety-net of services. stream views Jews positively accounts Today, now that American Jews have in part for the rise in intermarriage: the become a “high-end” group in American rates are high partly because others are AND THE society, our entire frame of reference has willing to marry Jews. Not only is there shifted from that earlier time and place. no shame for Gentiles in such a match, In 2000, Jews ranked highest among but it may even be an attraction. This is PUBLIC religious groups in annual median a far cry from the older pattern of Jews household income in the U.S. (Kosmin intermarrying to break free from the & Keysar, Religion in a Free Market: Reli- social restrictions Jews experienced in SPHERE gious and Non-Religious Americans, Who, Mordecai Kaplan’s time. by RABBI DAVID GEDZELMAN What, Why, Where, 2006.) These new social conditions have The old social barriers that once led to new ways for Jews to orient owards the end of Aviva Kempner’s recently delimited Jewish activity no longer exist. themselves beyond a primary focus of released documentary, Yoo-hoo Mrs. Gold- For example, in December 1999, Harp- taking care of our own, to the wide berg, we learn that the fictional Goldberg er’s Bazaar Magazine published a feature array of issues in the world. In recent T family of radio and television did not fare well anticipating the festivities around New decades, a slew of new Jewish organiza- from its move to the suburbs in 1955. Twenty- Year’s Eve Millennium celebrations, tions has been established, many of which happened to fall on a Friday which address concerns in the larger seven years after Gertrude Berg first presented the night. The editors asked a number of world from a particularly Jewish orien- Goldbergs of the Jewish Bronx as a mainstay of actresses and socialites about their plans: tation. These include the American American popular culture on the radio, the televi- “Where and how will you be ringing in Jewish World Service, Jewish Funds for sion iteration of the family comedy, first broadcast the year 2000?” Actress Ellen Barkin Justice, Jewish World Watch, Hazon, in 1949, came to an abrupt end scarcely a year replied, “What year 2000? I’m a Jew — Uri L’Tzedek, Avodah: The Jewish Ser- after the show’s venue was relocated to suburban it’s 5760!” It is hard to imagine a compa- vice Corps, and Repair the World. Haverville, where being Jewish was far more for- rable actor of the 1950s or 60s Each of these organizations was eign than it had been in the Bronx. trumpeting her Jewish background as founded out of the conviction that The move to the suburbs was preceded earlier in part of her public persona. engaging in these various causes and the decade by a year-and-a-half broadcasting hiatus By 2004, Joseph Lieberman, a self- commitments as Jews was a meaning- brought on by the blacklisting of Philip Loeb, the avowed observant Jew, was the Demo- ful act and that a Jewish rubric for this show’s co-star who was investigated as a communist cratic Party’s candidate for Vice kind of work was needed. Together, sympathizer by the House Un-American Activities President of the United States. Like- they represent a growing motivation Committee. One wonders whether the culture of wise, the number of Jews serving in the among American Jews to address the suspicion and accusation that pervaded American U.S. Congress has grown from around 1 pressing issues of the world around society in the early 1950s put a cold chill on what percent (5-9 members) in the early them, and to do so as Jews and the early success of the Goldbergs represented — 1900s to 8 percent (44) of the 535 through a Jewish lens. Although they the acceptance of Jewish distinctiveness in the members of the current 112th Con- were not designed to intensify Jewish American public sphere as having much to contrib- gress. “Jewish” has become more of a commitment, the visibility and growth ute to American notions of family, decency and per- plus, an accepted and even admired sta- of these new American Jewish institu- sonal achievement. Through post-1950s lenses, we tus, rather than a social liability. tions may yield other kinds of collat- are surprised to learn how popular the very ethnic Along with this integration and eral benefits aside from the vital work Goldbergs were in 1930s and 40s America, espe- acceptance, we would have to say that they undertake. cially given what we know about phenomena such being Jewish has become unproblem- These new organizations may hold as Father Coughlin and the anti-Semitism of his age. atic — or at least normalized — in special appeal for Jews who have in the Perhaps that surprise is more a function of those America. There is no question about past been put off by a communal orien- lenses than of the history of Jewish life in America. the compatibility of being both Jewish tation that seemed overly parochial. The move to radical assimilation, with its and American; people do not feel that Seeing committed Jews engaging effec- imperative to be invisible as a Jew in the public they have to tone down their Jewish- tively in a broader social justice agenda sphere, wasn’t as direct, broad and immediate as ness in order to make it in America. In may be especially beckoning. We some would have us believe. In fact, through the the 1930s, a Jew might have attempted should not underestimate the power of 20s, 30s and 40s, American Jewish life saw the to pass as Anglo-Saxon Protestant, these efforts as potential exemplars of growth, not decline, of institutional vehicles of Jew- whereas 75 years later a person is free contemporary American Jewish moral ish cultural pride that encouraged Jewish Ameri- to not think about his/her Jewish ori- leadership. At a time when Jewishness cans to stand in public as Jews. The Workmen’s gins at all. has become more of an advantage than Circle, B’nai B’rith Lodges and a plethora of Jewish At home and fully integrated into a stigma, we have a challenge and an America, American Jews remain openly opportunity to reflect upon our collec- Rabbi David Gedzelman is Executive Vice President of The and proudly Jewish. When asked about tive contributions in new ways. ■ Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life. 4 CONTACT hhaveav been an accurate reflection of what AmAmerica was ready for in terms of Jewish vvisibilityisi in the public sphere, or it may hhaveav been an overreaction. Jewish self- cecensorship,n which stood in stark contrast to tthe inclinations of a Gertrude Berg, tootook many forms over the decades, from the behavior of the Hollywood moguls to the Eruv wars. Suffice it to say, it is diffi- culcultt to know to what degree the tendency to llimit a Jewish presence in the American ppublicub sphere was a function of American gegeneraln culture and to what degree it was a fufunction of Jewish