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jack wertheimer Conclusion T he chapters in this volume have introduced readers to a broad range of leaders and programs for the population of Jews between ages twenty-two and forty. Through the accumulation of rich and revealing quotations, we hear firsthand from these leaders how they think about Jewish questions and relate to Jewish collective enterprises. Quantitative data further flesh out the picture by granting readers access to the responses of nearly five thousand individuals to survey instruments. Through textured analyses, the contributors to this study, then, strive to make sense of an evolving story. But what, at heart, is that story? First and foremost, it is about a new generation of Jews who are choosing to invest of themselves as leaders of programs benefiting the Jewish people, in general, and specifically their Jewish peers. Contrary to oft-expressed worries about a dearth of interest among younger people in Jewish life, this study has identified, interviewed, and surveyed thousands of Jews in their twenties and thirties with strong Jewish commitments. In the process, it has uncovered important areas of continuity and discontinuity. To begin with the former, these young leaders have not arisen in a vacuum : many, though not all, were groomed, rather than having bloomed. In highly disproportionate numbers, they have been exposed to various forms of Jewish education. Large majorities have attended Jewish summer camps, spent significant time studying or volunteering in Israel, and been active in Jewish campus life. The percentage who attended Jewish day schools is far greater than the norm for non-Orthodox Jews. A significant number, moreover , have participated in leadership training programs run by foundations, long-established organizations, or start-up ventures such as the PresenTense institutes. All this confirms the correctness of a remark by Nina Bruder, director of the federation-sponsored Bikkurim program, an incubator of new Conclusion 323 ideas and initiatives, who observes,“The outsiders are really insiders.” Most of the young leaders studied in this project are products of the American Jewish community, even if they have put their own spin on some of the core values they imbibed. They continue to engage in the same conversation, but are not necessarily replicating the institutional structures in which that conversation initially took place or arriving at the same conclusions as their elders. The discontinuities are most apparent in the views expressed by leaders in the nonestablishment sector. Some important actors in this arena are receptive to criticism of Israeli policies and some take quite radical stances on the matter. More broadly, nonestablishment leaders tend to favor social justice causes with a universal mission over narrower Jewish ones. Nonestablishment leaders also exhibit less interest than their establishment peers in “protective” issues such as the defense against antisemitism, resisting intermarriage , and supporting social service programs to alleviate the distress of needy Jewish populations. Nonetheless, nonestablishment leaders continue to care about the Jewish people, identify strongly with its culture and history , and express pride in being Jewish. Thus, a fair reading of the mood of nonestablishment leaders must note the important areas of continuity, as well as the discontinuities. Nonestablishment leaders are also in conversation with Jewish peers who relate positively to establishment organizations and support their causes. Our study provides ample evidence of continuing dialogue among young Jewish leaders connected to all kinds of organizations. Establishment and nonestablishment leaders, and also their followers, move easily from one setting to the other and share experiences. The outlook of these leaders, too, is fluid rather than fixed. A second lens through which this work may be read is community. At its most basic level, this study highlights the creation of a network of new programs and initiatives by younger Jewish leaders. These efforts sometimes are at odds with establishment counterparts but often complement them. It is not so much that a countercommunity is forming, although that is true in a few places, but that a far more diverse community has emerged. Efforts at addressing diversity and creating niche marketing are reaching Jews who in the past had felt disenfranchised. The interaction of these various initiatives with the existing organizations, the preferences of young Jews for one type of collective program as opposed to others, and new platforms for social communication are altering the very nature of community on the American Jewish scene. These developments, in turn, may be read through yet a third lens, the historical. What is it about the current moment that sets it apart from earlier [3.12.162.179...

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