Weneedtoreassesscontinuitycriteria

AJewish continuity depends on young Jews finding meaning in Jewish traditions and practice.

The results speak for themselves. During the 1990s we ran a significant amount of highly subsidised educational trips targeting young Jews with a high chance of marrying out. A few years ago, MORI was given our database and found that no less than 91 per cent of alumni, more than three years later, were now committed to marrying someone Jewish. Other similar organisations have likewise seen high levels of success.

Fourthly, we in Orthodox-outreach must learn from our own mistakes. Judaism is a tradition rooted in family and learning. All too often we have failed to reach out to parents as well. Where parents feel unable to trust outreach organisations, an unfortunate and detrimental tension can ensue.

Of thousands of people involved in programmes, it only takes a handful to take on too much too quickly for nay-sayers to pounce and bad-names to spread.

But a handful is still too much. In recent years, we have worked hard to build relationships with parents, and to do all we can to ensure that those who choose to increase their Jewish practice levels significantly, do so in a measured, balanced way that is harmonious with their homes and communities. This remains an area which can and must be improved.

Finally, there is the need for a strengthening of partnerships among the various organisations working to ensure a Jewish future. As with all communal organisations, individual and organisational egos can obstruct the obvious: that together we are far stronger than our combined efforts alone.

It is the duty of those fighting for the future of the community to find ways to collaborate and perhaps even to integrate on a deeper level than we have achieved thus far. Such collaboration has begun.

There still exists a broad and, in the main, a passionate consensus of desiring that our children and grandchildren will be Jewish. But what is needed more than ever is to bring the word “continuity” back to the forefront of the communal agenda.

Rabbi Naftali Schiff is executive director of Aish UK