self-censorship. It is cleclear,a however, that throughout the Ameri- cacann Jewish experience, there has always beebeen, to one degree or another, an open- nenesss to things Jewish in the general cul- tutturere that has made America different. The overarching question is whether wwee are ready to fully engage this American oopennesspe so that both Jewish life and AmAmerican life can benefit. We have all too ooftenfte assumed that Jewish ideas and values cacannotn be brought to the public sphere uunlessnl they are decoupled from Jewish par- ticticularity,u Peoplehood and distinctiveness. ThThisi is wrongheaded. As long as Jewish- nennesss is not cast in exclusivist or chauvinis- tictic tterms, Jewish wisdom, ideas and llanguageang can be more deeply and pro- ffoundly understood only when contextual- ized in the medium of Jewish Peoplehood fraternal organizations proliferated across and true to America. It was the era of the and cultural identity. That is, the notion the United States, giving their members 1950s and its precedent in Father Coughlin that only those Jewish ideas stripped of public platforms on which to pronounce which were the aberration and which vio- Jewish particularism have any appeal in cultural and ethnic pride. A Max Baer lated the nature of American democracy the public sphere fails to take into account would be more likely to paint a Star of and understanding. the intrinsic and value-added relationship David on his boxing shorts in 1933 than he Also, it may very well be that it was between the universal and the particular. would in 1955, 1965 or 1975. The big chill Jewish insecurity and an initial lack of When we discover the universal through lasted a very long time; the thaw began to complete trust in the promise of America the particular, we are richer for it. When become apparent only in the 1990s, as a that moved American Jews to assume that we negate the particular as a requirement new celebration of multi-cultural diversity they would be better off as less visible in of the universal, we arrive at a universal- allowed difference to be celebrated in the the public sphere. Jewish leadership was ism that is shallow, and we are the lesser public sphere in America, in general. queasy with the notion that Jews would be for it. America does not require that Jewish At the end of the first decade of the 21st identified as such on their immigration ideas be divorced from affirming the value Century, acceptance of Jewishness in Amer- documents in the first decade of the 20th of being in Jewish community any more ica — both the Jewishness of personal iden- Century. Between 1906 and 1910, than the radio audience of the 1930s tity and the Jewishness of culture, ideas and attempts were unsuccessfully made to per- required Molly Goldberg to shed her Yid- wisdom — is unprecedented. Again, this suade the U.S. Immigration Commission dish accent in order for her family values should be seen as an amplification of an to consider Jewish immigrants from Russia to surface and prevail. earlier trend that was sidetracked rather as not being of Jewish nationality. The This is a time not only to proudly pres- than something altogether new. In other argument was made that being Jewish is ent Jewish spiritual wisdom, ethics and words, the possibilities of Jewish expression only a matter of faith and religion; there is values of universal appeal in public, but to in the public sphere in America, the accep- no Jewish People, nation or nationality. not shy away from celebrating particular tance of Jewish identity in America, and the That was an argument made by a small, elements of Jewish civilization such as the potential for affirmation of Jewish wisdom elite group of Jews willing to limit Jewish- Hebrew language, the history of the Jewish and ideas in America are not the sum of a ness to a profession of faith in order to people and contemporary Israeli culture in kind of cultural bubble or aberration but secure the protections of the U.S. Consti- the public sphere. To feel obligated to sep- rather speak to general American tendencies tution, which they perceived as unavail- arate the particular from the universal in for acceptance and to the particular Ameri- able if Jewishness were defined as this endeavor would be to miss a great can regard for Jewishness that are authentic anything besides faith. This may very well opportunity. ■

AUTUMN 2009 5 TAKING JEWISH PUBLIC by BRAD HIRSCHFIELD

ews have participated in the public global marketplace, animated not by fear the web’s biggest site for faith and spiritual sphere since Abraham made his first but by a genuine belief that they had inspiration, and for the Washington Post’s Jappearance in the court of a foreign something to say to the world, that “On Faith” feature. In each case, one more king. The real issue is not whether we emerged as the true heroes of whom we spiritual and the other more political, the should have a public presence, but how. In remain most proud. From the early rabbis challenge is to take what is Jewish public — order to participate successfully we should of the Mishnah and Talmud, through Mai- i.e., to use Torah as neither a seller nor as a ask, first, why are we there — only to take monides, all the way up to David Ben buyer, but as a contributor to the lives of the from the public sphere or also to contribute Gurion and Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, it hundred thousand plus readers a month, to it? Second, are we there simply as indi- has been those Jews who thought Judaism many of whom are not Jewish, with whom I viduals who happen to be Jewish, or do we had a real contribution to make to the share this experiment. use Judaism, Torah, Jewish thought and entire world who achieved true greatness. The initial response, especially from practice — whichever term we happen to “What is Aristotle, but Moses speaking some Beliefnet readers, to the understand- prefer — to make a genuine contribution to Greek?” So proclaimed the Neo-Platonists ing of what it means to write a Jewish col- the larger public of which we are a part? of the Third and Fourth Centuries as rabbis umn, was fascinating to me. There was a The public sphere is often referred to as emerged as the leaders who would shape combination of great pride in entering the the American or global spiritual/cultural Judaism for the next 1800 years. It’s no public square, mixed with genuine reticence marketplace. As in any marketplace, we must accident that it was the same teachers who about the “right” of non-Jews to participate consider why we are there. Do we come as imagined themselves as capable of partici- in the conversation and shape its content. buyers, sellers or perhaps as contributors? pating in the global debate about justice, Sound familiar? Sadly, much of the debate in Jewish life God and