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IV. Jewish Celebrations in Public
Spaces
 An
inaccurate cliché of Jewish life is that it is experienced
only in synagogues and community centers; in fact, Judaism
can be enjoyed and explored everywhere, even the local
department store! Since unaffiliated Jews (like everyone
else) spend time doing routine chores like shopping, why
not reach them where they are? Public outreach events
are effective, because they succeed in locating the unaffiliated
and galvanizing otherwise alienated Jews and their families
into excitement about Jewish living, by providing fun,
food, and learning. Although these programs are developed
under the auspices of established Jewish communal organizations,
they operate in public spaces rather than in traditional
institutions.
An excellent example of public sector outreach is the
SAJES program in Suffolk County, NY, called Celebrations.
A bold initiative to bring Jewish celebrations to commercial
establishments, the program has hosted holiday events
at such unlikely venues as Home Depot and Bloomingdales.
By presenting the celebratory sides to Judaism in places
people would least expect it, Celebrations concentrates
on the stage in the outreach cycle that focuses on reaching
out and making contact with the unaffiliated.
In Seattle, the Community Outreach Project has
become the central organizing force for public-space outreach.
In addition to an infoline and a "Get Connected" website,
the Community Outreach Project held a massive extravaganza,
the Seattle Jewish Festival, at Seattle Center. Through
its public initiatives, the Community Outreach Project
locates and welcomes individuals and families, connecting
them to the larger Jewish community.
The J-LINC/Gesher City program in Baltimore focuses
on outreach to young, unaffiliated Jews, especially among
non-native Baltimoreans. Its first event was a Hanukkah
party in an upscale pool hall in December 1999. A crucial
component to J-LINC is its membership package, which provides
access to the JCC, membership in a synagogue of the participant's
choice, and Jewish museum activities, all for a single
reduced price. In this way, the J-LINC program lives up
to its name as a bridge into the wider Jewish community.
 In
Philadelphia, a program that originated as a congregationbased
initiative has reoriented itself to the public sphere.
The Follow-Up Partnership, which started out trying
to increase attendance at Friday night services, did not
reach the unaffiliated youth it had sought out. It then
began to hold events outside the synagogue, in venues
ranging from supermarkets to bookstores, in order to reach
unaffiliated Jews in more secular settings. Then program
organizers followed up personally with each program attendee,
helping them make the transition to the community.
A program that reaches out to Jews and interfaith couples
during pregnancy and childbirth is Lamazel Tov!
in New Orleans. Seizing on the opportunity to assist people
during a major life-cycle event while educating them about
raising a Jewish child, Lamazel Tov! provides an invaluable
service to couples who might otherwise have no access
to Jewish education. It also creates and nurtures relationships
among young parents, building bonds that can potentially
last a lifetime.
Celebrations
Suffolk County, NY
Sponsoring Agency: SAJES - Suffolk Association for Jewish
Educational Services
 Imagine
an atmosphere where families and individuals can learn
how to begin or enhance celebrations of the Jewish holidays
in a fun and meaningful way! Celebrations offers Jewish
programming where one would least expect to find it.
Events are held at locations such as malls, shopping
centers and department, hardware and craft stores. These
programs provide welcoming and non-threatening venues
in which to engage all members of the Jewish community,
particularly the interfaith and unaffiliated. Celebrations
events encourage participants to make connections with
other families and Jewish institutions in the community.
Events include Sukkah Building at The Home Depot; "Tu
B'Shvat: Can You Dig It?" at Frank's Nursery; Purim
Mask Making at Michael's Arts and Crafts; Hanukkah Mall
Madness; and many more. A brochure, start-up guide and
video are available so that any community can replicate
the Celebrations programs.
 "I
come to Celebrations events because I am a grandmother
raising my bi-racial grandchild. I can't afford to join
a synagogue but I am Jewish and I want her to know about
her heritage. Hannukah Mall Madness was run beautifully.
We loved the singing. Our family is very small and being
with the community is like having extended family.
Because my granddaughter has had these enriching experiences
with other Jewish children she now wants a Hebrew name,
to go to Hebrew School and have a Bat Mitzvah. Thank
you for doing these wonderful programs."
--Joyce H.
Community
Outreach Project
Seattle, WA
Sponsoring Agency: Jewish
Federation of Greater Seattle
The Community Outreach Project (COP) strives to assist
intermarried and unaffiliated Jews and their families
in finding a comfortable place in the Seattle-area
Jewish community.
Originating as a taskforce investigating barriers to
affiliation in 1998, the COP has touched the lives of
hundreds of Jews previously unfamiliar with the organized
Jewish community and has become an integral part of
the future planning of the Jewish Federation. The COP
plans and staffs a broad  variety
of community events in order to reach out to the needs
of a very diverse population and has created an outreach
database to keep participants continuously informed
about upcoming activities. The development and staffing
of a "Get Connected" infoline and website have greatly
increased access to resource and referral information.
The Community Outreach Project recently hosted the largest
Jewish event to take place in the history of the Seattle
community. On April 1, 2001, over 25,000 participants
celebrated "all things Jewish" at the Seattle Jewish
Festival at Seattle Center. This community-wide affair
included delicious Jewish food, entertainment, education,
and the opportunity to learn about and connect with
45 Jewish communal organizations that chose to host
booths.
