metro >> on the cover
Young Jews And Booze
At some Jewish events, the lure of free drinks attracts a crowd.
Robin Schwartz
Contributing Writer
F
or centuries, drinking has
had its place in Judaism —
from the Kiddush over wine
on Shabbat, to the four cups of wine
we consume during Passover seders.
There's also the custom of toasting
l'chaim (to life) with alcohol at joy-
ous celebrations.
But a new tradition, that's trou-
bling to some, involves Jewish young
adult events like "Latke Vodka,"
"Torah on Tap" or bar nights, which
prominently feature alcohol.
Organizers of those events and
other programs for 20- and 30-some-
things admit beer or hard liquor is
intentionally added to the mix to
attract larger crowds.
"One of the dirty little secrets of
Jewish outreach efforts to young
people — particularly to college stu-
dents and those in their 20s — is the
use of alcohol to entice them:' wrote
Gary Rosenblatt, editor and pub-
lisher of the New York Jewish Week in
a March column.
"I am not suggesting that alcohol
has no place in Jewish social events
for young people of drinking age. But
I do worry that it has become too
prominent a part of 'the sell; spoken
or unspoken, and a cheap replace-
ment for imaginative programming
and substantive content."
Rosenblatt pointed to TribeFest,
a March 6-8 gathering at Mandalay
Bay Hotel in Las Vegas sponsored
by the Jewish Federations of North
America, noting, "Participants and
observers described how the Vegas
setting was a key ingredient in bring-
ing some 1,200 participants to the
conference, featuring nine open bars
each evening."
A large Detroit contingent took
part in the event. Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit CEO Scott
Kaufman of Huntington Woods was
even one of the featured speakers.
He posted this reply to Rosenblatt's
column online: "While Mr.
Rosenblatt's main point may well
be valid, his overview of TribeFest
was not at all what I saw at the con-
ference ... the positive energy at
TribeFest was far beyond anything I
have seen at any Jewish conference.
While creating a social atmosphere
was key to TribeFest, I did not see
anyone acting like they were at a
10
August 25
a.
2011
bachelor party or 'getting hammered,
as the Jewish content was clearly the
main focus of the entire program."
But, the column did get people
thinking and talking about alcohol-
infused Jewish programming.
One anonymous poster shared
these thoughts, "In so many bul-
letins and on Facebook invitations,
I see alcohol as the hook to bring in
young people. What kind of fish are
they trying to catch? Martini mixers,
etc., have their place, but what does
this have to do with Judaism? I hope
the organizers of these events will
rethink their use of alcohol."
Torah on Tap
Based on the success of local pro-
grams like Torah on Tap, it does not
appear organizers will rethink the
"booze-for-young Jews outreach
model;' as Rosenblatt calls it, any-
time soon.
Torah on Tap, sponsored by
Federation's Young Adult Division
(YAD), takes place the third
Thursday of each month at Dick
O'Dow's Irish Pub in Birmingham.
Anywhere from 40-85 people gather
in a back room for the popular lec-
ture/shmooze/discussion session
led by Rabbi Leiby Burnham, 32,
who is with the Partners in Torah
program of Southfield-based Yeshiva
Beth Yehudah. He's also a YAD board
member and officer. Thanks to an
anonymous donor, drinks are on the
house.
"Our first event, I think we got
eight or nine people;' Burnham
recalls. He started the program five
years ago in an effort to reach young
unaffiliated Jews in an informal, non-
threatening setting.
"When we got a sponsor to cover
the cost [making drinks free of
charge], that increased participa-
tion',' he says. "We're living in cash-
strapped times. For young adults to
have a good, free, social and educa-
tional night out is an amazing thing."
Burnham breaks the two-hour
program into four 10-15 minute seg-
ments. Each segment stands alone,
in case someone joins the event in
progress.
"I try to include a story, a lesson,
a message, something everyone in
the audience can relate to:' Burnham
says. "People really seem to enjoy it.
It's gotten an amazing buzz."
Jews and Booze on page 12
Emily Pomish of West Bloomfield, Jamie
Rubin of Birmingham, Julie Marx of
Bloomfield Hills, Jaimee Wine of Ann Arbor
and Leah Bold of Royal Oak at Torah on Tap
Aviva Abrams of
Florida, Nikki Fayne
and Mark Berkman,
both of Birmingham,
raise their glasses —
whether cocktails or
not — at TribeFest in
Las Vegas this spring.
Eric and Esther
Steinberg, Jon Stone
and Jamie Maniloff,
all of Birmingham,
sample cocktails
or soft drinks
at last year's YAD
Latke Vodka event.