Moving from 'hip' to 'hooked'

RABBI B. CHARLES HERRING

Hip, glitz, trendy, whatever. I agree to some extent with Wexler that Jewish organizations - even religious ones - look for contemporary ways to draw Jews in and connect them to their spiritual base. A few generations ago, Hungarian Rabbi Moses Sofer fought off what he says was "hip" by saying in effect, "If it's new, it's wrong." Hip at the time, at least as he saw it, was Reform Judaism. So one man's "hip" could be another man's soul.

I went through years of believing that each Shabbat service had to have some gimmick, some hook to it that would touch folks in a "feeling" way, long before "touchy-feely" was hip. I believed that this would draw in those who had lapsed in their commitment to worship.

They came. But they came for the show alone.

In time to save my own spiritual life, I accepted that a true connection to Jewish worship was simply making that commitment and dropping the Monty Pythonian exclamation: And now for something entirely different!

The numbers subsequently dropped. Not everyone wants just to daven.

Every Jewish professional in America is struggling with the knowledge that commitment to Judaism is declining with each generation. No one really knows for certain how to undo that. That decline translates into less dollars for organizations and less support for vital missions, thus creating a growing urgency for the organized Jewish community to find ways to engage the unaffiliated.

I am pessimistic, even cynical at times about the value of these methods. Nonetheless, concerned and caring people in our community are trying to build up the base of support of Jewish life in all its many aspects. Whatever brings in a person for a moment gives the chance to keep the person for the long haul.

"Hip" is good if it works. Even more important is discovering the vital bridge that goes from hip to hooked.

Rabbi B. Charles Herring is the spiritual leader of Temple Kol Ami in Scottsdale.

A bridge to more meaningful expression

RABBI SHOLOM LEW

"Hip: characterized by a keen informed awareness of or involvement in the newest developments or styles." (Webster's dictionary)

"Every day the service to God is to be viewed and treated with an awareness as if it were completely new." (Midrash)

Does "hip" really have a place in Judaism? Is there not a dichotomy? Paradox? Conflict and unbridgeable chasm? Old vs. new? Bubbie vs. Johnny? Shul vs. Mall?

Today more than ever, we, a generation of sound bites, fast food and instant gratification, are faced by an ever-increasing array of savvy marketing and buzz, clamoring for the attention of our hearts, minds and souls. They come at us, promoting every imaginable - and unimaginable - fad and gimmick.

Succeeding in this highly competitive and crowded field requires smart thinking, utilizing every tool at our disposal to further the cause of Jewish identity and continuity. Ignoring this dimension is to ignore even greater success. It could well be argued that without this, we may not have seen the enormous strides of our Jewish renaissance. (Not withstanding the tremendous work still required, as evidenced by the recent release of the local Jewish demographic study.)

Is "hip" a model by which to set our standards? Why not? Life is a home built with many different materials, all shapes and sizes, which combine to create the beautiful structure we call home. Judaism, as a significant participant of this life, breathes through different approaches and styles (providing it stays faithful to the original Jewish idea and ideal), adding to the beauty of the mosaic that is Jewish life.

Mass media, buzz words, catchy phrases that characterize today's hip generation join the ranks of the telegraph, town crier and papyrus scroll of yesteryear, in advancing new ways of communication. Judaism, far from dismissing them outright, recognizes this by embracing these iconic mediums, while simultaneously promoting the spirit of the letter of our collective Jewish experience.

Needless to say, no serious-minded person or organization would ever contemplate consigning Judaism to buzz marketing, video presentations or seminars, nor can they serve as a substitute for deeds and action. Yet, harnessed with maseh bepoel, "the practical application of deed," this can serve as one of many powerful contributing factors, appealing enough to serve as an impetus and progressively leading one to more dedication in a sum total of the Jewish experience.

In summary, leadership is to inspire. To inspire is to communicate. To communicate, we need language, a language that is understood by those we are trying to inspire, in order to lead them to a deeper existence with higher, more permanent values.

Rabbi Sholom Lew is the spiritual leader of Chabad of the West Valley.

How to foster significant connections

RABBI STEPHEN KAHN

In truth, I agree with Wexler's underlying observation that the Jewish world has become too dependant on making people "happy" or "feel good," instead of focusing on ways to create meaning and connection within Jewish communities. He is right to argue that we have idealized "hip" as the ultimate goal in creating Jewish experiences for people seeking something spiritual from our Jewish institutions.

The Jewish world has become a place where we are desperate for our members, donors and supporters. Every time the Jewish community produces a population survey, the results are more and more bleak. In an attempt to address the issues of the shrinking Jewish community, synagogues and Jewish institutions are using the "warm and fuzzy" approach to bring more Jews and non-Jewish spouses and partners into our doors.

Because of this new phenomenon, the Jewish community is more fractionalized than ever. Everyone is "making their own Shabbos," and especially in the second-tier Jewish communities like Phoenix, there is very little collaboration in finding meaningful ways of bringing Jews into our synagogue doors.

Wexler's argument is right when he says that Chabad, Aish HaTorah and various other Jewish organizations not only "bow down" to hip, but do so at the expense of creating any significant Jewish community. Ours has become a community where we affiliate or identify ourselves as being part of one or two institutions, instead of seeing ourselves as part of the Jewish community as a whole. The perception from Jews on the periphery therefore has become one of disgust and incredulity.

Maybe instead of forcing our institutions to be hip, as Wexler argues, we should be more interested in organically creating Jewish experiences that are meaningful, interesting, educational and most of all, sacred. It's time to enable people to fall in love with Judaism, not just become infatuated with it.

Rabbi Stephen Kahn is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Israel in Scottsdale.

Return to Main Story