A-Z OF JEWISH VALUES -

Y FOR YOUTH AND YOU

We’re coming to the end of the Alphabet in my alphabetical survey of Jewish values. We’re on Y. Y could be for Yiddishkeit – which is Judaism with an oldy-worldy sound about it. Or Y could be for Youth. Or Y could be for Yiches – which means literally relatedness, being proud of who you are related to on your family tree going back generations. And the forward looking counterpart of Yiches is Naches – being proud of your children and grandchildren.

One of my most interesting Seder experiences one year was when our table was arranged with the older generation at one end of the table and the younger at the other with me in the middle. When it came to the meal I could hear two separate conversations going on, and I could join in with whichever one I wanted to but I didn’t; I mostly listened – the contrast was so fascinating.

To my left the older generation were reminiscing on Seders in times past which led on to memories about family. To my right the younger generation were talking about what they were going to do in the summer and what their plans were for the next year. Not surprisingly the elders focused on the past whilst the youth focused on the future.

What is most gratifying is when youth and elders talk to each other. My mother told me this week that she had had trouble remembering her mobile phone password. She asked the phone company for help. We can’t tell you your password they said, for security reasons, but do you have a grandchild? I have 7 grandchildren she said. Well, tell us their names. She went through them one by one. When she got to number 7 they said ‘that’s it!’ That was the name of the one who bought her the phone. Do you get a lot of this ? Mum asked. All the time, they said.

Dialogue between the generations is a major theme of Pesach. Talking to each other achieves more than talking about each other.

That was the maxim of the great teacher of dialogue Martin Buber. His famous I-Thou philosophy is about real relationships between people, as against I-It where you are treating people as objects without really getting to know them. Buber talked to youth a great deal as well as about them. In a famous lecture of his given before the First World War, he said that ‘Youth is the time of total openness. With totally open senses it absorbs the world’s variegated abundance; with a totally open will it gives itself to life’s boundlessness.’

And in relation to religion he asks us to imagine the place the young person inhabits as an enormous circular building full of windows looking out on the world in all directions. He says ‘whoever imposes religion upon the young person closes all but one of the thousand windows of the circular building in which youth dwells, all but one of the thousand roads leading into the world’.

Buber like every good artist does not explain what he means. He leaves that to you and I.

It’s a very challenging image. Every generation wishes to pass on its values to the next. To value youth, suggests Buber, you need openness.

Why is the building circular? To me that suggests endlessness; no beginning, no end. What does the closing of all but one of the thousand windows mean? That suggests to me dogmatism. There’s only one view possible.

And the closing of all but one of the thousand roads? That fascinates me. That’s the road out of the house into the big wide world. When the young person is given only one permitted view with all others closed, there’s only one road back to the home base. And as a young person you can choose to come back – but only by that road. With openness – there are a multiplicity of options open, and a multiplicity of ways back to the home base. Many windows, and many doors are open.

Buber’s lecture title is instructive in itself. It’s called Herut: on Youth and Religion. Herut means freedom. Pesach is Z’man Herutenu, Season of our Freedom. Buber quotes the teaching from Pirke Avot about where the Torah refers to God’ s writing engraved on the Tablets of Stone. It says ‘do not read harut (engraved) but ‘herut’ (freedom).

How can there be freedom about what is set in stone? Answer: through interpretation, for every individual, for every generation to find their own way.

I want to share with you something produced recently by some of the pupils of our cheder. They produced a mini survey of their thoughts on being British Jews. The title page reads:
‘The Jews’ News’ - 2006 is the 350th anniversary of the re-settlement of Jews in England – This newsletter is a collection of lots of people’s thoughts from Jackson’s Row. Class Hey-2 made a survey and this newsletter is everybody’s answers….’

One of the questions in the survey asked people to write down their first 3 words you feel when thinking about being a Jew in England. Here are some of the results – from the children: Pride, Minority, Reform, Freedom, Good Food, Israel, Hebrew, Ivrit, Torah, Rabbi, Synagogue.

And from the adults’ answers: Freedom, Proud, Privilege, Community, Family, Integrated, Tradition, Lucky, Belonging, Individuality, Peaceful, Connected, Special, Different, Happy, Isolated.

That list speaks volumes. The children’s answers reflect the shul environment more. Freedom of religious expression and Minority isolation are themes common to both children and adults.

Another question: what are your wishes for the next 50 years for Jewish life in Britain? Some answers to that question, from ages 11-14: Jews move to Israel. Peace in Israel. Less racism. More Jews in Britain. Less ignorance of Judaism.

And from the adults: Reduce religious hatred. That it maintains its identity. Peace. To live safely. Bigger community. Maintaining bigger sense of community. For Reform Judaism to be a vibrant, integrated part of Britain. The Jewish community should be involved in enjoyable activities with other communities.

Again they are talking much the same language.

Our smallness and isolation is coming across very strongly as a shared concern between the generations. It’s something we need to address.

It’s a happy co-incidence that the word ‘Youth’ begins with the word ‘You’. There are two lessons in that for me, as someone who is relatively young. One is to find the ‘You in the Youth’ – what do you want as a young person to serve your Jewish needs, or if you’re older - that the way toward understanding between the generations is to tune in to the young person inside you. Not just the way you were at that age, but to find that free child in you, ask it, what’s fun about being Jewish and how can we find ways of doing more of it.

The other lesson about Youth and You is – taking our cue from Buber to talk to – not about. It’s I-Thou not I-You because in German which was Buber’s mother’s tongue you distinguish between singular and plural when speaking to one person or a lot of people. Like in old English Thou, and you plural used to be Ye.

Buber for some reason is not interested in the relationship between one person and a whole lot of people. Real relationship is one-to-one. The Youth as a whole is constantly changing. By the way that’s true of the adult community too. In the years I’ve been here – it will be 30 next year, I have seen the group sitting here change 30 times. What is gratifying is the faithfuls that have remained constant, and most gratifying of all, those who have grown up here over all the years.

If there is to be a real meeting of hearts and minds and souls, that happens best when it is talking together, yes of course in groups, but listening one to one. Not speculating on what are our needs according to our different ages but asking: What is it that you need?

Returning to the mobile phone – and there are plenty of grandparents and I know at least one great-grandparent who maintain email and skype contact (that’s where you can talk endlessly with family and friends around the globe for free with your computer, microphone and see each other with the webcam mini-camera) - if you want to ensure good participation and attendances at anything in shul or community events, for all ages – there’s no substitute for a team of people engaged in direct one-to-one, personal communication.

And speaking personally: I want to say a few words to a very special young lady whose birthday it is today – Cynthia Zatman. We all want to wish you a very happy special birthday Cynthia. (You know that by today’s standards you are still a relative youngster) We can only imagine how hard it must have been for you this Pesach without Aubrey alav hashalom. I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge all the time, energy work, and devotion you have put into the Friendship Club over the many years, which has been a service to the entire Manchester Jewish Community and for which you deserve a medal.

Pesach brings both ends of the age spectrum together. May the spirit of this Pesach spur us on to keep family and community bonds strong, to fill in gaps, mend fences where necessary, revive commitment and encourage new growth and renewed vitality