The author, David Brown, at ROI this summer. Photo provided by ROI.
This June, I joined 150 innovators from across the Jewish world at the ROI conference, a “global community of Jewish innovators.” The people and projects I encountered inspired me. Many individuals present had turned their ideas into reality with little or no backing from communal institutions. As someone whose innovative work has been supported by the communal establishment, I was humbled by the people I met—real pioneers pushing boundaries, many aiming to offer a more diverse, inclusive, and engaging spectrum of Jewish expression. Nevertheless, the conference raised questions for me about what “Jewish innovation” is, how the Jewish innovation sector can grow, and how it works in relation to the organized Jewish community.
To assess these issues, I developed an informal survey on SurveyMonkey.com. I sent it to approximately 70 individuals over the course of two weeks; 31 completed it in full. The sample included professionals who self-define as innovators, have participated in ‘innovation gatherings’, or whom I define as innovators—people who work using new ideas and approaches to engage people in topics relating to Judaism and Jewish culture. They ranged in age, with a little over one third between 25 and 30; the majority from the US or England; there was also global representation from South Africa, Israel, Mexico, Central and Eastern Europe, and Australia.
The survey provided interesting responses regarding how we should consider the interconnectedness between the establishment and the innovation scenes, and how we might address alternative expressions of Judaism. The interpretations of what is “Jewish” in Jewish innovation varied tremendously. Some respondents expressed a clear Jewish idea of innovation.
“Jewish innovation treats the entirety of Jewish text, history, and practice as a set of tools which can be leveraged and utilised…We are made better with the infusion of Jewish values and ritual, while Judaism is made better through the good will and creative energy that we bring to it,” responded Benji Holzman, Tzedek’s Overseas Program Coordinator in Ghana.
Nevertheless, others suggested there is possibly nothing intrinsically Jewish about Jewish innovation other than context: “Innovation is doing something that has not been done before. Jewish innovation is doing something that has never been done before in the Jewish community,” said Vincent Knowles, founder of Shabbat B’Sadeh, London.
The lack of consensus about what defines “Jewish” innovation was also evident in the variety of responses about the Jewish content of Jewish innovation: 80% agreed it is “defined by those doing the innovating.” 74% agreed that Jewish innovation “should still include three or more of the following: connection to Torah/a covenant with a higher being/values, Israel, Jewish history, family life, or Hebrew language and culture” (based on Avraham Infeld’s five-legged table).
There is a link between how Jewish innovators handle Jewish values and culture and how they relate to mainstream communal institutions. I observed that there is a recognition that the authority for what defines content as Jewish is shifting to a more pluralistic approach with increased individual autonomy. At the same time, those polled—many who have had Jewish educational experiences—still feel there are some central building blocks that can provide the foundation for any type of Jewish innovation. The establishment often supports projects that are in line with its particular political and religious viewpoints. This might explain why respondents were split with 35.5% each agreeing and disagreeing with the statement: “The Jewish establishment in my community welcomes innovation, supports it with guidance and resources, and acknowledges the autonomy and flexibility of innovation and innovators.”
There were positive examples where the establishment provided support and encouragement for innovation: “Federation has been incredibly helpful to us in providing connections, ideas, and speaking opportunities… We are lucky to have wonderful working relationships with several large Jewish agencies,” said Rachel Ishofsky, Associate Executive Director for Jewish Heart for Africa, US.
However, there were far more examples of obstacles for innovators. “The establishment was more than just counterproductive. Since they had a different opinion, they actively worked against the project,” responded Ilja Sichrovsky, founder, Muslim-Jewish Conference, Austria. “The Jewish establishment was initially very hostile toward my ideas regarding innovative ways to approach Israeli education…The majority of Jewish organizations and leaders remain resistant to changing traditional educational models,” said Yoav Schaefer, Executive Director, Avi Schaefer Fund, US.
Joshua Avedon, cofounder of Jumpstart in California, warns about how we position innovation in relation to the establishment: “To even acknowledge there is such a thing as ‘a’ community establishment is to play into the factory of false dichotomies rampant in the Jewish world…There is a communal and institutional inertia that must be overcome for Jewish life to fully flower in the 21st century.”
Similarly, David Wolkin, Executive Director of Limmud in New York, adds caution to how innovation may be embraced by the establishment: “It seems to be the case, at least in the US, that ‘innovation’ is the latest establishment buzzword that is being repeated into meaninglessness.” By highlighting these issues, Avedon and Wolkin emphasize that clarity of understanding and sincerity of approach are needed for the genuine improvement offered by Jewish innovation and the place this has within communal leadership relations.
If ROI is to have a far and wide impact, Jewish innovation must engage with a critical mass and access the mainstream. If the “Jewish” in these innovations is to guide people in new, yet still value-driven ways, we must ask ourselves: What place do our texts, traditions, culture, and communal institutions have? How do we create in a way that connects with what has already been created?
The current incarnation of Jewish innovation may not transform Jewish life in a way that impacts the Jewish people in the way Rabbi Yochanan did (see sidebar). However, if the right frameworks are established between Jewish innovators, Jewish innovation, and existing communal structures, we may create enough dynamic and diverse platforms of Jewish affiliation so that there are more values and endeavors that unite us than where we disagree.
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