 "My
son, his non-Jewish but wonderful wife, and my almost
3-year-old granddaughter live in Bellevue (a suburb
of Seattle). They took their daughter to your Purim
celebration, and, believe it or not, they are even considering
sending her to the JCC preschool. To think they did
not even know the whereabouts of the JCC. I am keeping
my fingers crossed!"
-- Arizona grandmother
 "Besides
many things that totally blew my mind and sent a warm
rush of 'so glad to be Jewish' through me….I saw two
women at the festival who I know from very different
parts of my life…they are Jewish but do nothing in their
lives that is 'Jewish"…they are my age (40 something),
wonderful people….they were each there alone, without
family or friends so that said to me that they must
have come to search for and connect with something
Jewish inside of them."
-- Seattle Jewish Festival participant
J-LINC/GesherCity
Baltimore, MD
Sponsoring Agency: The Associated
J-LINC/GesherCity provides
opportunities for Jewish young adults to make meaningful
connections, or bridges (gesher means bridge), to the
Baltimore Jewish community. Through the community membership
package, young adults can become full members of the
organized Jewish community for one low price. Makor-Baltimore
allows young adults to meet in small, informal, pot-luck
style Friday night dinners that provides an opportunity
for in-depth discussion on today's hot Jewish topics.
The J-LINC/GesherCity web site is a comprehensive resource
for young adult events and information relevant to their
lives. In addition, it provides opportunities to become
involved in clusters, or special interest groups, that
help make each and every participant feel that their
unique interests are of value to the Jewish community.
"I was apprehensive at first and thought that I am
too unique an individual for a program like J-LINC.
I wondered, 'How are my needs going to be met?' Still,
I decided to set an appointment. Not only was I erroneous
in my understanding of the program, but also I was
overwhelmed with the warmth, sensitivity, professionalism,
and openness of the coordinator who met me at a
local coffee shop. She expressed a complete willingness
to work with me to find the resources I was seeking
in Baltimore and offered to collaborate with me to build
additional connections to facilitate a more welcoming
and diverse Jewish community. She has continued with
that commitment, even through some adverse terrain.
I have supported this program when discussing it with
unaffiliated Jewish young adults so that others may
gain from the program as I did. This program has succeeded
to unite the Jewish population across its various segments
better than any other. The evidence is quite clear when
there are 13 participating congregations, who range
from unaffiliated to Reconstructionist to Orthodox,
all participating for one common calling-to link Jewish
young adults to their roots." --
Sharon G.
Follow-Up
Partnership
Philadelphia, PA
Sponsoring Agency: Jewish
Federation of Greater Philadelphia
This outreach/follow-up program is an innovative program
designed to link unaffiliated Jews with area synagogues,
Jewish programs and Jewish opportunities. The outreach
programs, which are "high visibility, low threshold,"
are conducted in non-synagogue based venues, such as supermarkets,
home maintenance stores and book chain stores, in the
hopes of attracting people who may otherwise be intimidated
by a traditional synagogue setting. Names and telephone
numbers of program attendees are collected and follow-up
interviews are conducted to help identify and satisfy
the needs of the unaffiliated or those seeking change.
It is our goal to make a meaningful referral and connect
the individual with a person, as well as an appropriate
venue, thereby strengthening and enhancing the greater
Jewish Community.
 "The
Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia has extended
the ultimate 'welcome mat.' The outreach events, promoted
by Federation have helped raise the profile, and enhance
the image, of the Greater Philadelphia Jewish Community.
As many of the events are held in public forums visited
virtually every day, such as book stores, supermarkets,
home maintenance stores, participants do not actually
have to enter a synagogue to participate in the event.
The activities, therefore, tend to draw a larger crowd
and a wider range of people. It is much easier for the
unaffiliated (or non-practicing) Jewish person or family
to initially identify with being Jewish, if they can take
part in something Jewish outside of the synagogue walls.
Once they become more comfortable, it is easier to make
the transition to be part of a synagogue program or community.
These types of events tend to bring everyone together
and they have a good mix of activities. I found it
extremely warm and open to everyone, including the
children.
"It would benefit us all if the community looks to develop
new opportunities to attract new people. This can be done
if they continue to offer creative programs in non-threatening
locations. The members of the community are exposed to
a variety of events, which they might otherwise never
have had the opportunity (or the desire) to experience
on their own. Once people attend and take part in these
innovative Jewish oriented events, they are encouraged
to seek out yet a second and third opportunity, thereby
becoming more actively involved in the greater Jewish
community." -- Laurie
K.
Lamazel
Tov! 
Metairie, LA
Sponsoring Agency: Jewish
Family Service of Greater New Orleans/the JCC
This six week program, held at the JCC and taught by a
certified Lamaze instructor, is open to couples where
one or both partners are Jewish. The first hour of the
program offers Lamaze instruction. The second hour of
each session is led by a Jewish educator or rabbi to teach
about raising a Jewish child, Jewish birth rituals and
traditions, having a Jewish home, celebrating Jewish holidays
and more.
"This program was excellent. Since moving to New Orleans,
this has been my only 'organized' opportunity to meet
each rabbi on a personal basis. That was nice. Also, meeting
the other Jewish couples was very exciting. With respect
to Lamaze, I was otherwise clueless about the childbirth
experience and BECAUSE OF THIS CLASS, I now have expectations
and am much more confident about the process. I thought
the class was very helpful and has inspired me to become
more involved in Jewish life. I would definitely recommend
it to a friend."
-- Alan W.
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