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Jewish Life on Campus an Interview with Dr. Jehuda Reinharz the Road

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Jewish Life on Campus an Interview with Dr. Jehuda Reinharz the Road CONTACT WINTER 2000 / SHEVAT 5760 VOLUME 2, NUMBER 2 THE JOURNAL OF JEWISH LIFE NETWORK / JewishJewish LifeLife onon CampusCampus AnAn InterviewInterview withwith Dr.Dr. JehudaJehuda ReinharzReinharz TheThe RoadRoad toto RenaissanceRenaissance byby RichardRichard M.M. JoelJoel KK OO L M L PlusPlus EssaysEssays byby TaliTali Rosenblatt,Rosenblatt, II YY RR II SS EE RR VV Rabbi Menachem Schmidt, Rabbi AA Rabbi Menachem Schmidt, Rabbi AA EE HH L L C HowardHoward AlpertAlpert andand KarenKaren IsleyIsley C JJ KK EE RR WW OO II SS WW HH TT E LL E II FF EE NN contact WINTER 2000 / SHEVAT 5760 VOL 2 NO 2 The University and the Jews: An Era of JEWISH LIFE NETWORK / Renaissance or an Age of Darkness? Rabbi Niles Goldstein Editor here is a great debate taking place within the American Eli Valley Jewish community as to whether we live in a period of Copy Editor decline or of opportunity in terms of Jewish life and identity. David Winter T Needless to say, and perhaps in sharper and more intensified ways, the Administration Kawana Bell same socio-religious dilemmas and struggles at the heart of this inter- Administration nal debate affect the lives of the large number of young Jews on college Paul Golin campuses. This issue of Contact is devoted to exploring the topic. Creative Consultant Yakov Wisniewski There seems to be a proliferation of new, dynamic programs today Design Director devoted to reaching the Jewish college student. But does this flurry of JEWISH LIFE NETWORK activity represent a renewal and revitalization of Jewish life at the Michael H. Steinhardt university, or a desperate last gasp by the Jewish leadership to connect Chairman with an increasingly vanishing population—a population that is vital Rabbi Irving Greenberg to the survival and growth of our community and that is searching for President meaning and identity? Jonathan J. Greenberg Executive Director Hillel, the largest and most visible of the various organizations CONTACT is produced and focused on this demographic group, touches 30% of all Jews on distributed by Jewish Life Network, a Judy and Michael Steinhardt college campuses. Several new initiatives, such as Lights in Action, Foundation, 6 East 39th Street, Jewish Heritage Programs, Jewish Campus Service Corps, and others, 10th floor, New York, NY 10016. are working to reach beyond the traditional constituencies that have Phone: (212) 279-2288 Fax: (212) 279-1155 been served over the past few decades. Despite the success of these Email: [email protected] programs and initiatives, the vast majority of Jews pass through college Copyright © 2000 by Jewish Life Network. without any formal link to Jewish campus institutions. K O M L I Y R I S Jewish Life Network is E R V What can be done? In the essays and interview that follow, some of the A A E dedicated to strengthen- H L C ing and transforming most important and innovative figures in Jewish campus life describe J K E R W O I American Jewry to S W H T E their efforts and offer their views on how to stimulate the minds and L I F E N ensure a flourishing, sustainable community in a fully inte- ignite the souls of young Jewish women and men. What is at stake is grated free society. We seek to revitalize nothing less than the future of our people. We know that this is a Jewish identity through educational, religious and cultural initiatives that are matter of great interest to all of you, and we strongly encourage you designed to reach out to all Jews, with to write us back with your thoughts and opinions. an emphasis on those who are on the margins of Jewish life. Photography in this issue by Helene Glanzberg and ArtToday. Rabbi Niles Goldstein 2 CONTACT An Interview with Dr.JehudaReinharz by RABBI NILES GOLDSTEIN NG: There seems to be a prolifera- do you think it has any real impact tion of new and innovative pro- on the American Jewish commu- grams on college campuses being nity as a whole? directed toward Jewish students. Do you think this represents a JR: I think that Jewish studies pro- Renaissance of Jewish life at uni- grams have already had a long versities or an aggressive attempt to career of having an impact on the stem an ever-intensifying decline in community. First of all, I believe Jewish life there? good research of any sort is amenable to effective practical JR: My sense of that is true for implementation, if it’s done right. every aspect of Jewish life, and it is We