In his latest book titled Playlist Judaism: Making Choices for a Vital Future, Rabbi Kerry Olitzky of the Jewish Outreach Institute (www.joi.org) constructs a brilliant metaphor regarding modern Jewish life. He demonstrates that in today's world, unlike that of our parents and grandparents, Jews (and people of all religious denominations) wish to create, extremely autonomously, their own "set list" of religious involvement, institutional and otherwise. Whereas previous generations "bought the whole album" even if only looking for the one or two hit singles they enjoyed, our contemporaries are picking and choosing only those programs, opportunities, experiences and activities that are personally appealing and potentially fulfilling. Introducing the concept in the book's foreword, insightful teacher Ron Wolfson makes the case, describing the evolution of recorded music over his lifetime. After fondly recalling purchasing singles and LPs, he notes:
...perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the experience was the necessity to endure those B-side tracks and the selection of mediocre songs that came as part of the album when it was really only one or two hits you wanted to hear. Today, of course, there is no need to buy the whole album or put up with an inferior B side. Today, internet-based technology enables me to choose only the songs I really want, the songs that really speak to me, the songs that make my own heart sing. Today, I create my personal playlist, my own mixtape of voices that move me. Today...the oft-cited aphorism "We are all Jews by choice" finds its ultimate expression in this twenty-first century Playlist Judaism. The question is, What shall Jewish communal leaders, clergy, and educators do to engage a population that refuses to buy the whole album and increasingly picks only those experiences that resonate with who they are and where they are on their very personal spiritual journeys?
This shift in perspective outlined by Wolfson and explored further by Olitzky has significant ramifications for the "organized" Jewish world. There are of course financial, programmatic, and institutional implications to be considered and navigated. More so, this new reality implies substantial consequences regarding people, personnel and what it means to create community. These are among the issues that Olitzky (and so many others of us today) are attempting to address.
So my question is: given the availability of such a wide range of entry points for involvement, and so many options for Jewish expression, what are those that you place on YOUR own playlist? Let me know...
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