Articles

The Jewish communal sector is on the cusp of a transformational change. It’s not just about “failure to deliver” on the part of certain legacy structures rather this shift is about a mismatch between older institutional models and a faster, more fragmented, more demanding organizational environment.

Across the national Jewish landscape, one hears conversations about “renewing” old legacy institutions, “remaking” existing organizations, and “tearing down” traditional communal structures and systems. There are roadmaps for engaging in institutional transformation. Posted below are some of the core organizing principles

Just as the American story is comprised of an extraordinary set of positive images and practices, there are also seeds of historic racism and antisemitism, embedded in this nation’s development. In examining America’s 250 saga, it is important to acknowledge, catalogue and analyze this stain of hate.

The field of Jewish public policy and community relations is navigating simultaneous disruptions. Legitimacy fracture involves the questioning or marginalizing of Jews around Israel and Zionism. This is happening across political, generational, and interfaith lines and deals in part with competing narratives about Israel, antisemitism, and the minority status of Jews.

In my most recent essay on these pages, I defined the existing threats being generated in this nation against Jews, leading to the possible end of the “golden age of American Judaism”. In confronting this new reality, we would remind ourselves that this is not a Jewish problem alone, as what we are experiencing involves the disassembling of American democracy, and Jews appear to be caught up in the unfolding political diatribes and tensions of this moment.

The title of this essay refers to a fundamental and dramatic shift in the American Jewish story. The “golden age of American Judaism” described the 70-year period, covering 1948 to 2018 has now ended. This era began with the establishment of a Jewish national state and concluded with the most violent attack ever on Jews in America at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, October 27, 2018.

To fully appreciate what is unfolding in the Jewish religious market space, it is essential to capture what is happening more broadly in the world of American religion. Liberal religious seminaries and umbrella organizations for liberal movements are experiencing significant membership decline, financial challenges, theological evolution and a pivot toward social justice activism over traditional congregational engagement.

From religious liberty and civic equality to Israel advocacy and political partnership, the evolving “brit” between Jews and the United States has shaped both American democracy and modern Jewish identity.

Who are we becoming and why? In this period of extraordinary disruption, where many of our beliefs, values and ideals are being challenged, we are finding that our very identities as Jews are being transformed. For some of us, we are shaping our new persona, and for others, the outside world has imposed labels.

In this disruptive moment, where one encounters anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism in multiple spaces, there is a counter movement in play to reframe both the meaning and message of Zionism and to build the case for Israel.