Jewish Leaders Seek New ways to Reach Youth

Long Beach, CA — On Friday, Jewlicious 3.0 at the Beach kicked off at Alpert Jewish Community Center, with a record crowd of 400 to 500 young adults expected to attend.

The Jewlicious festival arrives just a week after an event called the Purimpalooza was staged in Los Angeles and a week before the Feast of Jewish Learning will be held in Northern California.

All of the events are part of a growing wave in the Jewish community to attract younger Jews to the culture and spirituality of Judaism through nontraditional means.

“What this is, is an attempt to create a venue where we’re focusing on values, ideas and commonalties,” said Rabbi Yonah Bookstein of Beach Hillel, which is helping put on the third annual Jewlicious event.

Like many religions, the Jewish faith is struggling to attract young members into houses of worship.

But the culture of Judaism is thriving in other areas, whether it’s online, through social clubs, concerts and film series or cultural festivals such as this weekend’s event in Long Beach.

“I would say young Jews are no different from other young people,” Bookstein said. “We’re looking for ways to make the ancient religion relevant. People we talk to are very

interested in the spirituality, culture and the music, but they’re not excited by institutional Jewish offerings.”
The Jewlicious event runs non-stop until 11 p.m. Sunday and will feature music from a wide variety of bands with varying degrees of Jewish musical influences and messages. There will also be discussion groups, lectures on a wide range of topics, feasts with traditional foods and films.

While Jewish music events, film series, lectures and cultural events are not uncommon, Bookstein said the weekend festival is different.

“What make this unique is it was specifically created for and by Jewish students,” he said. “It’s filling a niche that was never reached.”

“I think it’s terrific. It’s creative and geared toward youth,” said Rabbi Howard Laibson of Congregation Shir Chadash. “Existing institutions aren’t really good at reaching out to them. When it becomes appropriate to attend synagogue, they will. Until then, they will have this kind of activity.”

Rabbi Sender Engel, who runs the Camp Silver Gan Israel in Huntington Beach, is another fan.

“I am a Chabad rabbi. While much of the world was shunning modern technology, Chabad took the approach that we can use it to reach a larger audience,” Engel said. “I think whatever it takes to bring it out to a Jewish audience and a worldwide audience is phenomenal.”

Engel said in his sect, other rabbis are now starting to use YouTube to reach younger congregants, and Bookstein podcasts services.

Cantor Roni Kripper of Temple Beth Shalom sees the current trend as being emblematic of how Jews have stayed connected through the years.

“It’s natural. We’ve lived in many countries and cultures and we’ve learned to adapt to these cultures,” Kripper said. “I think it’s natural to see (that) U.S. temples are using music of our time and culture.”

Kripper created Shul House Rock, a band at his temple that uses a fusion of rock and traditional Jewish folk and klezmer music to deliver liturgies. The Shul House events are now among the most-attended at his temple.

“Music is a powerful way to reach out and celebrate diversity and how we relate to being Jewish,” Bookstein said.

Although critics say such changes dilute the traditions of Judaism, Kripper disagrees.

“The challenges of all religions are to adapt to the times. I don’t think it’s problematic or changing our roots,” Kripper said.

He added that at interfaith events he hears other religious leaders lamenting about a decline in young congregants and seeking various methods to reach out. Kripper said he would like to see interfaith music events be attempted.

However, Kripper does admit that he would like to see music and festivals become bridges to the temple and not just be self-contained.

“Of course, as cantors, we want people to come to temple,” Kripper said. “I think (events like Jewlicious) are changing the view of Judaism and that will help us.”

At Temple Beth Shalom, the success of Shul House Rock has spawned a popular youth band and renewed interest among younger kids.“

Engel also hopes that festivals are just a first step for young Jews.

”Judaism teaches us, there’s never enough,“ Engel said. ”You always have to strive to grow in all areas. The first step is to connect.“

The events appear to be succeeding. Laibson said his wife helped coordinate last week’s Purimpalooza event, which had music and a carnival, and heard estimates that more than 1,000 people attended.

”As far as I can tell, it was a smash,“ Laibson said.

Bookstein and organizers of Jewlicious 3.0 expect another record turnout this weekend.

”I really hope we can continue to grow and reach more and more people,“ said Bookstein, who thinks there may be a national market for such events.

”I hope we can bring our knowledge and staff to create other regional festivals,” said Bookstein, noting that students from 30 colleges and 12 states were in attendance, many traveling long distances to participate.