Since the 1980s, Jewish leadership has awakened to the challenge of helping ensure a strong future for Jewish life in America and around the world. As Jews became more assimilated into American life, and as being and living a Jewish life became more of a choice than a reality of persecution and labeling by others, providing the tools of knowledge and engagement rose to the forefront of our agenda.

Our strong commitment to Jewish Day School education, Israel experiences (most notably through Birthright), and Jewish overnight summer camp has helped many young adults connect to their Judaism. And there are many other examples of leadership and Federation commitment, including funding and supporting Hillel on Campus, other campus opportunities, youth groups, social justice organizations, Moishe House, and a myriad of young adult leadership development programs. All of these initiatives are successful at helping those who participate enhance their Jewish identity and choose to lead a Jewish life, and for making that a priority for their future families.

Yet why do we feel as though success is still out of reach?  Why do so many studies suggest that the trend line is still not positive, and that much, much more needs to be done?

The answer to these existential issues are of course, complex, varied, and open to debate, and ultimately, subject to the definition of success.

Times are changing. There was once a goal for Jews to be accepted in their community and general society. Given that this goal has generally been achieved in North America, is the quest to maintain our unique identity as a people worth fighting for? 

As Jews, we have always been committed to making our contribution to benefit the greater world around us. Has our ability to better participate in this universal commitment overshadowed our need to focus on the needs of the Jewish people and Jewish community first?

As technology and current social trends allow us to customize so much of what we do and how we live to allow the world to revolve around our individual needs and identity, has the concept of collective responsibility to the Jewish people, an historic cornerstone of our beliefs, become irrelevant?

And finally, what does success look like when we create and fund numerous opportunities to assure a strong Jewish future?  How will we know when we have been successful?

As a community of leaders, we must create many new doorways to allow young adults, and all of us, to find our entry to Jewish life and commitment to strengthen our Jewish future. For some, that doorway will have a strong religious/synagogue connection. For others, it will be reflected culturally and through learning and hands-on opportunities. Numerous technology platforms and social networks can provide connection for others. For many, a connection to Israel will provide the needed entry.

No matter what doorway people enter, the question that we still must answer is: where are they going once they come through the door?

For me, the answer includes a continued commitment to help others who also want to ensure a strong Jewish future and an awareness and willingness to accept responsibility for not only a universal world, but also, and willingly, for fellow Jews, wherever they may be. Being Jewish without being connected to the Jewish people is an outcome that puts the future at risk.

Atlanta was fortunate to be one of ten pilot communities asked by a major Jewish Philanthropic Foundation to present a scalable, big idea initiative to address the challenges of keeping teens involved in Jewish life. The statistics of post bar/bat mitzvah “drop out” nationally are alarming: if we are to assure a strong Jewish future, we must commit locally and nationally to identifying and addressing this challenge. Since June, an impressive group of Atlanta lay leadership has been working with an experienced national consulting group to better understand the current landscape of the Atlanta Jewish “teen space” to ultimately craft that “big idea initiative” designed to engage this age cohort in Jewish life.

As we work to develop our big initiative for Atlanta’s teens, I hope that providing the tools of knowledge and connection will be the outcome that ensures our efforts will be successful.