To Remain Relevant, Judaism Needs a Visibly Open Door

Twenty-five years ago, the prominent Conservative rabbi Harold Schulweis of Encino’s Valley Beth Shalom (VBS) Synagogue had a modest proposal. In response to the greater freedom of Jews in America and in much of the world, and the high Jewish attrition after intermarriage, he suggested Judaism return to its ancient tradition of proselytizing. In doing so, Judaism could tap into the millions of cultural Christians and others who yearn for a rich tradition and a deep spiritual experience.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, who have typically focused on bringing in less affiliated Jews, Schulweis recognized that outreach and inreach were one and the same. In a mixed society, many Jews are so deeply embedded in their surrounding communities and detached from Jewish life that they may not be reached by outreach efforts aimed at Jews. According to the most recent Pew survey, intermarriage rates among the U.S. non-Orthodox Jewish community have climbed above 70%, with only 28% of parents in intermarriages raising their children within Judaism.

In a sense, this is a measure of the success of liberal streams of Judaism, whose goal was to create well-integrated Jews, and of a larger non-Jewish society that can be open enough to welcome these Jews even as marriage partners. Many Jews would like to fully participate in the surrounding society, and they are largely successful. But the Jewish aspect of their lives is an odd piece out. In a world that values new developments and advancement, it is a religious tradition that emphasizes its continuity with ancient times. In a world that values pluralism, it is an ethnicity and a religion at the same time. In a world that values rationalism, it is a theistic faith.

So, even before Jewish affiliation is lost, traditional Judaism is on the defensive in these communities. Practices as intensive as keeping kosher and observing Shabbat are isolating, dating only Jews limits one’s options, and the special tie of many Jews to Israel—home of nearly half the world’s Jews—is increasingly being attacked. Over the course of several generations, the Jewish aspect of these people’s lives often becomes ever-smaller, until it disappears.

Over the course of several generations, the Jewish aspect of these people’s lives often becomes ever-smaller, until it disappears.

Traditional Jews have responded by creating religious enclaves, some turning to hyper-religiosity. However, this approach misses many Jews even in the major Diaspora population centers and is not practical in areas without a critically large Jewish community. Separatism is also, in a sense, an admission of defeat. It is an acquiescence to the idea that Judaism is peripheral enough and adds little enough to the surrounding community that individuals and groups can pull away with few effects. This is not true. Throughout history, from the Islamic Golden Age to the European Enlightenment to today’s America, Jews—especially secular Jews—have contributed to numerous creative disciplines out of proportion to their numbers. A world separate from its Jews would be missing much of its character.

Fortunately, there is a third way, one that has been little explored. That way is to work to absorb the surrounding community. Just as Jews are integrated and become part of other communities, members of these communities can also be integrated and join the Jewish people. This is the fullest acknowledgment that Judaism is not only an ancestry, and that Jews are not simply one people among many. Rather, Jews make up a vital world civilization that continues to be relevant to its practitioners. Jewish outreach must be attractive without being intrusive, as well as mindful of other groups. If it is, it will go a long way toward helping people understand Judaism.

Our silence about the value of being Jewish is a striking contrast to our willingness to be loud about other Jewish issues. We are not shy about calling out antisemitism or about discussing the importance of Israel as a state for the Jewish people. While we expect others to accommodate us in these areas, making sometimes extensive demands, we are mostly mum about the flip side—what Judaism actually is, how belonging to it enhances our lives, and what Jews offer world culture. Becoming more vocal about Judaism would enable us to offer positive insights and experiences to those around us.

Since Schulweis’s call to action, only a handful of rabbis and Jewish communities have taken steps similar to those he advocated. Valley Beth Shalom continues to maintain its conversion outreach program even after his death. Others have moved along similar lines, largely independent of one another. For example, Conservative rabbi Michael Gilboa of the Detroit area’s B’nai Israel Synagogue maintains an Internet-based program of Open Outreach. Reform rabbi Miriam Terlinchamp of Cincinnati’s Temple Sholom broadcast her synagogue services on local television to spread Judaism to the widest possible audience, Jewish or not. Several years ago, the well-known Orthodox rabbi Shmuley Boteach came out in favor of Jewish proselytization. A few funds, such as the National Center to Encourage Judaism’s grants for educational programs, have become available for Jewish outreach intended for people who do not identify as Jewish. Even with their limited reach, such efforts have brought thousands of people into Judaism.

In order for Judaism to remain relevant, it is time to fully embrace the promotion of its relevance, not only to born Jews but also to the wider world.

Despite the energetic and successful open outreach programs at smaller scales, few efforts have been made to coordinate its practitioners, analyze what works, prioritize, and support similar initiatives at the scale needed to impact the Jewish demographic. In order for Judaism to remain relevant, it is time to fully embrace the promotion of its relevance, not only to born Jews but also to the wider world. If we practice explaining why Judaism is relevant to people of many different cultural backgrounds and walks of life, we will better understand its relevance for ourselves and our children.

Rebecca Sealfon is a Reconstructionist Jewish writer and social media consultant who lives in New York City. She started and maintains a popular Israel-Palestine peace forum called Unity is Strength, which receives more than 1,000,000 views per year and attracts writers from Israel, Palestine, and all over the world. Rebecca has published in the New York Daily News, Smithsonian magazine, and the Daily Beast, as well as appeared multiple times on NBC’s Rosie O’Donnell Show.