The State of the Jews

Hello my friend. This is your old buddy from BBYO etc. We haven’t touched base since I offered you my comments at the GA in Jerusalem. Re: birthright israel, I do not believe that the recent research report offers ANY compelling evidence of positive impact from this free trip. It is simply too soon to tell. Our problems (Western Jewry as well as Israelis) are too deep to be treated by taking a pill once a decade. Frankly, Israelis could use a reverse birthright more than our kids. The absence of any gray in Israel (black = black hat and white = blank slate for the secular) means they need to see Jewish life in color as it is in North America. At the same time, Western Jewry needs to take a deep breath and re-imagine a more compelling Jewish message. Simply stated, today’s young adults want neither Orthodoxy nor a synagogue-centered life. We can all dismiss them as fools or worse, or we can actually address their needs. Or we can simply call them Israelis and we won’t have to worry about religiosity any more.