Many young American Jews are “institutionally unaffiliated, but Jewishly engaged,” according to a new study by social scientists Steven M. Cohen and Ari Y. Kelman. As cited in the magazine Jewish Currents (July-August), the study confirmed earlier surveys findings that most Jews under 35 are not affiliated with synagogues and other major institutions of Jewish life. The study notes that these younger Jews feel “demographically disenfranchised” as the existing organizations cater to married parents of school- aged children. But Cohen and Kelman go on to argue that this generation is “Jewishly engaged,” though their mode of participation is “fluid and episodic, inclusive, non-coercive, engaging, and socially focused.” Such Jews tend to cross boundaries “between Jews and non-Jews….They view their primary objective as strengthening Jewish social networks… [and are] performance-oriented, blurring the lines between education, engagement and entertainment.”
The authors cite several contemporary Jewish projects that embody such concepts, including: Ikar, a Los Angeles spiritual community; Storahtelling, a dramatic company teaming up with synagogues to provide new rituals and theatrical productions; and Jdub Records, which promotes younger Jewish artists. Cohen and Kelman conclude that such a “new wave of creativity reflects…emerging modes of Jewish identity and community.”
(The report can be downloaded at: http://www.acbp.net)
