Rabbi Allan Smith, director of the UAHC Youth Division since 1983, has worked with
Reform youth for the past 35 years. Last February, at the largest convention
ever of the North American Federation of Temple Youth -- 1,500 delegates, ages
13 to 19 -- he distributed a survey designed by Research Network to learn more
about what these young Reform Jews think about religion, their role models,
and their congregations. Six hundred and eighty-one young people responded.
Rabbi Smith was interviewed by RJ editor Aron Hirt-Manheimer.
What prompted you to conduct a survey among Reform youth at this time?
Five years ago, we began to notice that young people who were involved in many synagogue activities had an incredible thirst and quest for spirituality, worship, and the symbols of our tradition. Their Jewish involvement extended beyond religious action, recreation, and social activities. At the same time, we observed a bifurcating of the youth community. Some were really into their Judaism and others seemed indifferent. Not that they were hostile or angry, just not involved. We wanted to find out if these observed phenomena were supported by research data. This is important in projecting how the Jewish community might look twenty to thirty years from now. For most American Jews, what they learn and do Jewishly in high school carries over into college and is reflected in their adult practice. Look at the practices and music in Reform synagogues today. Much of it comes directly from the youth groups and camp experiences of twenty years ago.
An impressive 97% of all respondents said that "being Jewish is a positive aspect of life." What do you think accounts for such a high percentage?
These days, Jewish kids feel very good about who they are. They are hopeful. Yes, violence is a concern, drugs are a concern, but most feel very positive about their own personal lives. Judaism is a part of this picture of hopefulness. The overwhelming majority don't feel threatened in any way as Jews; they feel accepted by non-Jews.
Yet 88.3% believe that "antisemitism is a problem in America," and more than 52.4% say they've had a personal experience with antisemitism.
The more involved one is in Jewish life, the more intense one's Jewish practice, the more likely one is to find antisemitism and interpret incidents as antisemitic. Most of the incidents reported as anti-Semitic were defined as name-calling. When qualified further, the vast majority of these were found to be the loose use of language rather than a threatening or angry assault. When asked if they felt threatened because of their Judaism, more than 85% reported "no."
Is this level of positive Jewish identity among youth something new?
In the past, this response would have been limited to the 15% who were very active in temple youth programs. But you have to be careful in making any comparisons because most of today's young people, despite feeling good about being Jewish, are not very engaged in Jewish life. More than 75% of our young people have limited experience in Jewish living. They have celebrated a bar/bat mitzvah, attended a Passover seder, observed Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, commemorated Hanukkah in some way -- but that's about it. They do not attend worship services on a regular basis and they are not active members of their temple youth group. Half of them do something with friends or family that might be called observing Christmas, and they do not see interdating or even intermarriage as being in conflict with maintaining a Jewish household.
If you were to write a prescription for developing a strong Jewish identity in young people, what would you recommend?
The most potent ingredient would be a UAHC camp experience. Youth who attend camps are more likely to join temple youth groups and attend Israel programs. They tend to act on their Jewishness, rather than just feel good about it. Of the young people attending the NFTY convention, 71% have attended a Jewish camp; of those, 71% have had a UAHC camp experience. And the evidence shows that being part of the camp community affects later life decisions, such as marrying within the faith and affiliating with a synagogue. In a limited survey of UAHC Camp Harlam alumni, we found that more than 70 couples had met at camp. And in a 1983 study of UAHC Biennial attendees, we found evidence that the UAHC camp experience was the most significant predictor of future Jewish leadership.
What is it about the camp experience that affects young people so profoundly?
The camp environment simulates an ideal Jewish community designed specifically to provide a happy and rewarding experience for the young person in a nonjudgmental, stress-free atmosphere. It is about feeling free to be yourself and feeling good about who you are. It doesn't take much more than that to have a profound impact on defining identity.
How do you respond to those who say that an Israel experience is the best way to instill a strong Jewish identity?
Yes, visiting Israel for a few weeks can be a positive experience, but in and of itself it is of limited value in building a strong Jewish identity. To be effective, an Israel experience has to be perceived by a high school student as a rite of passage, much in the way a bar or bat mitzvah is seen by a thirteen-year-old. And it needs to be part of a comprehensive educational program that includes attending a Jewish camp and participating in a youth group.
Interestingly, 35% of the youth said it is essential to wear a yarmulke at services and 35% deemed it essential to wear a tallit. What does this tell us about the next generation of Reform Jewry?
