I actually didn’t write one blog this year during Hanukkah, though I was busy posting videos and other material for Hanukkah.  So in case you didn’t see it on Facebook, Twitter, Livestream, or YouTube, I will now wish you a very belated and very Happy Hanukkah!  Or consider it an early Happy Hanukkah – since Hanukkah is coming on December 8, 2012 (by the way, not to freak you out or anything, but in 2013 Hanukkah coincides with Thanksgiving!!).

A few thoughts about Hanukkah, all related to interfaith celebrations.  When I was flying in November, I saw this ad in Delta’s Sky Magazine for a “Hanukkah Tree Topper.”

I thought it was fascinating – and reflects the growing number of interfaith families (hey, even marketers have realized this now).  I am fully supportive of interfaith families – in fact, at our bricks and mortar congregation (Beth Adam), I often don’t know who the Jewish partner is and who the non-Jewish partner is in an interfaith family – because we make no distinction.

I’m curious what you all think about the tree topper.  The ad calls it “a must-have for interfaith marriages.”  I don’t know that it’s a must have – most home decorations aren’t!  And beside that, I’m sure it’s a perfect addition for some interfaith families’ celebrations – and I’m sure that others prefer to celebrate both holidays while keeping the symbolism of each holiday a bit distinct and separate.  Both seem reasonable to me – what are your thoughts?

And one more thing about interfaith holiday celebrations. This was a pretty interesting piece in Huffington Post written by Susan Katz Miller: 8 Reasons My Interfaith Family Celebrates Hanukkah and Christmas.  If you’re in an interfaith family, I’m curious if these points resonate with you.  Are there ones you would take off the list?  Ones you would add?

Happy New Year!  I hope you’ll participate in OurJewishCommunity.org throughout 2012.  We’re looking forward to a great year!

We did have quite the reason to celebrate and be thankful last month when OurJewishCommunity.org was chosen by the Slingshot Guide as one of the 50 most innovative Jewish organizations in North America.  You may order or download the complete Slingshot ’11-12 Guide here.

OurJewishCommunity.org was selected for this list because of its groundbreaking use of technology to create an online Jewish community with a contemporary Jewish voice and philosophy.

Slingshot is used by philanthropists, volunteers, not-for-profit executives, and program participants to identify path-finding and trailblazing organizations grappling with concerns in Jewish life such as identity, community, and tradition.   OurJewishCommunity.org was chosen for the first time by a panel of 36 foundation professionals from across North America.

We are so incredibly thrilled to be part of a list of such impressive organizations.  It provides validation that Jewish leaders recognize and appreciate the groundbreaking work we’ve done by building our online community with all of you.

So, at this season of gratitude, thank you to all of you who have participated in various ways in our online community.  As we’ve said from day 1, we’re building this together!

We’re very excited about this.  It’s an opportunity for all of us to engage in conversation about OurJewishCommunity.org and its philosophy and contemporary Jewish voice.  We often receive emails from our participants in our online synagogue who ask a range of thoughtful questions.  We’ll address some of those FAQs during the online conversation.  You’ll also be able to ask questions live.  You can either type them in the chat feature or ask them over video if you have a webcam.  If you do choose to use your webcam, please make sure you have the latest version of Adobe Flash Player (available free at www.adobe.com).

To watch and participate in the conversation, join us tomorrow evening at: http://www.ourjewishcommunity.org/evewithrabbis/.

An archive will also be available for you to watch on-demand if you miss the live stream.

We look forward to seeing you online tomorrow night.  If you have questions you already know you’d like to ask, you can post them here and we’ll include them in tomorrow evening’s conversation.

A while back, Uncle Jay explained Passover for us.  And this year he gave us a New Years gift.  Check out Uncle Jay Explains the High Holidays below!

Dear Mr. Steinhardt,

I just watched the video below which contains a short speech by you at a recent conference.

I think you are right on! You spoke about how Birthright (a program you’ve funded that gives free trips to Israel to young Jews) was overwhelmingly disliked by the institutional Jewish world when it started. You added that most things that are worthy and are capable of changing the Jewish world are disliked in their early stages.

I couldn’t agree more. We know that for change to happen, we need something very different. If you always do what you’ve always done – you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.

At OurJewishCommunity.org, we are not just doing what we’ve always done. We are creating entirely new models for Jewish life. We know that existing synagogue institutions serve less than 50% of the Jewish community. We know that there are many Jews seeking a Jewish community, who have not yet found one. We know that there are people with geographic or physical or financial limitations who simply cannot join a brick-and-mortar congregation. We know that there are many people who value a progressive Jewish voice – one in which we can say what we mean and mean what we say. We know that there are people who are looking for a contemporary Jewish experience – and want to be part of the continuing evolution of the Jewish religion.

We know that OurJewishCommunity.org reaches thousands of people who are looking for a Jewish connection and who would not have one without our online synagogue. We know that we are creating such a different model that there are many, as you Mr. Steinhardt said, who do not understand what we are doing. In some people’s eyes, a new model like ours seems too new – or too different. We have approached several Jewish funders who say they value innovation and fresh ideas, but then end up funding more of the same.

It is time for people to recognize that change is not a liability – but an opportunity. We do not need to reject the institutions of the past when they offer value to us today. But we must build for today and for tomorrow – recognizing that we are in a new world and can reach people in new ways.

So, Mr. Steinhardt, please feel free to call me if you want to hear about what we are doing to change the Jewish world. We are not merely talking about changing it – we have changed it – and want to continue to create a vibrant Jewish community.

Sincerely,

Laura Baum, Rabbi

P.S. To listen to Rabbi Barr’s podcast on this, please click here.