the meaning of life who also suc- Responding to that reticence helped me today is between those who fear our ceeded in effectively leading their own par- to better appreciate both the challenge and entry into the marketplace because it ticular community. The words of the Torah the opportunity of taking Jewish public. will turn us into indiscriminate were thought of as a public spiritual Right or wrong, it seems to me that the fol- over-buyers of resource, and its rabbinic commentators lowing understanding continues our oldest the spiritual were seen as public intellectuals entering and bravest conception of how Judaism can and cultural the public square not, for the most part, to take its rightful place in the global public wares of others, defend or recruit, but to contribute. square: The purpose of being Jewish is not and those who are Back then, the Jewish community and to “be Jewish” per se, but to help us become prepared to enter the its ideas were not considered to be primar- the human beings we most want to be. In market as sellers, ily something to be protected from the fact, for me, the test of the health of the tra- hawking whatever it larger public. They were the carriers of a dition that I love is not simply whether it takes to get others teaching that was there for anyone who helps its own members, but whether or not to join us. Ironi- desired its wisdom. No surprise, then, that it also benefits those who are not members. cally, both sides in those same centuries, significant num- If this sounds radical, look no farther than of this debate bers of non-Jews attended synagogues — the biblical story of Abraham’s call from are motivated not because they were necessarily interested God, in which he is told that his mission is by fear — either the fear of Juda- in converting, but because there was some- both to found a particular nation and also ism’s ability to compete successfully thing of personal value to be found in the to be a blessing to the entire world. in the market, in the case of the for- synagogue for all who wished to access it. Being a “light unto the nations” is not mer, or the fear of a diminishing people The same trend can be seen in the life some cheap Biblical line meant to provide in the case of the latter. and work of the other luminaries, from Mai- us endless naches. It is a blessing and a If we look back into the Jewish story, monides’s work as an Aristotelian philoso- challenge. Are we ready to bring Torah to though, we will see that both Jewish wis- pher to the nationalism of Ben Gurion and the public square and see it change the dom and the Jewish people have flourished Rav Kook. In each case, Jewish thought and world, alter our own understanding of most successfully when they lived in cul- practice, engaged in ongoing conversation both the world and Torah, and transform tures and settings that had permeable with the public intellectual culture, made the Jewish people itself? That’s what it boundaries and encouraged genuine par- contributions to both the larger culture itself means to take Jewish public. When we do, ticipation in the public sphere. And it was and to the vitality of the Jewish people. great things happen — they always have those people and movements which saw Among Clal’s work in taking Jewishness and they always will. ■ themselves primarily as contributors to the public and empowering a new generation of rabbis to do likewise through our Rabbis Without Borders initiative, my Rabbi Brad Hirschfield is President of Clal-The most recent experience with the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. His Beliefnet column can be found at blog.beliefnet. enormous potential of bringing com/windowsanddoors. He also writes the “For God’s Judaism to the public square Sake” blog at http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/ involves the columns I onfaith/brad_hirschfield. write for Beleifnet.com, 6 CONTACT hen the majority of our families tutional Jewish life did not indicate a lack of moved to America, they interest. Because we were more comfortable JEWISH W embraced the pursuit of an in secular spaces than in Jewish ones, and American dream which dictated that they because our Jewish selves were only one set aside their uniqueness as Jews and piece of our very complex, multi-faceted become “American” like everyone else. The identities, the organized community offered CULTURE very fabric of our communities — tradi- us few, if any, meaningful entries into the tions, languages, texts — stood in the way Jewish lives we wanted to live. of success in this new country, and, whether In 2002, I co-founded JDub Records, a IN THE intentionally or not, we assimilated as far as nonprofit organization dedicated to innova- we could. Today, Jews blend almost seam- tive Jewish music, community and cross- lessly into the fabric of American life, but cultural dialogue. At JDub we create Photograph by Joni Klein, courtesy of JDub Records PUBLIC like many other immigrant cultures, we are opportunities for young adults to enjoy now at a loss for our identity. modern Jewish culture in mainstream, secu- Culture has always been a vital part of lar spaces. JDub believes in the power of SPHERE Jewish life and community. But in the 20th joyous Jewish moments found in inclusive, Century, it was downplayed as a valid means non-coercive, peer-to-peer environments. of connection to Judaism. Today, though, in JDub artists serve as role models for young an age in which celebrity is king, the oppor- Jews who do not have positive, relevant tunity for Jewish role models to emerge in Jewish role models in American society. We by AARON BISMAN the arts is more than simply good PR for the engage hundreds of thousands of young Jews. It is a chance to relate our values and Jews every year through CDs, events, online history to the next generation. communities and holiday celebrations. As an NYU student studying Music When we started, JDub was a big idea in Aaron Bisman, a graduate of New York University’s Business and interested in the intersection a void. People laughed at the notion of (and Music Business Program, is President & CEO of JDub of my Jewish life and the rest of my life, I value in) bringing authentic Jewish voices Records (www.jdubrecords.org). He is a recipient of found inherent value in modern, innovative into the mainstream. But when the crowds the Joshua Venture Fellowship and is a co-creator of Jewish music. I recognized that for my peers showed up, when people bought CDs by the the Six Points Fellowship for Emerging Jewish Artists. and for myself, lack of involvement in insti- thousands and when the content went viral, AUTUMN 2009 7 We need to shift the communal narrative away from one of crisis and reaction, which doesn’t resonate with young Jews, to one of celebration and transformation.

