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Next Generation Judaism: How College Students and Hillel Can Help Reinvent Jewish Organizations
What we’re learning on campus can help the Jewish community create more innovative, engaging organizations for Jews of all ages. “The task of our communal organizations is not to harness a pre-existing Jewish identity but rather to reacquaint young Jews with the blessings of being Jewish each and every day … whether they come from a rigorous Jewish day school background or have no connection to their Jewish heritage.... Not only is Rabbi Uram doing that work, but he is showing us all how to do it as well.” —from the Preface by Eric Fingerhut This is an essential resource for lay leaders, organization professionals, rabbis, cantors and anyone who wants to build a brighter Jewish future for all Jews and the organizations that support them. Rabbi Mike Uram, executive director of one of the most innovative Hillels in North America, inspires us with a vision of a new kind of leadership that, rather than focusing on serving institutions, is about reinvigorating Judaism and building stronger communities. He empowers us with models and methodologies that have been tested on college campuses and in Hillels across the country, outlining innovative and effective ways to connect with Jewish millennials, both inside and outside organizations.
216 pages, Paperback
Published September 27, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 12, 2017
A great book for anyone working in the Jewish community. Expresses clear ideas and solutions with examples, stories, and informational pictures. It clarified a lot of concepts and ideas that concerned me as I first started my own work in the Jewish community. It also stressed me the fuq out because I wanna make this community better and use these ideas but it seems sOoo hard and I’m just one person!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 15, 2019
I agree with so much of the philosophy in this book. It is a challenge to break down the traditional tendency of organizations to grow and become ingrained institutions in the community. Having worked for Hillel, I know that some of these techniques are hard to implement because they require more effort than just having professionals plan programs. Taking the time to truly engage and empower individuals is a slow process that demands focused attention and follow through.
August 17, 2018
A comprehensive guide to engagement and strategy. It doesn't spend quite enough time on asset-based community development, so that section feels a little underserved, and didn't need to be there, but the rest is incredibly helpful and a great guide for anyone who wants to learn how to effectively engage individuals in a community.
March 18, 2018
A really insightful host of suggestions and practices for updating our approach to Jewish institutions and making more Judaism relevant for more Jews. The future of Jewish organizations may very well be in this book!
April 7, 2020
has some fresh insights, the most useful of which are conceptions about how to engage with jews who have little affiliation and zero education. worthy of a read.
October 3, 2022
Great stuff. A real program for nudging ones organisation into a better-aimed position.
July 28, 2023
💭💭💭💭💭💭💭💭
April 28, 2024
Call it 2 1/2 stars for a OK to good book.
I have mixed feelings about the book, both its premise and call to action. In terms of its understanding, the early chapters came across as a combination self-help / business school buzzword grab bag, from 'empowerment Jews' and 'engagement Jews' to 'disruptive innovation' left a bad taste in my mouth at the outset.
That said, Uram points out broad critical issues facing the Progressive movements in the Jewish community, including notably, a decline in membership and affiliation. Uram's focus is on the problems within the communal Jewish institutions, from synagogues to JCC's, while providing examples of how younger Jews feel estranged from their roots.
He then jumps to the current generation of Jews, the 'Millennials' pointing out that much of their avoidance of Jewish communal religious activity is due to their feeling of a lack of knowledge and being viewed as incompetent by more observant or experienced members of the community.
I can understand his focus on this group and their issues, but also realize the focus of Uram's organization, Hillel (in this case, the chapter on Penn's campus) deals specifically with newly minted high-school graduates and college students in their late teens through early 20's. Even in earlier generations, this is an age of uncertainty and new exploration.
Rabbi Uram then goes on to slice groups of Jews into two, 'engagement' and empowerment'. Much of the focus of the book is on dealing with 'engagement' Jews, in ways to meet them on their terms. On the one hand, this focus mirrors what has occurred with Chabad and its outreach program. But where Chabad pushes for a goal of bringing Jews into a community, Uram's focus is to leave the Jews where they are, both physically and communally. Again, this goes back to the transient and young nature of his outreach group and leaves in more structured communities looking for something more.
Chapter 5 deals with different ways of looking at these more structured communal organizations. And while there is much that is interesting, noting a push to develop informal and new networks beyond the current ones, the idea / goal appears to be to leave the communal structure solely at these more micro levels.
The best chapters of the book are 6 and 7. These focus on ways to develop current structures like a synagogue and improve the experience of its members. The buzzwords fall by the wayside, and are replaced with more critical ideas such as examining what the focus of Jewish communal institutions should be. Uram hones in on the word 'impact', to quote"The real purpose for every synagogue, JCC, Federation, and Hillel is to make a positive impact on people's lives and the lives of the communities they engage. . . . The key is that the organization has to be focused on making a positive difference in people's lives." Chapter 6 goes on to ask the question "How can Jewish values, rituals, and communities help people live richer, more contented lives?" He follows with an interesting anecdote from Rabbi Sharon Brous of IKAR. Followed by the ways to measure impact and goals, are also insightful.
