Abstract: Many observers and policy-makers in Jewish life conceptually divide the population into two large segments: the affiliated and the unaffiliated, or the engaged and unengaged. While seem- ingly straightforward and intuitively appealing, dividing the population into two parts implicitly connotes an exaggerated distinction between the Jewishly more active and Jewishly less active. For Jews in Britain and in almost any other policy-relevant context within the English-speaking Jewish world, the population may be fruitfully divided into three segments, according to levels of Jewish engagement. Rather than seeing the world as divided statically into two blocs, one imagines the population more dynamically moving between at least three regions on the Jewish identity spectrum.
Unlike the less engaged, the moderately engaged report a significant number of points of Jewish involvement (such as congregational membership, Jewish friendship ties and holiday celebration). That said, their Jewish involvement is not so extensive as to indicate a major commitment either to traditional religious piety or to significant leadership in the organized Jewish community. From a Jewish communal policy point of view, the moderately engaged constitute a critical, if not the most critical, Jewish popu- lation segment for Jewish educational intervention on the population-scale.
This study relies upon both qualitative (depth interviews) and quantitative (social surveys) research methodologies.
Abstract: Papers based on a conference convened by the United Jewish Israel Appeal in London in spring 2002. Contents include: Introduction: The sovereign and the situated self: Jewish identity and community in the 21st century – Jonathan Boyd; D’var Torah – Shalom Orzach; Exploring the challenges confronting the contemporary Jewish world – Irwin Cotler, Steven M. Cohen; A case of new identity: detecting the forces facing Jewish identity and community – Steven M. Cohen, Kate Loewenthal; A case of new identity: what should all Jews know? – Hanah Alexander, Aviezer Ravitsky; Looking in, looking out: the role of the Jew in the contemporary world – David Cesarani, Alan Hoffman; Looking in, looking out: on what should our educational efforts be focused? – Michael Rosenak, Irwin Cotler; Educating our children: exploring the role of the Jewish day school- Hanah Alexander, Barry Kosmin; Educating our children: imagining the Jewish day school of the future – Barry Chazan, Beverly Gribetz; Creating community: is the synagogue doing what is needed? – Margaret Harris, Michael Rosenak; Creating community: envisaging the synagogue of the 21st century – Charles Liebman, Robert Rabinowitz; Judaism and the contemporary world: foundation principles of Jewish identity and community for the 21st century - Aviezer Ravitsky, Jonathan Sacks; D’var Torah – Angela Gluck Wood; Exploring our general context: the impact of national and global trends on identity, community and education – Barry Kosmin, Steven M. Cohen; Exploring our Jewish context: trends in the Jewish world, and how to utilise them for our benefit – Jonathan Ariel, Tony Bayfield; Struggling for Israel: what happens when the classroom becomes dangerous? – Barry Chazan; Reaching out to others: the role of a social action agenda in Jewish education – Edie Friedman, Reuven Gal; Spiritual exploration: following my head or my heart? – Zvi Beckerman, Michael Shire; Civics: should British Jews swear allegiance to Britain? – Clive Lawton, Robert Rabinowitz; D’var Torah – Raphael Zarum; The role of vision in 21st century education – Jonathan Arield, Michael Rosenak; Case study 1: Texts and Values Project of the UJIA Makor Centre for Informal Jewish Education – Raphael Zarum; Case study 2: Limmud – Jacqueline Nicholls; Case study 3: Synagogue transformation – Julian Resnick; Case study 4: King Solomon High School – Alastair Falk; Case study 5: The Saatchi Synagogue – Pini Dunner
