Editor's Letter
O'D
C111
A Conservative Approach
E
very once in a while, a synagogue program comes
along that is daring enough in purpose, broad
enough in scope and strong enough in resonance to
raise the bar.
Within the Conservative movement, Congregation Shaarey
Zedek's new young leadership development program is such a
program.
We'll see just how effective the pro-
gram is. The early interactions among
participants must stand the rigors of
time. Still, I like the odds.
The Oakland County-based syna-
gogue hopes to develop a lasting young
leaders pool. The historic congregation
is working hard to change within a
movement striving to redefine itself.
The Initiative's long-range goal is obvi-
ous: Young leaders will help attract
young members who want more for
their dues than a house of worship; they want a vibrant center
for Jewish family life. Shaarey Zedek's youthful clergy provide
a proactive baseline for young leadership.
Any time one of our local synagogues rattles the cage of
change involving how it interacts with young adults, my ears
perk up. With the flight of so many of our 20- and 30-some-
things to more inviting urban hotspots around the country,
I'm eager to hear about the newest local ideas for engaging
those who remain or return.
The Beginnings
Shaarey Zedek's Young Leaders Initiative took root this sum-
mer with a 36-hour trip to Jewish New York. The travelers
were 21 emerging leaders hooked on enriching their Jewish
identity and embracing the chance to learn and ultimately
lead. It's a group with boundless leadership potential and a
commitment to Conservative Judaism — a buoyant combina-
tion for Metro Detroit's oldest ConservatiVe congregation. New
York was the chosen destination because of its rich Jewish
history going back to our immigrant forebears. What better
way to shape our future than to build on our past? Even a
cursory look at the aging tenement buildings gives pause to a
future generation of Jewish leaders who grew up with abun-
dant opportunity.
Against the time demands of secular and Jewish life in
a largely Christian society, a synagogue has no future if it
doesn't nurture future religious leaders long before they're
needed.
When I asked Shaarey Zedek Rabbi Joey Krakoff what
prompted the Initiative, he responded, "Because it seems to
me that there is so often a vacuum in synagogue leadership as
a whole, especially in the realm of young leadership." I doubt
that his Metro Detroit rabbinic colleagues, whatever their
Torah observance level, would contest that assessment.
But make no mistake about it: Rabbi Krakoff is focused on
helping young Conservative Jews appreciate who they are so
they can spread that good feeling about Judaism.
What he's doing is a national model of sorts given that the
Initiative is unique among Conservative synagogues in the
U.S. The Initiative's crack coordinating team includes con-
gregants Pamela Applebaum, Joel Jacob and Casey Long and
program director Tobye Bello in addition to the clergy.
The afterglow of the Big Apple had hardly dimmed when
that team's young adult recruits, all handpicked for their work
ethic and moxie, got to work over the High Holidays. In the
process, they raised $15,000 for Mazon: The Jewish Response
to Hunger and for Israeli hunger relief.
A yearlong slate of Initiative activities and programs is
under way. It stresses substanCe over just getting together. I
like the mix of experiencing Greater Detroit and synagogue
leadership building. For example, the group will help plan
the congregation's Souperbowl Soup Kitchen in February and
weeklong shelter for homeless people in April. Fittingly, the
Initiative will culminate with a visit to Israel to reinforce con-
nections to the Jewish state.
The business of teaching about
Conservative Judaism can't be
overstated. This is a movement
pinched on both sides by the
growing Reform and Orthodox
streams. To stand pat is to invite
continued decline.
"The only way to revitalize the
movement locally and nationally:'
Rabbi Krakoff told me candidly,
"is for our future leaders to be
schooled in Conservative Jewish
Rabbi Joey Krakoff
theology and thought."
He's right: The young adult
influence will do more to grow the movement than anything
else. That's one reason so many communal organizations
with aging membership rolls, including Federation, are doing
young adult outreach in dramatic ways.
Changing Times
Jews age 35 or younger belong to synagogues at a much
higher rate in Metro Detroit than elsewhere: a whopping 57
percent. Yet only 28 percent of local affiliated Jews say they are
Conservative, according to Federation's 2005 population sur-
vey. What's more, young Jews are increasingly plugging into
salons, which may meet in coffeehouses, and chavurot, which
may meet in homes. So Conservative synagogues have to fight
harder than ever to make their case.
Yes, it's too soon to brand the Young Leaders Initiative
a sterling success; the best of intentions can yield fleeting
results. But I give the Shaarey Zedek rabbis a lot of credit for
responding to wise congregants who understand the impact
young leadership can have on the vibrancy of their shul.
I hope rabbis and lay leaders in other synagogues, whatever
their affiliation, pick up on the Initiative or at least a varia-
tion. Sustenance for any synagogue demands the ability to
develop homegrown leaders ready to step in and step up to
the challenge of drawing down the median age of the mem-
bership.
Related coverage: page 21
0 : How should the Conservative movement
reposition itself?
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Is your synagogue doing enough to
engage young people?
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Especially for teens:
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November 23 • 2006
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