New Media + Judaism = Change

July 13, 2009 · Filed Under Baum's Blog 

This past Friday night at services I talked about the changing Jewish community.  I started more globally and showed the following video which shows how quickly the world is changing… (I can’t vouch for the statistics 100%, but I do think the trends are totally realistic and compelling.)

We watched the video as a context for our discussion of the Jewish community.  I also shared some facts about the Jewish community:
• Many Jewish households are struggling financially, and income is strongly correlated to synagogue membership.
• Fewer than half of American Jews are affiliated with congregations; of those who are, around 20% participate monthly or more often.
• More than half of the Jewish population in the US regards itself as secular or somewhat secular in outlook.
• Many young Jews are drawn to educational opportunities, small emergent communities, cultural expressions of Judaism, online media, and social action.
• Of adults married since 1990, only 40% marry a spouse who is also of Jewish origins.

So what do we do with all of this information?  Do we continue doing the same things we’ve always done – and getting the same results we’ve always gotten – or do we try something bold and different?  What are we seeking from Jewish institutions?  What does it mean to be Jewish today – in a world where information is everywhere, where communication happens online and via text messaging as much as it does in person, and where change is rapid?

It seems to me there are a lot of tensions right now in our Jewish world:
• Do we strive to be a uniform or a diverse Jewish community?
• Should we build megasynagogues or more intimate groups (like the chavurah movement)?
• Do we want professionalism or democratization in our synagogues?
• Are we maintaining denominations or moving toward transdenominationalism (which my spell check doesn’t even think is a word!)?
• Do we prefer meeting face-to-face or in virtual settings?

For me, humanism is about embracing tensions – living in a world of gray – rather than black and white.  Judaism is about struggle – always asking questions.  OurJewishCommunity.org is about engaging in really great conversations.  Click “comment” above!

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Comments

One Response to “New Media + Judaism = Change”

  1. shorty Says:
    July 13th, 2009 at 6:11 pm

    Those are all great questions…but my opinion isn’t on changing the message or how the religion “is” rather using a bit of marketing (which you bring up). First, we can know longer assume that the Jewish community “knows” what the Rabbis are talking about (or praying about). It has either been a long time since most people have opened up a siddur (if at all). Beginner services need to be offered, to bring people back.

    Next, a lot of Jewish values are out there, but have been “taken over”. Rabbi Ken Spiro gives an amazing lecture on this. Show them where all our basic values come from. The Secret, Eckhart Toll (sp?)…they didn’t invent this stuff. Most of that comes from Kabbalah which comes from…yeh, Hashem. SHOW THEM!

    I don’t think that the higher ups in the Jewish community are doing anyone any favours with their bickering, critiquing and infighting of who’s more Kosher or more Jewish. These guys need to CHILL OUT. Or just keep quiet.

    Rabbi Burnham (project sinai) talked about the butterfly effect, and how a small act can make a huge difference. By focusing on small acts – lighting Shabbos candles, or giving charity, or saying the Shemah can bring about big changes. In ourselves. We also need to change this culture of me me me. People need to remember they aren’t praying to get things. They are praying for themselves. To connect. We live in this culture of “ok, i thought positive, i prayed, where’s my loot?” They think cause and effect. We need to lose that mentality.

    We live in a culture that is too busy for spirituality. We also live in a culture where spirituality should bring “something” physical. I’m not sure people truly understand what that means. So before we go off and try to improve Judaism, i think we should think more of ways to fix (or market) to the people who have lost touch.

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