Chapter 7 follows up on the meaning of these impacts, noting that it is events and and activities that promote "deep Jewish substance" that has the greatest impact. You want to help people "encounter new Jewish ideas . . . to find something they can't get anywhere else, to create positive Jewish memories, increase their knowledge of Judaism and deal with the big questions of life.
Uram goes back to the beginning here, noting that studying Jewish texts is not just about deepening Jewish literacy or developing a Jewish identity (though they both are), but act as an invitation to "explore our own lives more deeply. Torah allows us to talk about the most important questions in our lives"
One item that Uram does discuss is the self-conscious attitude young Jewish adults have. And this points to a gap in the book's development. It leaves out the issue of how we got to this point, notably a gap in the religious and communal education of young Jews. Whether this is a gap due to language? The lack of knowledge of Hebrew. Lack of understanding the basics of a prayer service, either weekday or Shabbat? Or unfamiliarity of a synagogue and how one should behave appropriately, without being stifled? Or the distance between congregants, including children and teenagers, and the clergy? While part of the issue leans on the professional and lay leadership of a synagogue, there is also the need to focus on the parents to do their parts as well.
If you are pressed for time, or want to leave out much of the fluff, go directly to Chapter 5 and start reading from there.
I have mixed feelings about the book, both its premise and call to action. In terms of its understanding, the early chapters came across as a combination self-help / business school buzzword grab bag, from 'empowerment Jews' and 'engagement Jews' to 'disruptive innovation' left a bad taste in my mouth at the outset.
That said, Uram points out broad critical issues facing the Progressive movements in the Jewish community, including notably, a decline in membership and affiliation. Uram's focus is on the problems within the communal Jewish institutions, from synagogues to JCC's, while providing examples of how younger Jews feel estranged from their roots.
He then jumps to the current generation of Jews, the 'Millennials' pointing out that much of their avoidance of Jewish communal religious activity is due to their feeling of a lack of knowledge and being viewed as incompetent by more observant or experienced members of the community.
I can understand his focus on this group and their issues, but also realize the focus of Uram's organization, Hillel (in this case, the chapter on Penn's campus) deals specifically with newly minted high-school graduates and college students in their late teens through early 20's. Even in earlier generations, this is an age of uncertainty and new exploration.
Rabbi Uram then goes on to slice groups of Jews into two, 'engagement' and empowerment'. Much of the focus of the book is on dealing with 'engagement' Jews, in ways to meet them on their terms. On the one hand, this focus mirrors what has occurred with Chabad and its outreach program. But where Chabad pushes for a goal of bringing Jews into a community, Uram's focus is to leave the Jews where they are, both physically and communally. Again, this goes back to the transient and young nature of his outreach group and leaves in more structured communities looking for something more.
Chapter 5 deals with different ways of looking at these more structured communal organizations. And while there is much that is interesting, noting a push to develop informal and new networks beyond the current ones, the idea / goal appears to be to leave the communal structure solely at these more micro levels.
The best chapters of the book are 6 and 7. These focus on ways to develop current structures like a synagogue and improve the experience of its members. The buzzwords fall by the wayside, and are replaced with more critical ideas such as examining what the focus of Jewish communal institutions should be. Uram hones in on the word 'impact', to quote"The real purpose for every synagogue, JCC, Federation, and Hillel is to make a positive impact on people's lives and the lives of the communities they engage. . . . The key is that the organization has to be focused on making a positive difference in people's lives." Chapter 6 goes on to ask the question "How can Jewish values, rituals, and communities help people live richer, more contented lives?" He follows with an interesting anecdote from Rabbi Sharon Brous of IKAR. Followed by the ways to measure impact and goals, are also insightful.
Chapter 7 follows up on the meaning of these impacts, noting that it is events and and activities that promote "deep Jewish substance" that has the greatest impact. You want to help people "encounter new Jewish ideas . . . to find something they can't get anywhere else, to create positive Jewish memories, increase their knowledge of Judaism and deal with the big questions of life.
Uram goes back to the beginning here, noting that studying Jewish texts is not just about deepening Jewish literacy or developing a Jewish identity (though they both are), but act as an invitation to "explore our own lives more deeply. Torah allows us to talk about the most important questions in our lives"
One item that Uram does discuss is the self-conscious attitude young Jewish adults have. And this points to a gap in the book's development. It leaves out the issue of how we got to this point, notably a gap in the religious and communal education of young Jews. Whether this is a gap due to language? The lack of knowledge of Hebrew. Lack of understanding the basics of a prayer service, either weekday or Shabbat? Or unfamiliarity of a synagogue and how one should behave appropriately, without being stifled? Or the distance between congregants, including children and teenagers, and the clergy? While part of the issue leans on the professional and lay leadership of a synagogue, there is also the need to focus on the parents to do their parts as well.
If you are pressed for time, or want to leave out much of the fluff, go directly to Chapter 5 and start reading from there.
January 3, 2018
Fascinating. I found it to be both inspirational and a bit disappointing. While it is exciting to see how the approach to connecting Jews to Judaism is morphing, there will be an inevitable change in the structure of Jewish institutions.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews