The Taxonomy of Exile, Diaspora, and Jewish Community Organizations

A new tributary has opened to the ongoing conversation between Moshav HaAm and Shawn Landres, in reference to my first attempt to articulate the Difference Between Diaspora and Exile.

Bikkurim

This is interesting. "Nuturing innovating Jewish projects from start-up to sustainability." I hadn't heard of them before.

http://bikkurim.org/

Hat tip to Jewish Fringe.

The "Jewish Emergent" Paradigm

In our internal conversations, we often describe Moshav HaAm as an effort to build infrastructure to catch the rising groundswell (lest it flood, make a big mess, and evaporate), but obviously it is necessary to identify, as best we can, just what the supposed groundswell is. Shawn Landres has made a respectable stab at defining the Emerging Spiritual Paradigm in Sh'ma magazine:

Three broad streams of Jewish leaders and communities are emerging: independent minyanim, "parashuls" (analogous to parachurches), and congregational communities of practice. The independent minyanim tend to be organized around lay-led Shabbat worship, while the parashuls are led by charismatic entrepreneurs creating connections beyond traditional institutional boundaries; leaders of the third type, whether they admit to it or not, are reinventing or replacing the synagogue. [...]

Though its leaders exhibit a rich diversity of approaches and philosophies, they do share the values they practice and an emerging vision of Judaism as a relational conversation aimed at spirituality in intentional community.

This article makes a number of interesting claims, all of which bear significantly on the recently-erupted and B"H ongoing conversation between Shawn and Moshav HaAm, as well as upon the very emerging mandate of Moshav HaAm itself.

Discuss.


intentional community | Judaism | synagogue

First Notes of Theory

B"H

Well, still on the road for a few more days before I get to settle into home for a stretch, so I admit to being lax on the writing front (Yoel Natan has blessedly been translating our work into Moshav postings-- thank you friend!) Anyrate, just to prove I do in fact exist in this conversation, here are the beginnings of tonight's notes-- if you can read them, you're welcome to them. (Click on photos to enlarge)

Non-Institutional Organizational Models: Jews In the Woods

I first learned of the East Coast-based Jews In the Woods from organizer, activist, and RRC rabbinical student Joe Berman, who was a centrally-involved "Fruity Jew" during his undergraduate years at Wesleyan. This is how one learns about the Fruity Jews: from someone who is involved. They have no web site, but not because they aren't on the internet. They maintain their network and conduct organizational communications online with listservs and wikis, but without any centralized public portal. Now, Jay Michaelson writes in the Forward, As Jews in the Woods Grows, It Weighs Whether to Open Its Doors:

[...] this striving for authenticity also led the group to restrict entry to people who already knew at least one current attendee - a decision that remains one of its most controversial. Indeed, the organization can seem almost shadowy. Practically every young Jewish leader knows someone who’s been involved, but there is no Web site, no formal organizational structure and no agreed-on set of guiding principles. As the group’s prominence grows - with alumni graduating into central roles in professional Jewish life - some participants have begun to press for more openness and accountability.

What are the pros and cons of the Jews In the Woods model heretofore? For what sorts of organizations is it most conducive and appropriate?

Moshav Mission, re: Midrash and Mishkan

To develop and deploy models for dwelling in Jewish community according primarily to a midrashic rather than (or in tandem with?) an halakhic organizing principle.

Synaplex and S3K

I have very mixed feelings about corporate and narrowly synagogue-focused initiatives such as these; but, be that as it may, they are engaged in the same work as we are, and they are established, with funding, momentum, and practical ideas. We should be watching them:

Synaplex

Synagogue 3000

Any others, and any insights/reactions with respect to these?

Call for Models for (Re-)Making a Shteible

A possible laboratory for new paradigms in beyt knesset organization! From Mishkaneer:

Ladies and Gentlemen, what we have here is an opportunity. A synagogue is asking to be reinvented for the future. They own a small prayer space, in a strategic location, that is unusually flexible and accessible. It is not a large complex like most synagogues -- it's more like a shteible -- and there is no "movement" institutional affiliation or even the mandate of a rabbi. It can simply be a place to ... well, congregate! So how can we go about embracing (and stewarding) this space as a unique community resource?

Read and discuss.

For the Manifesto

Tenent of "Slow Judaism:"

In the spirituality consumer economy, we are consuming our leaders. In Slow Judaism, we are unwilling to create another organization based on driving our healers, teachers, administrators into the ground.

Oh, That's Why

B"H

Been trying to figure out why it is we launched the Moshav erev Tisha B'Av -- and now know...Yoel Natan has pointed it out here.

WHITE FIRE IN THE COMING AGE

B"H


POINTS TO BE EXPLICATED MOTZI SHABBOS:



MAGGIDIM ARISING AS RESPONSE TO SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

TASK FOR OUR AGE (POST-RABBINIC) IS TO WRITE THE THIRD TORAH

RABBININC AGE BASED ON BLACK FIRE OF TORAH--NEW AGE BASED ON WHITE FIRE OF TORAH

THE TASK OF OUR GENERATION(S) IS TO BE A BRIDGE FROM ONE AGE TO THE NEXT

WE LIVE ONE FOOT IN ONE WORLD AND ONE FOOT IN ANOTHER

WE LIVE IN THE IN-BETWEEN PLACES

MIDRASHIC COMMUNITY-- SEEING THE IN-BETWEEN PLACES

NOT JUST RABBIS-- WHOLE KEHILLA MUST WRITE TORAH TOGETHER

PEOPLE MUST BECOME EMPOWERED TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE ALREADY EMPOWERED TO WRITE TORAH

PEOPLE MUST KNOW THAT THE TORAH OF THEIR LIVES IS LEGITIMATE

MAGGIDIM SPECIALIZE IN HELPING PEOPLE RELATE TO THE TORAH OF THEIR LIVES.

MAGGIDIM SPECIALIZE IN BRIDGING TORAH TO LIFE AND MUST NOW DO THIS BETWEEN THE AGES

THE NEW MAGGIDIM WILL NOT BE LIMITED BY MEANS OF MAGGIDIC EXPRESSION BECAUSE...

THE PRIMARY JOB OF THE MAGGID IS TO "RELATE" WHICH CAN BE DONE THROUGH MANY MEDIUMS

THE NEW MODEL FOR JEWISH INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY IS MIDRASHIC

JEWISH INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY WORKS LIKE FRACTALS FROM HAVURAH TO KLAL YISROEL

NEW AGE WILL DEMAND FULL SPECTRUM, FREE FLOWING JEWISH COMMUNITY MODEL

NEED FOR UPBUILDING THE SOUL OF THE STATE

ESSENTIAL LINK BETWEEN THE LAND AND THE DIASPORA AND THE NEED FOR BOTH

JUDAISM IS ESSENTIALLY MIDRASHIC BY NATURE

Chavurah Slumber Party!

What a brilliant way to foster the network! Kol Zimrah in NYC and Tikkun Leil Shabbat in DC have initiated a minyan exchange. Let's try this on the West Coast too. :)

Earth-Based Torah

From Mishkaneer: A meditation on "Earth-based Torah" (one of Moshav haAm's central concerns), and why it matters to North American Jews.

moshavhaam.org Phase I

B"H

What is Moshav haAm? This is a good question, with good answers. Much of what will be written and linked into this mindstream, moshavhaam.org, in the weeks and months ahead will be about explicating the Moshav's mission and making it accessible to the world. Meanwhile, let's consecrate this emergent intentional community in the spirit (and the practice!) of maggidut upon which it is founded. Here is some Torah -- a litle story and a little philosophy -- to inaugurate the journey ahead!

Blessings,
Yoel Natan