Fast thinking as US plans Yom Kippur youth debates

UNITED SYNAGOGUE congregations will engage in the Yom Kippur Debate, an initiative of Tribe, the US’s youth arm.

Its purpose is to stimulate the minds of the teens and students who attend US shuls over the fast through discussions of contemporary issues within a Jewish setting.

One debating topic is whether a young person brainwashed by a terrorist group is responsible for his or her actions. Another is whether killing one person is acceptable should it save the lives of many others.

Also up for debate is the motion that structured prayer is out of date.

Eli Levin, Tribe rabbi and associate minister of South Hampstead Synagogue, said that as the festivals brought more young people into shuls, “the United Synagogue wants to capitalise by providing creative and meaningful programming.

“We need young people to feel they are an essential part of our communities, that we value their opinion and want to give them a voice.”

The programme, conceived and developed by South Hampstead Synagogue, allows shuls to adapt the materials to suit local needs.

Some will run a debate during Musaf for young people. Others will utilise the break between Musaf and Minchah to give the entire community a window into the thinking of their youth.