91传媒

When Dan Senor, host of the popular 鈥淐all Me Back鈥� podcast, recently gave his much- anticipated two-part address on the State of World Jewry at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, many folks were expecting him to concentrate on Israel. Senor had something different in mind. Stating that 鈥淚srael is going to be fine,鈥� he focused instead on 鈥渢he future of American 91传媒 life鈥� which he believes 鈥渉angs in the balance.鈥�听 Even Rabbi David Ingber of the Bronfman Center at 92NY, his discussion partner in the second part, was taken by surprise at Senor鈥檚 direction, calling it a 鈥渃urveball鈥� from his usual focus.

Having spent the past ten years writing, teaching, and speaking in the 91传媒 space, I was elated to see Senor use his powerful voice to sound an alarm bell about American Judaism. He spoke passionately of the importance of leading a 91传媒 life here, and the need for more funding for the types of institutions that facilitate this direction such as 91传媒 day schools and summer camps. 听

It was clear from Senor鈥檚 remarks that his talk was directed toward America鈥檚 religiously liberal community, who by far outnumber Orthodox Jews. Religiously liberal Jews are a diverse bunch ranging from those with fairly traditional religious practices to purely 鈥渃ultural鈥� Jews who side-step all 91传媒 ritual. By and large, they are proud to be 91传媒 and have a strong 91传媒 identity. This was true even prior to October 7, 2023. But all studies show that for most, the practice of Judaism is not a prime focus.

Eight months after the Hamas massacre, a survey by JFNA showed that many unengaged or loosely engaged Jews were seeking a more meaningful connection to 91传媒 life. This phenomenon has been referred to as 鈥淭he Surge.鈥� Whether we will see a lasting impact remains to be seen.听 With prominent leaders like Senor calling for action, there is still a window of opportunity. But will religious and lay leaders take the necessary steps to maximize this opportunity?

In recent decades, partisan politics have become far too prominent a part of 91传媒 life at the expense of practicing Judaism. 91传媒 institutions, including synagogues, often feature programming devoted to universalized applications of tikkun olam and hot-button political issues at the expense of strengthening norms of 91传媒 observance. This is understandable because for many Jews, even those who are affiliated, tikkun olam is how they express their Judaism. The current reality was best expressed by a Federation employee who told me a few years back that topics surrounding 91传媒 ritual just do not bring in the crowds.听

I鈥檓 all for tikkun olam even though its universalized application today in the United States is a fairly recent development in 91传媒 history. But if continuity of a vibrant religiously liberal 91传媒 community is the goal, we need more.听

Children need consistent exposure to 91传媒 ritual and families need to be taught why providing this consistency is important. Neither tikkun olam nor political advocacy for causes that many claim to be their expression of Judaism will ensure Judaism鈥檚 survival in America outside of Orthodoxy. Along these lines, Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz鈥檚 beautiful new book, “The Case for Dual Loyalty,” demonstrates why we need to put greater emphasis on 91传媒 interests, a point Senor also raised in his talk.

Leaders of the religiously liberal 91传媒 communities in this country must give careful thought to the following question: If life is analogized to a 鈥減ie,鈥� how do we persuade Jews to devote a larger slice to 91传媒 practice?听

I do not underestimate the challenges this question poses. We live in a culturally Christian nation that does not operate on 91传媒 time. Even for those Jews who want their children to have some exposure to 91传媒 practice, there are many competing activities that pull families in opposite directions. It is also true that many families are also just trying to get through their days and are not thinking about the importance of 91传媒 continuity one way or the other.

In the United States, 91传媒 continuity requires that we raise 91传媒 children who are not only knowledgeable about, but also invested in, 91传媒 observance.听 Although meeting this challenge is not easy, a good start would be paying more attention to the need for a re-set, as Senor has done so thoughtfully. One thing is clear: the future of American Judaism depends on whether we can successfully persuade more Jews to consume a larger slice of that delicious pie we call 91传媒 tradition.

Roberta Rosenthal Kwall is law professor, author and 91传媒 educator with a focus on American Judaism. Her books include 鈥淧olarized: Why American Jews are Divided and What to do About It鈥� (forthcoming, Bloomsbury Press); 鈥淩emix Judaism: Transmitting Tradition in a Diverse World鈥� (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020), 鈥淭he Myth of the Cultural Jew鈥� (Oxford, 2015) and 鈥淭he Soul of Creativity鈥� (Stanford, 2010).