Writing for Jewcy, Daniel Septimus, the CEO and editor in chief of MyJewishLearning.com, suggests that the Jewish community abandon the rhetoric of building Jewish identity and stop programming and funding with the goal of strengthening Jewish identity. Not that the Jewish world should abandon all the programs that mention Jewish identity building as their aim, but rather it should focus on more solid building blocks — education, practice and helping the human condition. Read the full post.
2 Comments on “Idea #23: Jewish identity projects are not the answer”
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Back in the late ’70′s Israel ran a poster campaign in the States that featured Moshe Dayan standing proudly proclaiming “all we ask is that you feel Jewish, you’ll know what to do”. The campaign was asking for money and it was most definitely aiming for the lowest common denominator: emotional identity. There was a time when most non practicing Jews would proudly tell you that they “felt” Jewish, just no need to do Judaism. Today, I don’t think non practicing Jews (under 50?) are as quick to say that they feel Jewish.
Posted on February 24, 2010 at 9:21 am.
Dear Daniel-
Thank you for sharing this thought-provoking piece. For me, the key statement was in the final paragraph when you wrote, “Creating a Jewish community that is committed to study, ritual, and helping others seems like a nobler endeavor.” I strongly believe that Jewish identity development is a key component in this process of making Jewish commitments and not a goal that should be forgotten.
According to the Eriksonian school, the predominant psychological theory of identity, making commitments (both in terms of behavior and ideology) without going through a process of exploration can be problematic. It leads to a foreclosed identity, one which is often characterized by rigidity and close-mindedness. If the Jewish community wants to encourage Jewish commitments that emerge out of a sense of meaningful relationship with Jewish tradition, rather than blind adherence to that tradition, it is important to encourage identity work in Jewish educational settings along with other aspects of Jewish learning. Consequently, we should strive for Jewish educational experiences that focus on the three pillars you mention, Torah, Avodah, and Gemillut Hasadim, through the lens of Jewish identity and not in lieu of it.
Nina Price
Mandel Jerusalem Fellow
Posted on March 1, 2010 at 2:51 pm.