Maybe it's because I've spent the last 10 years involved with programming that builds Jewish identy, but it seems like Jewish identity is just something assumed here. For such a Jewish place, I found it interesting that the Jewish conversations I had in high school are not happening here at AHA...yet.
I went to a public high school. I lived in an area that has a large Jewish population. I grew up in a very grassroots synagogue, working hard to build up a tiny youth group. I went to Kutz where the Jewish possibilities were endless, and my wildest dreams were shared by a community. In NFTY I found other peers who cared about the same social justice causes I did. I felt like the coolest kid in the world when I was selected to spend every other Sunday studying with other teens in NYC at HUC's Miller HS Honors program. I just couldn't get enough of Judaism. My whole world was Jewish...but how do I have parts of my life where I can't practice my Judaism in a way that is meaningful to me?
Maybe because although it may have seemed like I was breathing Judaism 24/7, I really wasn't. The things I learned and valued as a result of intense Jewish experiences made me a very observant Jew always searching for more, something my family was not. While I of course wish that my family shared my enthusiasm, I'm finally at the point where I'm okay with it. I lived for camp-style Shabbat, spirited birkat hamazon, song sessions, and spending afternoons outside a tree talking to my favorite Jewish professionals about God, Judaism, and my role in the world.
The way I was raised really makes me question Jewish Educators. How do we fix the disconnect? We can teach the kiddush, motzi, etc. If these kids aren't given the opportunity to have Shabbat dinners with their families, then what is the point? We can use camp as a Jewish utopia, introducing kids to Shabbat. Make Torah real- study it, wrestle with it, question it.
I admit it, I'm strange. I somehow grew to be a passionate Jewish adult, even though I feel like my most influential Jewish experiences came from outside of the home. I remember the time when my brother decided to quit Hebrew School in 7th grade after his bar mitzvah. Like most parents of kids in my brothers grades, they let him quit. Why is this ok?
My brother doesn't know what it's like to sit around a Shabbat table, receive a childrens blessing, taste the sweet wine, challah, and enjoy others company. He has never been moved by a service, inspired by a Rabbi, or felt the need to keep studying. He went off to college with no interest in finding a Jewish community. Will he raise Jewish children?
How do we as Jewish educators keep kids, parents, families engaged?
I believe that enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm, but sometimes that's just not enough...
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