JDub’s critics witnessed first-hand the keting. You cannot have one without the Tube. Hidden Melodies Revealed, an alternative renaissance of a new Jewish creativity. other and must have mastery of both to Rosh Hashanah experience created by Six Fast forward seven years and JDub is achieve your mission today. Points Fellow Jeremiah Lockwood of The bursting at the seams with twelve diverse, JDub is dedicated to consistently present- Sway Machinery, was performed at Angel professional Jewish artists who have success- ing high-quality programming with the great- Orensanz in 2007 and attended by over 500 ful careers in a variety of genres. With music est possible impact. It is not enough to create young Jews on the first night of Rosh Hasha- ranging from Sephardic Rock, Israeli Hip meaningful experiences for young Jews in a nah. It was so successful that JDub brought Hop and Klezmer Punk to Biblical Indie void — they need to know about the oppor- this event to Los Angeles and San Francisco Rock and Jewish Kids music, JDub knows tunities available to them. Towards that end, for the High Holidays in 2009. that Jewish life today is bubbling with inspi- JDub commits significant staff time to book- Since JDub’s inception, and despite its ration, meaning and personal relevance. ing, producing and promoting its artists and enormous success, the Jewish community JDub continues to further its vision through events; works with publicists to place stories and its philanthropic supporters continually Photograph by Kevin Knight, courtesy of JDub Records its co-leadership of the Six Points Fellowship in local secular and Jewish media; and works challenge us. While there are many who view for Emerging Jewish Artists (created in part- with savvy graphic designers to create strik- JDub as a risky investment, and others who nership with Avoda Arts and the Foundation ing postcards, e-flyers and collateral materi- doubt the value and importance of culture for Jewish Culture and funded by UJA-Feder- als for distribution. Unlike typical events (even though many studies repeatedly point ation of New York), which has just com- geared towards young Jews, JDub concerts to how valuable it is to our generation), there pleted its first cohort and is working on an and events are not purely social affairs. Our are still others who view culture as somehow expansion plan on the West Coast. events focus on content in addition to the frivolous in comparison to social service Before young Jews will choose to partic- social aspects. This inspires Jewish journeys needs. Indeed, young Jews are not immune ipate in a Jewish community, we need to and helps develop identity. to a climate of economic hardship and are understand why we should. While tradition- Jewish culture in the public sphere is challenged, like their peers, with limited dis- ally, Judaism has stressed obligation, in abounding and truly breaking boundaries, cretionary dollars. But the arts are not eco- America today, Judaism exists in a culture of one listener at a time. Balkan Beat Box, a nomically exclusive. During the Great choice. Most of us have not directly experi- unique Israeli-led JDub band, shared this Depression, when all other markets were ail- enced anti-Semitism, and, for better or experience with the Jerusalem Post: “After ing, the arts were flourishing, as they were, worse, we are not interested in a reactive one of our shows in southern France, a and continue to be, a great unifier and a way Judaism that expects our participation for 16-year-old Palestinian living there … told to bring people into community with one reasons of survival. We need to shift the us, ‘I never thought Israelis could be so cool another when they feel most alone. Our communal narrative away from one of crisis and deliver such a message.’ Those little community needs the arts, as it does other and reaction, which doesn’t resonate with moments, and there are tons of them, are services, to survive, grow and flourish not young Jews, to one of celebration and trans- what help soothe my burning desire to help only during these difficult times but for formation — no less present in Judaism but achieve peace.” (The Jerusalem Post, January many more generations to come. seemingly given less importance by many of 29th, 2009). Balkan Beat Box’s most popular Instead of dwelling on preserving our our institutions over the last 50 years. song, Adir Adirim, is a traditional prayer for numbers, we and our peers are delving into This understanding comes from leading Shavuot and is downloaded by thousands of questions of meaning: In a world overrun an organization founded by and working people every year. with choices, ideas and a multitude of escap- with a peer audience. While many non- JDub artists and events have been featured ist options, what does Judaism mean to us profits claim to do this through the use of on public radio, late night TV and on hun- and why should we be Jewish? Only when a traditional lay leadership structures, JDub dreds of blogs. They’ve been covered by The community addresses these questions will does not lead its constituents where we New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and young people stream in and ask for the think they should go; we are actually part of SPIN Magazine, among others. A video for opportunity to engage. Through their our target demographic and thus under- Socalled’s You Are Never Alone — a song about engagement with organizations like JDub, stand their needs and how to reach them. Jewish cowboys with a Hasidic melody at its young Jews experience a Judaism that does We are successful because we understand core and the heartbreaking chorus “Will they not stand apart from their everyday lives, but inherently that high quality, authentic con- say Kaddish for me?” — has received millions fits perfectly within them, allowing them to tent is integrally linked with effective mar- of views and thousands of comments on You- walk proudly in the secular world as Jews. ■

8 CONTACT JEWISH STUDIES,

GENTILE STUDENTS by JUDITH R. BASKIN