had this conversation yesterday as follows: keep on investing in with the Board of Overseers Jewish life at any stage, at any at the Cohen Center here at time, in any place whatsoever Brandeis, which does research on where there seems to be any inter- the Jewish community. And there’s est. These endless debates in the a debate, as always there’s a debate: Jewish community about whether should we be more practical-ori- it is better to invest in this cause or ented, should we be more schol- in outreach or in high schools or in arly, and so on. Good scholarship community centers are sterile leads to effective results if there is a debates. Wherever the Jewish com- will to implement it. We are the munity can invest, it should invest. People of the Book, which means Inevitably, this is going to mean that we have produced lots of that it’s not only a question of books that are collecting dust on a money but of putting the best peo- shelf somewhere. ple we have in those contexts. And We are the People the best thing would be not to NG: As Kohelet says, “Of the mak- straight-jacket people and tell ing of many books there is no end.” them, “This is the outcome I of the Book, which want.” Say to them, “Let the imagi- JR: That’s right. And not only nation, let the particular culture of books. I’d like to have a dollar for means that we have a program or a Hillel or God every research project, every com- knows what on campus have its missioned study that was done that produced lots of own momentum.” And that’s the has never been used. So I think the way it’s going to work. I would not question then is are you willing to books that are see this as a last gasp attempt to implement the research? revive Jewish life. collecting dust on NG: How important is Jewish life NG: Jewish studies programs have on campus to the overall survival a shelf somewhere. emerged all over the country. What and future of Jewish life in do you think accounts for this, and America? Where on the priority scale of the community is it? Where Dr. Jehuda Reinharz is President and should it be? Richard Koret Professor of Modern Jewish History at Brandeis University. JR: I think that college campuses WINTER 2000 3 ...much more emphasis ought to be placed on film, on the arts, on music, and their impact or potential impact on Jewish identity can do something that very often is ing competition between Jewish could care less. We also need to not done in the community. That is organizations, to in effect forge a come to the realization that apart the teaching of pluralism. There may kind of pluralistic approach within from American and Israeli Jewry, be different services on Friday night, the community. Like any aspect of there are some other Jews around in but I can tell you that after the serv- education, it takes time for this to the world. We need to think much ices tonight, five or six hundred stu- become the mantra of anything, more internationally than we ever dents are all going to be getting whether it’s a university or a Jewish have. I would also say that much together for a Shabbat dinner, regard- organization or a foundation. But more emphasis ought to be placed on less of whether they are on the right I think the fact that the leadership at film, on the arts, on music, and their wing or the left wing or unaffiliated, the highest levels seems to think that impact or potential impact on Jewish and I don’t know who is doing the this is an important aspect—and by identity. We have to rediscover where kiddush tonight, but if it happens to the way that’s true in Israel too—to young people and not so young peo- be a woman, trust me, everybody me is very encouraging. ple are at today and use those vehi- there is going to be listening. There cles to bring them in. are other contexts in which that can NG: What are the areas in university happen, but part of what we are life where the community is not ade- NG: What is your view of efforts about is being a community that is quately dealing with the Jewish of the smaller, “entrepreneurial” open to everyone. So I think that the needs of students? What kinds of foundations compared to the more universities have an important role efforts and application of funds are traditional, community-wide here in the teaching of these kinds of needed to correct the situation? Jewish philanthropies? values, and in fact forging the kind of friendships between people who JR: First, no matter how much effort JR: The various family foundations would never have gotten together in has been put into the issue and philanthropies are doing great another context.
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