A lot of young people these days are accessing their spirituality through music and concerts. Last year, Los Angeles held an event called “FaithJam.” This multi-religious “jam session” featuring top comedians and artists working within Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim traditions was so successful that it is returning this year. FaithJam 2007 will take place on Thursday, March 8, at 7:30 PM at the Japanese American Cultural Center, 244 S. San Pedro Street, in the Little Tokyo neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Craig Taubman, a musician whose songs are frequently infused with the themes and lessons of his Conservative Jewish upbringing, says, “Now more than ever, we need events that bring together people of all faiths, break barriers, and confront the divisions between people. We expect FaithJam to challenge convention, create new connections through music and laughter and in the process, inspire people to act.” Last year, FaithJam was the first event sponsored by the Jewish community to take place at the Islamic Center of Southern California; this year, the festival is lowering barriers again by taking place in Little Tokyo. Events such as FaithJam show the potential that community-wide musical events in secular venues can have to become expressions of Jewish identity.

We should not lose sight of the fact, however, that concerts are not the only way to reach our target audience – really, any event can serve as a vehicle for outreach. The city of Chicago has announced its first “Looptopia,” an all-night celebration that will take place downtown. It is modeled on the “White Night” events that have taken place in Paris, Rome and other European cities. The Windy City version will take place May 11-12.

The sponsor, the Chicago Loop Alliance, represents about 250 downtown businesses. What a great opportunity for the Chicago Jewish community to experiment with Public Space Judaism! While the Jewish community in Chicago has sponsored its own mega-events such as Jewish Folk Festivals and Israel Festivals, this kind of opportunity is very different, yet promises to reach a particular segment of the community which every community yearns to engage—the young and unengaged.