A Jewish political platform

It's election season. So it's the perfect time to set forth my political platform. It's the platform I'd present if we had, let's call them, Jewish elections.

First, let's get really serious about seeking to engage young Jews. Birthright has been an extraordinary success. But alone, it can't carry the Jewish future. We need to retool from top to bottom.

We need to find language with which to speak to young Jews, too many of whom are drifting off the reservation. Strikingly, many are seeking community, spirituality and connection, yet claiming they can't find it in the Jewish world. How unfortunate! It's all there, but sometimes too opaque, too unreachable, too diluted.

Read the rest of this post   |  Comments (40)

Leaders and leadership: Is something missing?

It's become an energizing habit of mine to attend the annual Summer University organized by the European Union of Jewish Students (EUJS). Hundreds of young people from across Europe gather in a picturesque spot for a week of studying and socializing.

This year, I addressed the students on the subject of leadership. When I asked them to identify individuals currently in the public arena - elected officials, moral voices, persons of conscience - whom they admired, there was a moment's silence. Then came a torrent of names. But when put to a vote, only four people enjoyed any widespread support. Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama ranked at the top, followed by Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy.

Read the rest of this post   |  Comments (18)