Last summer, I was lucky enough to be a part of an international fellowship that took Jewish young adults between the ages of 25 and 40 on a unique, week-long journey exploring Jewish life, identity and philanthropy.

While normally the Nahum Goldmann Fellowship takes place in person around the world in various countries each year, my fellowship program was held virtually. So even though I didn’t get the full experience that I know NGF has provided for so many fellows (including a fellow alum living in AZ, Paul Rockower), I walked away with a deeper connection to what Judaism means to me and some virtual friends that I do hope to meet in person someday.

The goal of NGF is to “(foster) Jewish connectedness among a new generation of current and future leaders.” I am now a part of a community of engaged and impressive Jewish professionals and volunteers from around the world stretching over dozens of countries and with backgrounds and experiences so uniquely different from my own. Learning from the people in my cohort was probably one of the best parts of the program in my opinion.

I learned that while Jewish life may look very different in other parts of the world, the search for meaning, continuity and connection is the same. And one of the common themes we discussed was the need for Jewish life to evolve and grow with the community and the people that those communities serve. Just like so many things in our lives, Judaism, and our connection to it, is fluid.

This brought us to our theme of the week: liquid Judaism.

Sounds kind of fun, right? Don’t worry, t-shirts are being made! Just kidding, but seriously, doesn’t that sound like a perfect way to describe the ever evolving and beautiful fluidity that Judaism can be?

I know for me, I find myself connecting to different parts of Judaism and Jewish life during different phases in my life. And the idea that it is always changing and that I can find connection in different ways is honestly a bit exciting. It means that we can create our own Jewish identity in any given moment and show up to be proudly Jewish in so many different and unique ways. But more importantly, that Jewish identity isn’t stagnant, but it is actually fluid and we have the ability to find meaning in everything from eating Jewish food to attending a Jewish community event or even going to Israel.

The fact that this international group that represented countries, ethnicities and levels of observance all faced these questions was also extremely comforting. I have heard so many times that our Phoenix Jewish community is unique and that is why it isn’t as vibrant as other Jewish communities across the country. And while there might be a bit of truth to that, I think it is important for us to realize that Jewish connection is changing everywhere, and that people are looking to connect to their Judaism in many different, non-traditional ways.

This sentiment was echoed in the recent Pew Research study on Jewish Americans in 2020. The study found that while Jews from the United States were culturally engaged, their levels and ways to connect were incredibly diverse and didn’t tend to fall into the more traditional ways of connection like joining a Synagogue or celebrating Jewish holidays. In fact, 27% of Jewish adults living in the United States said that they do not identify with the Jewish religion but consider themselves culturally Jewish, and I predict that percentage is only going to increase as time goes on.

So what is the solution to continuing a vibrant Jewish community? Finding ways to connect to these cultural Jews by using things that they want to identify with. Food, music, art are all good starts, but they have to take place in welcoming environments. You aren’t going to get someone to join a synagogue, but you might be able to get them to join you for some bagels, coffee and a bit of music at a local park.

Basically the idea of liquid Judaism is that it is fluid, always changing and will ebb and flow. We can build on this idea and create a more diverse, open and adaptable space for Jews of all backgrounds to connect. It will just take some creativity, strong leadership and the ability to adapt and change to the needs and wants of our community.

Even though we were only able to meet virtually, I walked away with such a valuable experience and a new way of thinking. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to learn from everyone who participated in the virtual fellowship and share with them what our local community has done and some of the issues we have faced. Worlds apart, we are still all connected through our love of Jewish life, no matter what that looks like, and our desire to lead our communities into the future and build a stronger, more vibrant Jewish world.

If you are interested in finding out more about the NGF fellowship, please visit the NGF website to learn more.

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