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Finding the Jewish energy
A Message From Lisa Long, Federation Chief Executive Officer
For a long time, the way Jewish communities thought about engagement was fairly simple…find the Jews and bring them into Jewish institutions. Bring them to synagogue. Bring them to Federation events. But the reality of Jewish life in North America today tells a more complicated story.
According to recent studies of North American Jews, only about 22 percent belong to a synagogue. And while Israel remains a powerful point of connection, only about 33 percent have ever visited Israel, and take out those that went as part of Birthright and that means only about 20 percent of North American Jews have visited Israel.
These numbers matter because they remind us of something important…A large portion of Jews today are not primarily expressing their Jewish identity through traditional institutions. And yet, their Jewish identity is very much alive.
If you talk to Jews in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, you will notice they are “doing Jewish” differently…they’re gathering with Jewish friends, they are following Jewish voices online, they are talking about Israel, antisemitism, culture, and identity in group chats and social media. Jewish connection hasn’t disappeared. It has simply moved into different spaces.
Which leads to a different way of thinking about engagement. Maybe we don’t need to spend all our time asking, “Where are the Jews?” Maybe the better question is “Where is the Jewish energy?”
Jewish identity today often lives in relationships first, institutions second. So the work in front of us may not be simply bringing people into Jewish buildings. It may be recognizing and nurturing the Jewish energy that already exists in people’s lives. Like the moment someone says, “My grandparents were Jewish,” the moment someone asks about a holiday, the moment two Jewish parents realize their kids are the only Jewish kids on the team and suddenly feel an instant bond.
And here’s the other important part. Once we find that Jewish energy, we cannot demand that people “do Jewish” exactly the way we do. For some people, Jewish life centers around synagogue…for others, it’s Shabbat dinners with friends. For some, it’s Israel advocacy…for others, it’s Jewish culture, humor or raising Jewish children. Jewish identity has always been a tapestry. Today, it’s simply being woven in new ways. If we insist that there is only one doorway into Jewish life, we risk missing the many people already standing nearby.
There is a moment in the Torah when Abraham sits outside his tent, looking for travelers to welcome. Tradition teaches that Abraham’s tent was open on all four sides, so that guests approaching from any direction could find their way in. That image has stayed with the Jewish people for thousands of years.
Maybe that’s the model we need right now. Instead of asking, “Why aren’t people coming through the front door?” maybe we should ask, “Have we opened the other three sides of the tent?”
So, I ask you, who in your life is Jewish, but you’ve never done something Jewish with them? Maybe it’s a coworker. Maybe it’s a neighbor. Maybe it’s someone you see at your child’s activities. What would happen if you invited them for Shabbat dinner, or to light Hanukkah candles or simply to talk about what being Jewish means to each of you.
Jewish community grows through institutions but it begins through relationships.
This is where organizations like our Federation have an important role to play. Not just as buildings or programs, but as connectors and catalysts. Our job is not only to host events, it is to identify, nurture, and amplify Jewish energy wherever it already exists. Sometimes that means supporting synagogues and schools, sometimes it means investing in young adult gatherings, cultural programming or digital Jewish spaces and sometimes it simply means helping Jews find each other. Because when Jewish energy meets opportunity, community begins to grow.
The future of Jewish life in our Valley will not look exactly like the past but if we keep our tent open on all four sides that future can be vibrant, creative, and deeply connected.
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Read past LISA'S LONG VIEW columns HERE.