It's important to keep in mind that wearing ritual garb makes young people feel more spiritual. They have no interest in following halachic practice or in becoming Orthodox. They are simply imitating clergy and adult congregants they see wearing a kippah and tallit at services. Enveloping oneself in a tallit gives one a feeling of being more Jewish in some magical way. But for many, it's more about fashion than faith.
Is magic and mysticism more appealing among Reform youth today than in the past?
We seem to be living in the age of mystery. Twenty-five years ago during Reform worship, when the congregation said "Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh," probably no one rose up on their toes; today, a growing number of Reform Jews, including young people, do so. I'm not opposed to the mystical. Our young people are sincere. Hopefully, it will lead them to learn more. If our young people want to be strictly kosher, let them. There's nothing wrong with encouraging ritual experimentation.
Nothing Jewish is alien to Reform Judaism. My only concern is that they do not get involved with Jewish cults and become alienated from their families. There is a big difference between being taken in by Chabad and experimenting with mysticism in their own communities. We should encourage young people to experiment within our camps and youth groups, and not go outside of the Movement.
On the question of dietary practices, 13% responded that their families observe kashrut and 14% do so outside the home. Is this a major change?
Again, we have to be careful not to read into these results a turning toward Jewish tradition. Of those who say they keep kosher, many are vegetarians who are concerned about safeguarding animals and the environment. They may be more open to traditional kashrut as a result. But if we were to impose dietary rules or standards on these young people, I think most would resist.
In your telephone follow-up to the survey, you compared the responses of NFTY youth to a sample of "national youth"--high school-age students who attend temple religious school but are not NFTY members. How did they differ?
Surprisingly, their backgrounds and attitudes are similar. For example, 97% of NFTY youth said being Jewish is a positive aspect in life, as compared to 80% of national youth. More than 80% of both groups said they would date someone who was not Jewish. What differed was their behavior. Sixty percent of NFTY youth are currently dating other Jews, whereas only 30% of non-NFTY youth are presently dating Jews. The fact that twice as many NFTY youth date other Jews tells us simply what happens when you place young people in a specifically Jewish environment. In the end, it is really about the sense of community that you create for young people that influences what choices they make later in their lives.
More than 80% said they would date someone not Jewish, but they expect to marry a Jew. How do you reconcile these seemingly contradictory responses?
Most youngsters do not see a connection between dating and marriage. Many say they will date a non-Jew but marry only a Jew. If you asked them if their children will be bar or bat mitzvah, they will say "of course." They do not seem to realize that dating a non-Jew increases the chances of intermarriage, so there is a disconnect between what they are doing today and what they imagine their adult lives will be. It is therefore not surprising that more than half of our children marry non-Jews.
Is there anything you and members of your staff can say to persuade young people to marry within the fold?
Appealing to their Jewish communal loyalty doesn't work because young people see marriage as a very personal decision. The best we can do is to anchor the Jewish identity of each individual by making Jewish study and practice an important part of their lives. Young people see no connection between marriage and their own sense of being Jewish. I think it's unrealistic to expect our young people to reject the environment in which they've grown up -- one that places such a high value on inclusiveness and equality.
In what ways, if any, do you anticipate adjusting youth programming in response to the survey results?
We will begin to widen our range of programs to reach out to and satisfy the primarily three different constituencies that we now understand to exist: the actively Jewish, the marginally involved, and the uninvolved. We need to provide very intense Jewish programming for those who seek an academic challenge. We need to provide programming without pressure to "join the club" for those who are marginally involved. Finally, we must pay attention to informal education in the pre-bar/bat mitzvah grades, beginning in grade four.
What do the survey results tell us about the Reform community twenty to thirty years from now?
More important is what the survey says about what will happen if we continue to do what we have been doing instead of instituting significant changes in our programming. We must face up to the fact that intermarriage is a long-term reality. In twenty years, the majority of children whom we will serve in the Reform Movement will have one parent who was not born Jewish. Jewish life in America will continue to become less ethnic and more religious in its orientation. In other words, Judaism will not be about what you eat but how you pray and celebrate. Attachment to Israel will be about a spiritual center, which is what we must provide for our children. We must begin to program Jewish memories at an early age. Our children need formal and informal Jewish education from the very beginning of their lives. As it says in Proverbs 22:6: "Educate a young person about the path to follow. Even in old age the individual will not swerve from it."
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