Just Jewish - by Rabbi Dan Horwitz (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Why aren't Millennials donating to or serving on the boards of Jewish organizations the way their parents and grandparents did?"

"Why aren't Millennials joining synagogues?"

"Why aren't my Millennial children doing Jewish the way I did Jewish?"

"Are there any books that focus on Jewish Millennial engagement and education post-college, sharing strategies and best practices from the field?"

For a religion that is hyper-focused on "l'dor v'dor" - transmitting the Jewish tradition "from generation to generation" - the notion that Millennials just aren't interested in carrying on Jewish practices or embracing the Jewish commitments of those who came before them poses quite a challenge, both on interpersonal and organizational sustainability levels. As a result, it seems much of the Jewish organizational world is concerned with how to engage Millennials in their offerings. But, if the data collected from reliable sources such as The Pew Research Center are any indication, there is much more work to do.

Enter "The Well," founded in the summer of 2015 in Metro Detroit to embrace this specific call to action, and which has been doing on-the-ground research and development for Jewish Millennial engagement and education since. Repeatedly recognized as one of the 50 most innovative Jewish organizations in North America and included in the Slingshot Fund's inaugural "10 to Watch" list in 2020, with funding from both local and national donors, a number of models created by The Well have been embraced by organizations nationally. From custom Jewish-holiday-themed escape rooms that were designed, piloted, and licensed out to other communities around the country, to a blitz fundraising model that has since worked for campus Hillels and JCCs, to a remixed approach to Jewish text study that was a semifinalist for the inaugural Lippman Kanfer Prize in Applied Jewish Wisdom and which received national philanthropic support to pilot in additional cities, The Well - never with an annual budget of more than $500,000 or more than 4 full-time staff - has helped to transform the Millennial engagement and education landscape in Metro Detroit and beyond.

Just Jewish: How to Engage Millenials and Build a Vibrant Jewish Future shares proven techniques and models ready to be adopted by the Jewish world's myriad organizations, touching on everything from branding, to fundraising, to programmatic approaches, to relationship development, and more, extrapolating lessons from The Well so they can be applied to the Jewish community writ large. As more seasoned generations start to take steps back from Jewish communal leadership, the time to meaningfully engage Millennials to ensure future leadership pipelines (both professional and volunteer) and Jewish vibrancy is NOW, and this book exists to help make it happen!

Review Quotes

"Anyone who cares about making Judaism attractive and compelling to Next Gen Jews needs to read this book."

Rabbi Sid Schwarz, Director, Clergy Leadership Incubator (CLI); Author, Jewish Megatrends: Charting the Course of the American Jewish Future

"When I visited The Well, I was envious. Why wasn't my post-college life like that? And The Well felt enticingly hip and innovative compared with any bricks-and-mortar pulpit. Now some of The Well's Torah is available for all of us. Don't 'program for;' build with. Don't hawk 'membership;' weave relationship. Build a 'B-Brand, ' nourish pluralism, and don't fear change. I emerged from this book ready to roll up my sleeves and build my own rabbinate better than before.

Rabbi Rachel Barenblatt, aka "The Velveteen Rabbi." Author, Texts to the Holy

"I devoured Just Jewish in a single sitting-but I underlined, scribbled comments, and made notes in the margins because I knew I'd return to this book often, using it as a resource for years to come. Daniel Horwitz's real-life, real-time, on-the-ground experiences coupled with his wisdom, humor, and contemporary references create the ideal road map for how to ensure today's young adult seekers become tomorrow's grown-up torch-bearers for Jewish life."

Zack Bodner, CEO, Oshman Family JCC Palo Alto, Author, Why Do Jewish?

"As the ground shifts beneath the feet of Jewish institutions, this book provides a road map for how to navigate these seismic changes in our community and in our world. Rabbi Horwitz demonstrates a deep knowledge and understanding of what makes Millennials tick, and how to meet them where they are. He brings the reader into conversation with the most current research available while being honest about the challenges inherent in this work. This is an essential handbook for any religious communal professional from any faith background."

Rabba Rachel Kohl Finegold, Moriah Congregation, Deerfield, IL

"To anyone who has sought to understand the black box of engaging Millenials, Just Jewish is a must read! This book will shape the conversation as to how we think about the Jewish future."

Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove, Park Avenue Synagogue, NY; Editor: Jewish Theology in Our Time: A New Generation Explores the Foundations and Future of Jewish Belief

"An essential book for those of us who care about the future of Jewish life."

Rabbi Peter Rubenstein, Emeritus Director, Bronfman Center for Jewish Life at 92Y; Rabbi Emeritus, Central Synagogue

"Just Jewish should be considered required reading for anyone serious about the existential question of how to assure that American Jews remain connected to their identities."

Daniel Elbaum, President & CEO of JAID; Head of North America - The Jewish Agency for Israel

"Well-researched, highly accessible, and packed with valuable insights, compelling readers to consider their assumptions and open up important conversations about how to navigate the changing Jewish landscape. For leaders who want to build communities of belonging that help young people feel excited and proud to be Jewish, this book is required reading!"

Kohenet Keshira HaLev Fife, founder of Kesher Pittsburgh and former Executive Director of Kohenet Hebrew Priestess Institute

"A worthy addition to the new Jewish bookshelf that is catalyzing new thinking and practices for the Jewish future we're just beginning to build."

Rabbi Rick Jacobs, President, Union for Reform Judaism