ewish and Hebraic studies in North the field. I would note that in Europe, most subject matters. Many of these students, America hark back to colonial America, Jewish studies scholars in Germany, Italy, often children of recent immigrants, are curi- J where the first colleges and universities, Spain and the Scandinavian countries are not ous about how Jews have been able to main- including Harvard, Yale and William and from Jewish backgrounds. tain a distinct cultural identity in the United Mary, were established under the auspices of I believe that the full integration of Jew- States while also succeeding professionally various Protestant denominations with the ish studies into the academic landscape and and economically. They feel a resonance with goal of training ministers and pastors. In the the accessibility of the discipline to inter- their own experiences when they read histor- early 1700s, all Harvard undergraduates ested students, regardless of their ethnic or ical studies, memoirs and fiction, written were required to study Hebrew, because in religious backgrounds, is a good thing. from a Jewish point of view, that address order to be truly educated, a Christian gen- However, the reality of our appeal to Gen- themes of immigration, ethnic otherness, and tleman had to be able to read the Bible in its tiles requires constant reevaluation of peda- gender and generational conflicts in the tran- original language. gogic approaches — for one thing, it is sition from the Old World to the New. We Almost 300 years later, of course, many important not to use materials that were have a number of Japanese exchange stu- things have changed. Yet, there are still large produced with primarily Jewish audiences dents, and those who take my courses in numbers of non-Jewish students who in mind. Nor can we make assumptions that Women in Judaism or Jews in the Modern remain interested in the academic explora- our students have any prior knowledge World are fascinated with Fiddler on the Roof tion of the Bible, in Hebrew language and about Judaism, the Jewish experience or (apparently the most performed musical in literature, and in the larger Jewish experi- areas of Jewish sensitivity. Japan) and deeply moved by the transition ence. A few years ago, Samuel G. Freedman At the University of Oregon, the Harold from the shtetl to America. Our students in wrote “Classes in Judaic Studies: Drawing a Schnitzer Family Program in Judaic Studies general are also anxious to learn more about Non-Jewish Class” in his New York Times has limited resources and relatively few Jew- both the Holocaust and the modern Middle “On Education” column (November 3, ish students (at most, 5 percent of under- East. They come with few preconceptions. 2004). He was intrigued by a striking trend graduates). Therefore, we have chosen to Our course on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at City College of New York (CCNY) and in teach Biblical Hebrew, which appeals to a far is taught by a Jewish anthropologist who did Jewish studies programs nationwide of a larger range of students than Modern her field work in a Palestinian village on the growing number of non-Jewish students Hebrew. Moreover, while few students attain West Bank. The course ends with a three who not only attended Jewish studies proficiency in speaking, reading or writing week peace conference in which each stu- courses but also majored and minored in after two years of Modern Hebrew, two years dent is assigned the role of a real person and Jewish studies. It’s a trend that we’ve also of Biblical Hebrew can be highly effective. must learn and represent that individual’s experienced at the University of Oregon. Our students spend a year absorbing gram- point of view (students may request a partic- While this phenomenon is obviously mar, syntax and vocabulary at the introduc- ular side, if they wish). This is usually a affected by the demographics and location of tory level. They then jump to the wrenching, deeply painful and highly educa- each institution (neither CCNY nor the Uni- intermediate level with courses in Biblical tive event for all concerned. versity of Oregon have large Jewish student Narrative, Biblical Poetry, and Post-Biblical Changing demographics in the early 21st populations), it is a noteworthy transforma- Texts. Our Hebrew courses are demanding, Century make clear that the number of Jews tion in an academic field which was in its but they are also extremely stimulating for in the larger population, including student earlier days very much, as Freedman puts it, students and faculty. A number of our stu- populations, is already in steady decline. The “by Jews, about Jews, and for Jews.” As dents have already mastered Latin and/or future of Jewish studies in North American endowed programs and positions in Jewish Greek and take Hebrew for the challenge of universities will depend on the field’s appeal studies continue to be established in institu- learning another classical language. The stu- to a larger constituency. Many Jewish donors, tions without significant Jewish student bod- dents who stick with it feel an enormous in fact, have chosen to endow Jewish studies ies, and as we shape our courses to fulfill sense of mastery. Several students who have positions and programs at institutions, both general education and diversity requirements gone on to law school have thanked us for public and private, that do not have a critical in the hopes of attracting significant student the excellent training they received in learn- mass of Jewish students, including colleges numbers, we are increasingly teaching ing to read meticulously and in helping them and universities in parts of North America diverse student populations. Some of these to persevere with a difficult challenge. The with small Jewish populations and at institu- non-Jewish students are intrigued by what students who succeed in these courses are tions linked to the Roman Catholic Church they are learning and decide to continue in ethnically diverse, including people of Asian and various Protestant denominations. These and Hispanic backgrounds who have chosen donors have argued that Jewish studies Biblical Hebrew purely out of personal inter- should be integrated into the academic curri- Judith R. Baskin, Ph.D., is Associate Dean, Humani- ests. Students who go on to study in Israel cula of all institutions of higher education. ties, College of Arts and Sciences, and Knight Profes- quickly discover that their excellent back- They hope, as well, that exposing diverse sor of Humanities at the University of Oregon, where she directed the Harold Schnitzer Family Program in ground in grammar and basic vocabulary groups of students to the academic study of Judaic Studies from 2000 to 2009. From 2004 to eases their acquisition of Modern Hebrew. the Jewish experience will increase under- 2006, she also served as President of the Association We have also found that Asian and His- standing and tolerance in American society for Jewish Studies. panic students are very interested in Jewish as a whole. ■

AUTUMN 2009 9 PUBLIC ONLY A SMALL minority of Jews is deeply engaged with the organized community at any given time, yet almost all Jewish programming requires participants to JUDAISM walk through the doors of Jewish institutions by RABBI KERRY M. OLITZKY before they are served. This represents one of many barriers to participation that outreach seeks to lower.

