service in the basement of Ohab
Zedek, an Orthodox synagogue with a
large twentysomething membership.
Wildes, 28, attracts a young, single,
well-dressed crowd, evenly divided
between men and women. "These
days," he says, "synagogues, thank
God, are seen as an alternative to bars
for meeting other Jews."
Wildes offers a variety of courses in
religion and culture. In order to
engage people who are attempting to
come back to Judaism, the rabbi says,
his job is to be interesting and rele-
vant. So, besides studying Hebrew or
the Torah, one can learn, say, the rela-
tionship of keeping kosher to vegetari-
anism. Wildes even discusses sex.
"Jewish laws of sexuality are very
exciting," says Rabbi Ephraim
Buchwald of the National Jewish
Outreach Program. In order to engage
the young, "Jewish teaching has to be
made more relevant to contemporary
life."
But Rabbi Benjamin Schmeltz, 30,
of the Murray Hill Synagogue in New
York, cautions against becoming too
trendy.
"We can't conform Judaism to the
times," he says. In beginner's classes
and individual study sessions,
Schmeltz, who introduces himself as
Benji, prefers to focus on basic
Judaism — history, holidays, theology,
practice and customs.
"I try not to encourage people to be
more observant than they can handle
because I think that can alienate," says
Schmeltz. "If you educate them, they
might become more obseivant." And
what sort of people are coming to him
for guidance? "There's a questioning
nature, a need to ask questions.
They're searching for something."
Lauren Sorokin began wondering
about her religious identity after the
birth of her son Jack in 1993. "It had
always been a question in my mind,"
she says, "but once I had Jack, it really
became an issue to me. Why do I call
myself a Jew if I don't know anything
about what it is to be a Jew?"
She began reading books on
Judaism and observing religious holi-
days. "I'm fascinated by the history,
and I'm interested by the community
aspects," Sorokin says. "I want to be
able to teach Jack. I want him to
know where he came from, to feel a
sense of pride. But it's not like I'm
going to become some born-again
Jew."
That term could be applied to
Adam Hutt, however. At first glance,
this athletic-looking young

Manhattanite does not appear to be
an observant Orthodox Jew. He does
not wear a long black coat or a wide-
brimmed hat. He usually doesn't even
wear a yarmulke.
But while he enjoys ski trips to
Vermont, biking in Central Park and
listening to Santana, Hutt also attends
a yeshiva four mornings a week before

n Israel, "you're Jewish wherev-
er you go; its almost taken for
granted," says sabra Drora
Kogan, 30. But when you
come here Judaism, if you, don't
use it, you obviously lose it. '
Her husband Marc, 25, grew up
servant family, attending
ue in
O ver time, he
rnu he needed, and wanted,
realized

work, keeps kosher and observes the
Sabbath.
He admits his religious observance
has caused some problems with his fam-
ily. "They didn't understand it at all. I
overheard my mother say at a party, 'I
think they brainwashed him in Israel.'
But she's come to accept it. Now she
knows if I'm coming over for dinner to

became more observant through a
non-Jewish college boyfriend.
"When we met, I was the classical
self-hating Jew," she admits. "I didn't
always tell people I was Jewish." The
boyfriend from "Down River" was
intrigued by Judaism. "I kept telling
him, 'Don't ask me questions, I don't
have answers.' He learned, went to
the library, decided to convert when
he was 20."

Kogan believes that twen-
t-ysornethings "are curious
about their roots — why
were some people for so
many years practicing in a
certain way and all of a sud-
den it stopped?"
In the Midwest, Rabbi Avraharn
Jacobovitz trudges through sun and
ow, takin a variety of Judaic semi-
0. .0 ge campuses, offices and

have a kosher chicken in the house."
"Everyone thinks I'm missing out
onsomething," he says. "But unless
it's happening on a Friday night, I still
go to parties and concerts. Being
observant has enhanced everything
about my life."

— This article first appeared in
Swing magazine.

that and I wanted to seek out more
ways that I could be a part of it."
Sometimes people, even family
members, ask why Rosenberg keeps
kosher. They wonder, '"Can't you
just go back to the way that you
were?' But there's something very
rewarding, fulfilling about having
that yiddishkeit," she says. "Part of
being a real adult is making choices,
and I chose to be Jewish."
"I don't know scientifi
cally," says Rabbi J, "I just
feel that many young Jews
are coming to the conclu-
sion that if they want to
hold on to their Judaism,
they better shape up, learn,
be informed."
"People are looking for
answers. [This is al genera-
tion where people feel so far
away, that if they are to
hold onto it and give it over
to their children, [they'd]
better know something
about it or it's lost."
Ethan Gilan, 30, says, "It's a
holdover from the 80s,

,

ii

K aren Gordon R9senberg, 29,
lo ves to listen to kasti.j and his wife

13ayla speak. "I'm not a ba'al
teshuvah, but when I walk out of
I always walk away feeling
motivated to learn more, do more,
be more."
Growing up barely interested in
Jewish observance, Rosenberg

growing up,
know who you are .. when you get
out of college and start Your 'career
life', you start to feel like a person
who really means something, you do
work that impacts on other people.
And when you find that there's a
Jewish community that is very enrich-
ing. to your life, I felt lucky to have

10/31
1997

75

