My last three years have been both a Jewish journey and a literal journey, as I have attended three Milwaukee Jewish Federation-related trips in that time.
The mission to Israel in February 2009 changed my relationship to Israel and to volunteering in this community. It allowed me to get to know the dynamic group of veteran volunteers who went with me, and connected me with Israelis who share mutual concerns and passion for community development.
Shortly after that trip, I became a leader for the Young Leadership Division here in Milwaukee, and I traveled to Las Vegas last February for TribeFest, which was a gathering of young Jews from all over North America. That conference truly surprised me with the attendance of 1,300 like-minded folks, dedicated to the future of our community.
Finally, I was given the opportunity in November to go to Denver and attend my first General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America as a prize for receiving the Ann Agulnick Young Leadership Award this past May.
I’d like to share a few of the highlights from the G.A. and some of the ways that the JFNA is working to create and respond to change.
First, it will come as no surprise that a great amount of focus across the country is being placed on the “Next Generation” demographic, loosely defined as the group between the ages of 25 and 45.
The optimal first step to engaging the “Next Gen” community comes, however, well before they hit their mid 20s. It results from developing the early connection of youth to camps, trips to Israel, youth groups, Jewish education and mentoring, and fabulous campus-based outreach organizations such as Hillel.
At the G.A., we explored, through seminars and workshops, creative ways of connecting this group to the community in their 20s to 40s, in order to ensure that they remain engaged and invested in a rapidly changing Jewish and technological world.
In one seminar I attended — led by the Young Leadership Cabinet — we were split into groups and given the opportunity to network with folks of similar ages from across the country to create a mock event, bearing in mind the many different religious and political perspectives around the table that needed to be considered.
It was a great exercise in respecting diversity, while finding common ground. We were, thankfully, in the end, able to come up with an event that everybody supported, and that event, which hopefully you’ll see next year, is “Latkepalooza” — a spin on the famous rock music festival.
Another session exemplified the use of modern culture to keep the younger population connected to each other and to Jewish life and values. It was called “In The Shark Tank,” named after the popular TV show.
The format of the seminar in and of itself was a great way to present the ideas to the modern generation of young adults present. As on the show, different communities were given the opportunity to pitch their best venture philanthropy ideas in three minutes or less to a panel of “sharks,” or judges, who grilled them with tough questions.
The audience voted by text message for their favorite idea which will be promoted on the JFNA website and literature. The winner was Detroit’s “Community Next” project, which seeks to connect young community members in Metro Detroit, rather than in the suburbs.
Other seminars addressed the reimagining that many community federations around the country, including Milwaukee, are embarking upon.
Although the consensus is that this type of transition is not easy or quick, it seems that we are on the right track in confronting some of the important issues head on, rather than just reacting to them.
This became apparent to me during a fascinating seminar wherein the presenters told success stories about implementing corporate change — though outside of the Jewish communal world.
For example, in 2006, the failing Henry Ford Health System in Detroit hired a high level executive from the Ritz Carlton to manage its system. The hospital group sought a new vision for themselves that it seemed only an outsider, with a completely different perspective would bring to bear.
The result? A hospital system with catering so good that the general public would routinely order it; hospital stay check-ins from the comfort of your own home in advance of your arrival; better noise insulation throughout the hospital for a more peaceful stay; and flat screen TVs for all.
Not every hospital can achieve the standards of a top hotel. But the lesson from this, which our consultants iterated this past summer, is that dreaming, and dreaming big, is not always as far-fetched as it might initially seem; and that the approach to change is sometimes as important as change itself. In many cases, the result will not only seem logical, but obvious in retrospect.
Some of the best parts of the conference were the times spent in hallways between meetings, and at dinners when all of the Milwaukee participants could share their thoughts on what they had heard at the different sessions.
We were fortunate to have a large contingent from Milwaukee, which included Jody Kaufman Loewenstein, Jerry Benjamin, Bruce Arbit, Idy Goodman, Susan Angel Miller, Sue Strait, Nancy Barnett, Sheryl Primakow, Caren Goldberg, and Laura Barnard (and a graduate Sammi Stein who lives in Milwaukee and who recently received her master’s degree from Brandeis University). It was great getting to know everyone just a little better and even having a debriefing session at Sue Strait’s after we returned.
In conclusion, four of the most critical factors that I gleaned as essential for a viable Jewish federation of the future include:
• Engage them with a greater emphasis on results-oriented initiatives — such as “Days of Service,” food drives, and other hands-on approaches to volunteering which allow communities to reach out to, and include, everyone, as well as obtain short term and long term gains. In this weak economy, social events are of little or no value unless they have strong, relevant, and immediately measurable philanthropic goals.
• “Inclusivity” is the new buzzword. Federations across the country are realizing that, while investing in philanthropic and financial capital is important, developing and giving greater value to human capital, in addition to connecting Jewish values to everything that the federation does, will reap the more relevant, and, longer term results. This is especially true when it comes to the engagement of the younger generation.
• We need to make “change” a primary and transparent goal in and of itself for the way in which federations currently do business. If we don’t re-vamp the system in a way that keeps volunteers and donors happy, we are destined to fade away in relevancy for the next generation completely.
Unfortunately, one size does not fit all when it comes to Jewish life. So, we have a huge task before us. While a focus on social media, days of service, and social, educational, and political gatherings are all still great tools for engagement, they must be done in age- and stage-appropriate ways, that respect the diversity of our community.
Maybe our organization should consider hiring an indie-label record company executive, or the owner of a brewery to take the reins?
I am so appreciative of being able to go to my first G.A. I met amazing individuals, had my eyes opened to the community, and learned that we are truly connected throughout the United States and the world.
It seems to me that bringing young adults to these conferences in and of itself is a great way of getting the people who are going to be the future, involved and present.
There’s nothing more inspiring than hanging out with 3,000 other Jews passionate about their communities and working to change the world.
Rebecca Guralnick is a chef, is owner of Cooking from the Heart, and is co-chair of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s Young Leadership Division.
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