he notion of Public Space Judaism they retain. Barriers include high costs; by those events and programs that take emerges from the fundamental con- expectations of prior Jewish education; jar- place in public spaces. (It is important to T cept of outreach as we at the Jewish gon-laden in-speak; cliquishness; demo- note that we are advocating events in the Outreach Institute (JOI) understand it. Out- graphic biases such as heterocentrism, public sphere, not in the public square, in reach is not about attracting a specific target Ashkenazi-centrism, and endogamy-centri- order to avoid any confusion between population. Rather, it is a methodology. cism; as well as the location barrier. Church and State issues.) These events Outreach methodology brings Jewish life to The location barrier is arguably the allow for participants to stumble over a variety of traditionally underserved popu- most important, because even if all other them. They are low-barrier in that they are lations by going to where people are instead barriers have been lowered, those folks who free and require no prior knowledge or of waiting for them to come to us. This have been pushed away in the past are often commitment to participate. Chabad pio- includes the metaphysical notion best too hesitant to enter Jewish institutions to neered this notion of outreach 30 years described as “where people are at.” see what has changed. Through our ago, and while our approach in these Where most Jews are not at is inside research, JOI has learned that free or low- spaces differs considerably, there is much the four walls of Jewish institutions. Only cost Jewish programs held in secular venues to learn from Chabad’s successes. JOI’s a small minority is deeply engaged with attract more less-affiliated participants than Passover in the Matzah Aisle program in the organized community at any given the exact same programs held in Jewish supermarkets, or our Color-Me Calendar time, yet almost all Jewish programming venues like synagogues or JCCs. Our survey for the Jewish New Year in back-to-school requires participants to walk through the of over 700 participants in outreach pro- supply stores like Walmart and Staples, are doors of Jewish institutions before they are grams earlier this decade helped us to group examples of programs in this layer. served. This represents one of many barri- programs that attract the less engaged into a The second level of Public Space Juda- ers to participation that outreach seeks to cohesive Public Space Judaism model. ism is what we call Destination Jewish lower. The goal is not to water down Juda- While the model is based on location, it Culture. These programs are also low bar- ism but to remove the cultural obstacles also addresses several additional barriers to rier and held in secular spaces. However, that have developed around it. These participation and takes into consideration they usually require some level of planned obstacles may have had a purpose at one the best practices of outreach. participation (a set start-time and dedi- time, but now they repel more people than As illustrated in the adjacent diagram, cated location) and may charge a nominal the Public Space Judaism model places fee (though no more than what would be three layers of programming between charged at a secular equivalent). Good Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky is Executive Director of the Jewish Outreach Institute, which is the coordinating deeper institutional involvement (in the examples of programs that might fit in this partner of the Big Tent Judaism Coalition center) and the non-participating majority ring are Jewish Film Festivals held in com- (http://BigTentJudaism.org), open to all Jewish organiza- of Jewish households. The outermost ring mercial theaters and Jewish musical events tions interested in a more inclusive Jewish community. gives this model its name and is identified held in concert halls. 10 CONTACT ITY The third level of Public Space Judaism MAJOR TING is Open Door Community programs. These IPA TIC are often held within Jewish communal AR -P institutions, but acknowledge the location N ISM O JUDA barrier by lowering all other barriers. A N ACE SP good example is the Reform movement’s IC BL Taste of Judaism program (usually part- PU nered across denominations), which is CULTURE ISH free, limits the commitment to three ses- EW J sions, welcomes all participants regardless N: O of background, and is geared specifically TI A NITY for adult beginner learners. IN MU T OM Taken together, the overall program S C E R model could represent an idealized route D O O into deeper engagement with the commu- D nity: An unaffiliated newcomer happens N DEEPER upon a Public Space Judaism event where E P INVOLVEMENT she will enjoy participation and begin to O IN JCCs, feel more comfortable at Jewish commu- SYNAGOGUES, nity events. While there, she will also learn ETC. of an upcoming Destination Jewish Cul- ture event that interests her. Attending destination events increases her interest, and alerts her to an Open Door Commu- nity event. Attending that event in turn excites her about the program’s host insti- tution. That takes her to core Jewish com- munal programs, where most of the community’s efforts take place. Through this idealized sequence of “next steps,” newcomers are provided with fun, meaningful, multiple contacts with the community and gradually feel drawn deeper into Jewish communal life. In reality, the sequence is much more complex. All stages can serve as entry points and the progres- sion is not necessarily linear. Some folks EASE OF ACCESS may hover in the Public Space ring for LOWER BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION years, but if they previously had been doing nothing Jewish, this represents successful outreach because the goal is to increase engagement. They will go deeper when it’s relevant for them. In many cases, increased on multiple levels should be offered during The Public Space Judaism methodology engagement will lead to affiliation with an the same program year. In order for a com- can be adapted for a small community or institution, but outreach is not a member- munity to realize the benefits of this effort, for an individual institution. If a local insti- ship drive. It is the sharing of what we on there needs to be in place communal pro- tution is sponsoring an author book read- the inside find beautiful about Judaism with fessionals or volunteers who are trained in ing, for example, it can be moved from the those who might benefit from it, because outreach and who can coordinate a name- synagogue or JCC to a local Barnes & there’s inherent value in sharing it—and not sharing protocol so that newcomers are not Noble in order to maximize its potential as because we have an ulterior motive of mem- inundated by solicitations from individual an outreach program. And just as this idea bership or campaign growth. institutions. In addition, a name collection transcends limiting programs to Jewish Of course, there already are Jewish pro- and follow-up strategy has to be in place spaces, it also transcends the Jewish calen- grams in secular venues, such as the afore- before any program commences. And pro- dar and is informed by both the secular cal- mentioned film festivals, but most do not gram B needs to be developed before pro- endar and what we call the cultural live up to their outreach potential because gram A has been implemented so that calendar (which might include seasons such they do not incorporate outreach best prac- participants in program A can be invited to as back-to-school and local or regional tices, nor are they coordinated with other program B. Most important, newcomers events specific to individual locales). This is programs for the purposes of engagement. must be met on a personal basis with their all just the tip of the Public Space iceberg. Public Space Judaism works best as a col- individual interests and needs satisfied, We invite you to learn more by joining JOI’s laborative effort of a community or of which is labor-intensive but represents the free network of communal professionals numerous institutions. Multiple programs crux of effective outreach. and lay leaders at http://joplin.joi.org. ■

