>> ... Next Generation ...

Making Connections

NEXT helps young Jewish adults
celebrate 5775 using an online tool.

crunching what has become one of its most
anticipated and successful initiatives, NEXT: A
Division of Birthright Israel Foundation unveiled
its 2014 High Holidays initiative, designed to
connect Birthright Israel alumni and young Jewish adults
to High Holiday events, their peers and Jewish community
organizations.
The online tool is available at www.birthrightisrael.com/
AfterTheTrip/programs/Pages/High-Holiday-Landing.aspx.
"The High Holidays initiative is really about building
community and making the many dynamic High Holidays
events and celebrations more accessible to young Jewish
adults," says Morlie Levin, CEO of NEXT. "Birthrighters —
particularly those who traveled to Israel this summer — are
telling us they need spaces to reflect, learn more and take
action. The High Holidays are our community's moment to
help these young adults find these spaces and engage in
Jewish life with their friends in personally meaningful ways."
This year, NEXT's popular interactive map of High Holidays
events and services has improved social functionality and
enables Birthrighters and young adults to more easily
connect to those organizing events.
As part of the initiative, Birthright Israel alumni can also
register to receive resources and small stipends to help
host Rosh Hashanah meals, Yom Kippur pre-fast dinners
and break-the-fasts. NEXT anticipates that the initiative will
empower thousands of young Jewish adults to celebrate the
High Holidays with their friends.
NEXT expects the map to become populated with
hundreds of services and events across the country in the
weeks leading up to the holidays. When users visit the map,
they can filter their search for opportunities in their city with
a range of preferences — from musical services to LGBT-
focused events, among numerous other options. NEXT's
relationships with communities and "engagers"— the
professionals who interact directly with young Jewish adults
year-round — have been instrumental in evolving this
online tool that is more expansive and more responsive to
what young adults want during the High Holidays.
"We're working very closely with engagers this year
to help them list events on the map and to leverage the
opportunity that the High Holidays initiative presents for
year-round, deeper engagement with young Jewish adults,"
adds Marci Soifer, director of operations and planning, who
is overseeing the initiative for NEXT. "We really focused on
building a tool that can capitalize on the momentum created
each year by the High Holidays."

New And Improved

Many of the interactive map's improvements are based
on direct feedback received from young Jewish adults last
year. NEXT frequently heard that young adults wanted
to connect with one another before attending an event
or service. Now, users can share the specific events they
find on the map via social media so that they can recruit
their friends to join. They also can connect directly to the
engagement professionals organizing the event they're
considering attending. If users indicate their interest in an
event, engagers will be able to proactively reach out to

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The map becomes populated with hundreds of
services and events across the country in the

weeks leading up to the holidays.

One of many events that took place last year
that could be found on the High Holiday initia-
tive.

these young adults in order to start building a relationship,
seeding the potential for year-round engagement.
"We've really learned that this initiative presents
opportunities — both for the Birthright Israel Generation
and for the organizations and engagers who work with this
demographic," Levin adds. "We can utilize our experience
with all of these groups to help create more opportunities
that attract young adults to Jewish life."
Along with the interactive map, NEXT expects hundreds
of Birthright Israel alumni to register for High Holiday
meals that thousands of their friends will attend. As with
NEXT's Passover initiative and its ongoing Shabbat initiative,
these meals showcase the creativity, passion and desire of
young adults to create truly unique experiences that build
communities of peers.
One of last year's High Holidays hosts in Colorado says,
"We wanted to host a meal and a 'service' in our home
with friends who did not have tickets to synagogue. We
began our time together with an hour of yoga in the yard
to welcome the day. Then, we gathered and said prayers
over the food and ate together. One of our guests brought a

Torah and we read from it. We sat around for hours eating
and talking about the meaning of Rosh Hashanah and what
part of our lives we want to elevate for the coming year."
Another host from last year adds, "[I hosted my meal]
to build a Jewish community in D.C. Having friends from
different circles meet each other and form a community for
the night was very heartwarming. I think several friendships
came out of the dinner and hopefully future chavurah-like
events are in the works."
Levin says, "I'm no longer surprised by the authentic and
engaging Jewish experiences that Birthrighters create. It
seems that each holiday initiative continues to resonate with
young adults in new and exciting ways. There is something
special about the High Holidays that brings out this desire to
connect with one another and explore their Jewish identity."
During the initiative, NEXT's website will offer alumni
access to traditional and modern insights on Rosh Hashanah
and Yom Kippur. Tools that will help them host High Holiday
meals — including Pinterest boards featuring recipes, table-
setting ideas and themes — will also be available.
The High Holidays initiative is part of NEXT's year-round
efforts to create opportunities for Birthright Israel alumni
and their peers to engage in experiences that deepen their
connection to Judaism, Jewish communities, the Jewish
people and Israel.
"A key to this initiative's evolution is the strong
relationships we now have with communities across the
country," Levin says. "They are the reason the map is
populated with such an impressive range of offerings. We
recognize that every Birthrighter is different — the more
opportunities they have for Jewish engagement, the better.
This is about empowering young adults to shape their own
Jewish journeys." ❑

