|
|
March 9, 2007
Standing up to be chosen
A new Jewish identity for the "millennial generation."
RON FRIEDMAN
The way to keep young Jews involved is to help them be proud of
their heritage, according to Vancouver Hillel executive director
Eyal Lichtmann.
It's a message that he'll be delivering to participants at the Union
for Reform Judaism's biennial gathering in Richmond March 18, under
the banner Street Wise Jews: Walking Tall in the World.
Over the last five years, Hillel has enjoyed a renaissance, with
its membership numbers increasing tenfold. Lichtmann believes that
this growth occurred because of Hillel's reconfigured mission for
involving the so-called "millennial generation."
"Our mission at Hillel is to create a distinct Jewish identity
with universal human values," said Lichtmann. "It means
finding ways for students to define their own Judaism, in their
own way.... It allows them to be proud of being Jewish."
This, according to Lichtmann, is in contrast to previous behavior
patterns. "Traditionally," he said, "it has been
about the insular Jewish community. It was all about how to stop
intermarriage; it was all about victimization and guilt. We're saying,
be involved because it has meaning, be involved for your own personal
interest, make the choice because it is a good choice, not because
you have to. Be proud."
One of the ways in which Hillel helps create identity is through
projects involving tikkun olam (repairing the world) and
tzedakah (charity). "Students were telling us that they
wanted to be involved with making the world a better place to live,"
said Lichtmann.
In order to help them do that, Hillel takes part in many diverse
charitable and philanthropic activities, both within the Jewish
community and the broader public.
"Most of the activities we do are to enhance the campus community,
with hope that, when the students go out into the real world, they
will improve the societies which they live in and the world will
see Jews as contributors to society and not as secretive or insular,"
said Lichtmann.
Hillel recognizes that the majority of students come from a background
of being unaffiliated Jews. "Now that they've entered university,
they want to develop their own distinct identities from their parents,"
said Lichtmann. "They know that their parents are Jewish, but
they had no Jewish upbringing. They've decided on their own that
they want to be Jewish but they don't know how they want to be Jewish."
Lichtmann believes that Hillel can be their link. Hillel provides
an outlet for nearly any form of involvement that students choose.
"Students make informed decisions on how they want to be involved,"
said Lichtmann. "Some students want Hebrew classes, some want
Torah study classes, some students want to identify through environmentalism.
Some identify simply through social aspects, simply wanting to hang
out with other Jews.
"The whole purpose of Hillel is Jewish continuity," said
Lichtmann. "Being a Jew in a non-Jewish world – that's
what Hillel is on campus and we are extremely proud."
Lichtmann will speak at the URJ biennial at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday,
March 18, at the Marriott Vancouver Airport Hotel. For more information,
visit www.urj.org/pnwc.
Ron Friedman is a student in the journalism master's program
at the University of British Columbia.
^TOP
|
|