AUTUMN 2009 11 PLANTING THE SEEDS OF JEWISH IDENTITY IN SECULAR SERVICE

by ADAM SIMON

I never connected my work with Teach For including a large number of marginally who make the connection are not involved America with my religion. However, on this involved or unaffiliated young Jews. in the organized Jewish community. experience I have seen the many ways in We estimate that at least 10 to 15 per- Rather than bemoan this disconnect, which Judaism and Teach For America are cent of Teach For America corps members the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family linked, and recognizing that my community are Jewish, a statistic we do not believe is Foundation decided to try to find ways to work and my Judaism are linked makes me unique to this program. Anecdotal evi- take advantage of it. Working in partner- want to become more active in my Judaism. dence suggests that Jews are disproportion- ship with the Samberg Family Foundation ately involved in secular service programs and Teach for America, we at the founda- his reflection from a participant in ranging from local service activities to fed- tion explored ways to create an experience the inaugural Teach For America eral government involvement, and every- that could simultaneously celebrate the T REALITY Israel Experience points to thing in between. Available data supports decision of many young Jews to become a powerful opportunity for Jewish engage- this observation, with some studies sug- corps members while also helping them ment, connection and community. It con- gesting that young Jews are twice as likely gain a greater appreciation and under- firms that helping young Jews view and to volunteer as compared to their peers in standing of the Jewish values undergirding explore their secular service commitments the general community. their involvement in Teach For America. through a Jewish lens is an effective On the surface, this trend should be no This past summer’s REALITY (Renewal, approach to strengthening their Jewish surprise. Tikkun olam (repairing the world) Education, Action, Leadership & Inspira- identities. is a fundamental Jewish value and an tion) program is the product of that vision. Teach For America is a hugely success- authentic Jewish act, and serving others is Given the historical success of connecting ful program that recruits recent college both a simple and powerful way to fulfill young people to Judaism through Israel graduates to teach for two years in under- that responsibility. experiences, we enabled 40 Teach For Amer- served urban and rural public schools. It And yet, as research is beginning to ver- ica corps members, half on their first trip to attracts our nation’s best and brightest, ify, most Jews involved in secular service typ- Israel and most unaffiliated with organized ically have minimal involvement in Jewish Jewish life, to spend ten days exploring Israel life. Jews who serve others often do not from a service and education viewpoint. Adam Simon is the Director of Jewish Programs for know the inherent Jewish values that under- The program was marketed as a Teach the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Founda- tion based in Washington, DC. lie their commitments. And many of those For America opportunity, providing instant 12 CONTACT credibility and trust for people who previ- More than 91 percent of participants Jews previously uninvolved in Jewish life, ously eschewed other Israel experiences. reported that the trip positively changed and we provided them with relevant and We utilized Teach For America’s language how they view their future involvement in high-quality Jewish education that reso- and methodology in building the curricu- Jewish life. One hundred percent gained a nated deeply and that was naturally con- lum and itinerary so the experience felt greater connection to Israel, and 100 per- nected to their work and activism in the comfortable and was integrated with the cent reported a greater understanding and broader American society. These young Jews

overall corps experience. appreciation for pursuing social justice as are now excited to expand their exploration Photographs by Jillian Brunsvold Participants toured Jerusalem’s German an inherent Jewish value. of and involvement in Jewish life as they Colony in wheelchairs, in order to develop Participants also made powerful link- forge their paths in the wider world. a deeper understanding of how people with ages between their Teach For America The REALITY program could succeed disabilities engage with society. They visited work, their broader commitments to soci- only in an age and in a society in which Haifa, where they spent time with educators ety and their Jewish values. Responses like Jewish values are integrated into the larger from the Youth Renewal Fund who are this were common: “I never thought that culture. This points to a tremendous oppor- working with some of Israel’s poorest citi- the values of Teach For America are the tunity: because service is a quintessentially zens. And they learned of efforts in Tel Aviv same values that are expressed in Judaism. Jewish value and because so many young to support at-risk youth through job train- This trip made me realize that I have an Jews are active in service, programs such as ing and employment opportunities. immensely strong devotion to Judaism.” REALITY can serve as keys to connect unaf- At each stop, the trip organizer, the And after the trip, participants orga- filiated and seemingly disinterested young Center for Leadership Initiatives, Inc., cre- nized themselves not only to maintain Jews to their Jewish selves and to the Jewish ated unique opportunities to interact with social connections, but also to increase their community. By creating programs that Israel, to learn from exemplary leaders and knowledge of Israel, to teach about the honor the secular service work of large to deepen participants’ understanding of Middle East in their classrooms and to con- numbers of young Jews, and by building social issues. Participants reflected upon tinue to develop their own Jewish journeys. relevant, accessible and authentic Jewish their service work and their jobs as educa- We believe programs like REALITY conversations around those service pro- tors in the context of Jewish texts, history, have enormous potential to help young grams, our community can reap great divi- values and peoplehood. Jews build substantive ties to Jewish life. dends. This is a ripe opportunity, and it is And it worked. We successfully reached a population of high time we seized it. ■

