The New Jewish Leaders by Wertheimer Jack;

Author:Wertheimer, Jack;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Brandeis University Press

Unconventional Worship with Universalistic Goals

Many young Jews are not looking for the liturgical rigor and prayerful intensity of independent minyanim and partnership minyanim, and, in turn, other young Jewish leaders create extremely nonconventional forms of Jewish spiritual expression. For example, Rabbi Jamie Korngold, founder of the Adventure Rabbi Program, intends to meet young Jews exactly where they are: on the ski slopes, climbing mountains, or relaxing around a campfire. Korngold’s motto is, “OK, so you are going skiing on Shabbat? Let me come with you and I will show you how to make it Jewish” (website). Korngold bases her spiritual entrepreneurialism on the fact that 70 percent of young Jews are not affiliated with congregations. “Who’s going to reach a hand out to them?” she asks. Once when in the desert, Korngold realized, “I have this really unique gift, based on my combination of skills, as a rabbi and as a mountain guide. Today many people are really, really busy and if being Jewish means going to synagogue, and they have to pick on the weekend between going skiing and being Jewish, Judaism is going to lose.” Wanting to make Judaism accessible and relevant to young Jews, Korngold started hosting Shabbat services on skis or during hikes, incorporating Judaism into nonsectarian and often unconventional settings. She replaced the traditional model of synagogue dues with a fee-for-service program, explaining: “Young Jews look for value for their dollars. They are not willing to pay a $2,000 membership [fee] if they are only going to use it once a year. They want to know they are getting their money’s worth.” Korngold’s program appeals to young Jews who like the idea that “this is what I’m getting, and this is what I am giving.” Korngold says that partly as a result of free trips like Birthright Israel or other heavily subsidized travel programs, some young Jews feel they do not need to pay for religion.

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