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News from Rose Community Foundation
July 18, 2008
News Media Contact: Phil Nash 303.398.7444
“Do it Yourself” Judaism: Young Adults Invent New Expressions of Religion and Culture
Denver, CO - Intermarriage and a lack of participation in institutional Jewish life among young Jewish adults are trends revealed in a new study. How to engage Jews in their 20s and 30s is a burning question for Jewish organizations and synagogues across the country. Rose Community Foundation in Denver, Colorado released a report this week that addresses these trends and proposes solutions. Titled Legwork, Framework, Artwork: Engaging the Next Generation of Jews, the research is based on interviews with 250 Denver/Boulder Jews in their 20s and 30s, a demographic that the report identifies as “NextGens.”
Some of the key discoveries about NextGen Jews are that they share many similar characteristics:
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strong positive, Jewish identities
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powerful connections to family
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high percentages of interfaith marriages
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diverse social networks
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a sense of alienation from and dissatisfaction with Jewish organizations
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the commitment to creating their own Jewish experiences
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broad social awareness
Because the individuals in this demographic are exploring their Judaism in a “do it yourself” fashion with friends in more intimate social settings, many are not formally connecting with existing Jewish institutions. The report will be used to help those organizations better understand how to attract and welcome NextGens.
“This report is groundbreaking because it suggests broad social and cultural changes are taking place within the Jewish community. We found that Jews in their 20s and 30s have strong Jewish identities and are creating meaningful and interesting Jewish activities for themselves. We believe institutions can learn how to harness this interest and vitality but they need help understanding how to do so,” said Sheila Bugdanowitz, president and CEO of Rose Community Foundation. “When people think of this shift from institutional affiliation to personal, diverse Jewish engagement as a problem, that becomes the problem. The report suggests that we should be starting new conversations and involving Jews in their 20s and 30s in new ways.”
The Foundation will be hosting events to share the results of the report and connect some of the study’s participants with metro-area organizations to start the conversation. “This is an opportunity and challenge to unleash the interest and leadership of younger Jews and to help institutions work with them in partnership to sustain a vibrant Jewish community,” said Bugdanowitz.
Legwork, Framework, Artwork: Engaging the Next Generation of Jews was written by Ari Y. Kelman and Eliana Schonberg based on research conducted by Shawna Friedman, manager of Rose Community Foundation’s NextGen Initiative, and Kelman. The report is available on the Rose Community Foundation website at www.rcfdenver.org/reports/EngagingNextGen.pdf or by calling 303.398.7416. It will also be distributed nationally through the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, New York.
Rose Community Foundation supports efforts to improve the quality of life throughout the Greater Denver community through its endowed grantmaking programs, and by advising and assisting donors who wish to make thoughtful charitable investments to better the community. The Foundation concentrates its resources in five key program areas: Aging, Child and Family Development, Education, Health and Jewish Life. The Foundation has granted more than $135 million since it was founded in 1995. For more information, visit rcfdenver.org.