AUTUMN 2009 13 14 CONTACT offer Hebrew directly (MIT and Georgia Tech) have partnerships with other local ALEPH BET IN universities where students can take Hebrew classes for credit. Finally, quality Hebrew language instruc- PUBLIC EDUCATION tion in good public schools contributes to by LESLEY LITMAN and ANNE LANSKI the status of Hebrew language education as a serious and worthy area of study for Jews ith the establishment of Hebrew students with no particular advantage in their and non-Jews alike. Language charter schools in lives to the lack of teachers and to the fear that The year 2008 saw a resurgence of interest W recent months, Jewish communal Hebrew might harm students’ English pronun- in Hebrew language learning in public schools discussion has focused on the appropriate- ciation. Two highly regarded New York City on two fronts. The first was the establishment ness of teaching Hebrew in public schools. public high school principals appealed the of the Ben Gamla Charter School in Florida This discussion is not new. Indeed, Hebrew decision and successfully prevailed upon the and the application for (and granting of, in is not at all new to the public sphere in the New York City Board of Superintendants to early 2009) a charter for the Hebrew Language United States. Upon their arrival in the early recommend that Hebrew be included as a Academy Charter School in Brooklyn. The sec- 17th Century, the Pilgrims of Massachusetts course of study in city high schools. By 1951, ond front, emerging through a collaboration studied Hebrew and read the Bible in Hebrew was taught in 40 high schools in New between two new Jewish non-profits, Hebrew Hebrew. Hebrew was a required subject at York City, serving 7000 students. Hebrew was at the Center and the iCenter, has led to an both Harvard and Yale, beginning in the also taught in high schools in seven other later part of the 17th Century and continu- major population centers in the United States. ing into the 19th Century. In his 1980 Journal of Jewish Education With the emergence of Hebrew as a mod- article, “Hebrew in the Public High Schools ern language in the early part of the 20th Cen- — A Notable Anniversary,” Jewish educator tury, Jewish leaders and educators, primarily in Mordecai H. Lewittes reported that as of that New York City, were inspired to make Hebrew time, Hebrew courses were offered in 18 New learning available to Jewish students. These York City high schools and in the high leaders and educators, led by Samson Benderly schools of 60 other cities across the United and his “Benderly boys,” were guided by the States. Between 1930, when the first course general educational wisdom of John Dewey was offered, through 1980, more than and the “Judaism as a civilization” theory of 150,000 students studied Hebrew in public Mordecai Kaplan. Spoken Hebrew, as part of a high schools in the United States. Hebrew modern Jewish culture, was central to the edu- language education in public high schools cational approach of this group. They sought dwindled during the 1990s. frameworks in which Hebrew could flourish, Today, teaching Hebrew in public high the most promising being bi-cultural pre- schools might be on the verge of a re-birth. iincreasedd ffocus on theth strengtheningt th i andd schools, Hebrew-speaking camps and public The emergence of Hebrew-language elemen- expansion of Hebrew language teaching in high schools in which the Hebrew language tary charter schools in New York and in public high schools. Based on a recent survey was taught. The Benderly boys embraced the Florida and the success in teaching Hebrew conducted by the iCenter, Hebrew is offered as dream of American public education, perceiv- in venues like the elite high schools of a course in at least 26 high schools in approxi- ing it as a venue in which to teach Modern North Shore Chicago has some envisioning a mately 18 cities and towns in more than 10 Hebrew, alongside French and Spanish, as a renewal of interest in Hebrew language states, including Alabama, Arizona, California, living language and culture. instruction. Connecticut, Indiana, Minnesota, North Caro- The efforts to bring Hebrew into the pub- Why should 21st Century American lina, New York, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin. lic school sphere may have been aided by the Jewish educators consider new vistas for We believe a new frontier of hope, change fact that the Jewish day school movement was teaching Hebrew in public schools? The and success in Hebrew teaching and learning in its naissance, leaving few options for the reasons are many and include: will be, as in the title of a recent Schocken/ study of the Hebrew language outside of the • Hebrew has been identified by the U.S. Nextbook publication, Resurrecting Hebrew. afterschool Talmud Torah. In 1930, a commit- Department of Education’s Office of Post- This will take great initiative, professional tee of esteemed Jewish leaders including, secondary Education as a “Priority” lan- and lay leadership, professional training and among others, Benderly, Judge Otto Rosalsky guage in the August 2008 Higher Education local partnerships in quality school districts and Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, submitted a pro- Opportunity Act (HEOA) (P.L. 110-315). across North America. The good news is the know-how to achieve outstanding results posal to the New York City Board of Superin- • Israel is second only to North America exists in many educational settings across the tendents to introduce Hebrew courses into in the number of companies listed on U.S., including in the public sphere. The pos- New York City public schools. The initial pro- NASDAQ. posal was rejected for reasons ranging from the sibilities for expansion, whether through pub- • There is a demand for Hebrew speakers in position that learning Hebrew would provide lic high schools or Hebrew language charter high-tech, international relations, market- schools, are almost limitless. Together with ing and the military. Lesley Litman was the founding Executive Director university programs and the broad range of of Hebrew at the Center and is an Instructor in the • At least 140 U.S. colleges offer Hebrew as Jewish educational settings, successful DeLeT Program at the Mandel Center for Jewish Edu- a modern language. Hebrew teaching and learning in the public cation at Brandeis University. Anne Lanski is the • With very few exceptions, all of the top school arena has the potential to raise the sta- Executive Director of the iCenter and a former public high school Hebrew teacher. 50 ranked colleges and universities offer tus and centrality of Hebrew as a vital lan- Hebrew as a language; those that don’t guage for the 21st Century and beyond. ■

AUTUMN 2009 15 The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life Non-Profit Org. 6 East 39th Street U.S. Postage 10th floor PAID New York, NY 10016 Rockville, MD Permit No. 800