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Young People Find Judaism
Outside of Synagogue Walls
SASHA ROGELBERG | STAFF WRITER
W hile the members of
Congregation Rodeph
Shalom convene early
Saturday morning to study the Torah
portion, Rodeph Shalom Young
Friends, an affi nity group of the syn-
agogue’s 20- and 30-somethings, meet
up at a local bar later in the week to
study the same parsha.

Between sips of beer last week, the
group discussed the more grotesque
details of Parsha Ki Tavo: hemorrhoids
as a curse upon one’s enemy. Perhaps
an outrageous topic for an older gen-
eration to discuss, the young Torah
students shared a laugh and tried to
apply the punishment to today’s world.

According to Young Friends
Co-chair Jill Ivey, this younger gener-
ation of Jews isn’t pushing away their
religion; they’re just looking for other
ways to fi nd meaning. Increasingly,
young Jews forge their own path to
fi nding spiritual meaning.

Th e High Holidays are no exception;
while many young Jews plan to sit in
the sanctuary for services, they are also
looking to engage with Jewish religion
and culture in ways outside of tradi-
tional observance.

On Sept. 20, Young Friends, Tribe
12, a Philadelphia-based nonprofi t for
Jewish 20- and 30-somethings, and
Repair the World met for Pre-Rosh
Hashanah Cocktails with a Conscience:
Get out the vote for 5783. Th e event
combined the personal refl ection asso-
ciated with the High Holidays with
political activism.

For millennials and Generation Z,
combining Judaism with social justice
is appealing.

“We found that a lot of our commu-
nity has, if they’re not so religiously
inclined to Judaism right now, they
very much identify culturally with
Judaism and with the values of Judaism,
specifi cally in the social justice world,”
said Polly Edelstein, Tribe 12 program
director. Jews younger than 40 came of age
in a unique political atmosphere, Ivey
believes, which shaped their Jewish
values. Ivey grew up remembering 9/11,
the war in Afghanistan and the Great
Recession; Gen Z Jews are experienc-
ing a pandemic, infl ation and election
turmoil. “It’s not just that most of us agree —
we’re on the same political spectrum
— it’s that we all have very similar expe-
riences and know what it’s like being a
Jew in this country at this time,” Ivey said.

Edelstein has noticed that in
addition to engaging with politics and
current events, young Jews look to
gather in smaller, more intimate spaces.

Following the isolation of pandemic
restrictions, young Jews want to make
friends. With rusty social skills or
feelings of being overwhelmed while
looking to meet people, smaller activi-
ties with a group with a shared identity
can off er a solution.

“Th e intimacy, I think, is what peo-
ple are looking forward to, which you
can’t always get in a large synagogue
atmosphere,” Edelstein said.

Synagogues may also be expensive
for younger Jews. Some believe the
investment is not worth it for young
Jews who aren't completely spiritually
or politically aligned with the syna-
gogues in their area.

“Most of my friends didn’t have
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