Views

14 | SEPTEMBER 26 • 2019

claim to have no religion.
Fourteen percent of my
parents’
generation, born
between 1928 and 1945,
falls into this category, along
with 26 percent of my fellow
Gen Xers and 32 percent of
millennial Jews.
Far from being distressing,
these numbers make sense to
me. Young people just don’
t
define Judaism and religion
in the same way as earlier
generations.
To get a more accu-
rate picture of American
Judaism, we must adjust
the parameters to match
today’
s realities. The options
aren’
t just Orthodox,
Conservative, Reform or
“nothing” anymore.
I couldn’
t tell you what
denomination of Jew I am.
My synagogue has a mission
statement that says: “While
guided by Orthodox tradi-
tion, our approach is one
that embraces everyone,
regardless of their level of
knowledge or observance.”
I feel like I belong there.
I have relationships with
many members of the cler-
gy. My son is a bimah boy,
working with the gabbai
every Saturday calling up
members of the congrega-
tion receiving an honor. He
attends a private Catholic
school for financial reasons
but has embraced Judaism
with a fervor.
For years I focused on all
the things I did wrong as a
Jew — not keeping kosher,
not sending my kids to
Jewish school, not observing
a whole bunch of the fast-
ing holidays, etc. Yet I still
identify as Jewish. My family
doesn’
t meet the definitions
of Orthodox or Conservative,

or even Reconstructionist.
There is no box for us.
Despite my relatively
“secular” upbringing, my
parents and grandparents
would certainly consider
themselves Jews of religion,
at least by Pew’
s count. But
in many ways, I consider my
revitalized traditions to be
what brought me back into
the fold.
Despite the dwindling
extravagance of our holiday
celebrations, I feel a closer
connection to Judaism than
ever. How do I get counted?
There’
s so much fear in
the Jewish community about
the dangers of intermar-
riage and assimilation. But
diversity isn’
t the problem.
My inclusion of non-Jews
in traditional celebrations
gives me the chance to
revisit their significance.
Diversity doesn’
t dilute my
feelings toward religion — it
strengthens them.
Planning my dinner this
year, I added a non-Jewish
friend and her 9-year-old
daughter to the guest list.
They came last year and
added a whole new layer
to the evening. They loved
learning about our traditions,
and we got to see the holiday
through fresh eyes.
This Rosh Hashanah,
instead of worrying about
fitting into a traditional
mold, I’
m going to focus
more on defining my own
Jewish identity and what
informs it.

Julie Matlin is a freelance writer

based in Montreal. Her work

has appeared in the Washington

Post, the Globe and Mail, Today’
s

Parent and the Forward.

Essay from page 10

MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION
Renew your subscription, change
your postal or email address,
forward for your vacation, report
a missed delivery.
thejewishnews.com/subscribe

LIFE-CYCLE ANNOUNCEMENTS
Submit your birth, b’nai mitzvah,
engagements, weddings, and
milestone anniversaries and
birthdays as well as obituaries —
and learn about deadlines and fees.
thejewishnews.com/announcements

COMMUNITY EVENTS
Submit your community events
for the JN calendar and fi
nd
deadline information.
thejewishnews.com/calendar

ADVERTISE
Learn about advertising opportunities
and connect with the JN sales team.
thejewishnews.com/advertise

SUBMIT STORY IDEAS/
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Share your news or ideas with
the JN editorial team.
thejewishnews.com/contact

READ THE ONLINE EDITION
Read the weekly online version of the
JN print edition with a subscription.
thejewishnews.com/my-account

NEWS UPDATES
Watch videos and read the latest
news about Metro Detroit’s Jewish
community.

SIGN UP FOR NEWSLETTER
Don’t miss out on the latest
updates, stories and entertainment
news! Sign up for our daily or
weekly email newsletter.
thejewishnews.com/newsletter

LOCATIONS SELLING
COPIES OF THE JN
Visit thejewishnews.com/subscribe
for a list of stores and boxes.

BACK ISSUES OF THE JN
The Detroit Jewish News
Foundation’s William Davidson
Archive of Jewish Detroit History
contains more than 330,000 pages
of content — spanning more than
100 years — from the Jewish News
and its predecessor publication. It is
fast, free and accessible via
djnfoundation.org

OUR JN MISSION: We aspire to communicate news and opinion that’s trusted, valued, engaging
and distinctive. We strive to refl
ect diverse community viewpoints while also advocating
positions that strengthen Jewish unity and continuity. As an independent, responsible,
responsive community member, we actively engage with individuals and organizations
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, and Jewish life, in Southeast Michigan.

DEPARTMENTS
General Offi
ces: 248-354-6060
Advertising: 248-351-5107
Advertising Fax: 248-304-0049
Circulation: subscriptions@renmedia.us
Classifi
ed Ads: 248-351-5116 / 248-234-9057
Advertising Deadline: Friday, noon
Editorial Fax: 248-304-8885

SUBSCRIPTIONS:
1 year
$85
2 years
$153
3 years
$204
1 year out-of-state $125
2 years out-of-state $2
25
Online only $36

Detroit Jewish News | 29200 Northwestern Highway, Suite 110 | Southfi
eld, MI 48034

Visit the
JN website
www.thejewishnews.com

Contact Us

Bre