Big Tent Judaism

Forty Years of Inclusion at Camp Ramah

For the last 40 years, the Tikvah program at Camp Ramah has been leading the way in welcoming developmentally disabled youth into the Jewish community. What started at their camp in New England has become “active throughout Rama’s national network of overnight camps,” said an article on eJewishPhilanthropy.com. They spoke to Betty Ross Swampscott, whose daughter, Ilyse, has Down’s syndrome and attended Camp Ramah. Swampscott said the message of Tikvah was simple, and it’s something we strive for with our Big Tent Judaism Coalition: “It is one community, and every person counts.”

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Fighting for Equality among the Worldwide Jewish Community

There is a new bill currently making its way through the Israeli Knesset that would, in the eyes of many, define as inferior anyone who has chosen a path to Judaism other than what is accepted by Israel’s Chief Rabbinate. The bill has language stating that a conversion will be recognized by the state only if the convert “accepted the Torah and the commandments in accordance with halacha (Jewish law).” Not only would this exclude converts in the Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist movements, it would also overturn a 2002 High Court of Justice ruling that Israel must recognize converts of any denomination, performed in any country.

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Appreciating the Connections we Share

Larry Jay Tish has learned a lot about Jewish identity since co-creating and co-starring in the multimedia comedy “The Black Jew Dialogues.” Though the show is a look at America through the “African-American and Jewish-American experience,” Tish explains in a Jewish Advocate op-ed how the show has helped him gain a deeper understanding of the often-asked question “Who is a Jew.” As he has travelled the country meeting Jews from all types of backgrounds – both ethnically and culturally speaking – he has come to recognize the beauty of our diversity, the strength it provides, and, despite differences in observance or belief, our “deep kinship to one another.”

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The Decision to Choose a New Religion

It’s not unusual for people to question their faith or their religious identity throughout their lives. Often times taking a skeptical look within can help strengthen your convictions. For those who have chosen a new religion, the question of faith can become much more formidable – especially if the decision to convert was for external reasons. For instance, what happens if you convert for a spouse and then you get divorced? Where does that leave you religiously and spiritually? That was a question asked by Julie Gray in a recent blog post on The Huffington Post. She converted for her husband, but “twenty-five years, two kids and a divorce later,” she just wasn’t sure about her Jewish identity.

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Training ALL Staff in Welcoming Best-Practices

In that moment when someone comes to the doorstep of the Jewish community – either physically or online – we have an opportunity and a duty to do all we can to welcome them in. But all too often these folks are left without guidance. Through our own studies of how communities respond to newcomers, we have found that people reaching out to the Jewish community are falling through the cracks. It’s time to make sure we fill those cracks. Writing for the website eJewish Philanthropy, JOI’s associate executive director believes we can to a better job of capturing and engaging newcomers if we make a conscious effort to “train ALL staff in welcoming best-practices.”

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