Jewish Outreach Institute

“You should put some shmeer on that.”

Jamie Allen Black — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:37:51 +0000

Lest we think that only heterosexual couples have to work out issues around intermarriage, here is a Wedding Announcement from The New York Times of a gay couple with two adopted girls being raised as Jews by a stay-at-home Catholic dad. They talked, exchanged numbers and went on their first date three weeks later. They [...]

What Makes a Jewish Mother?

Jamie Allen Black — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 18:43:14 +0000

When I was a teenager, I went to Jewish weekend camp where every month we had a topic to discuss. The first topic was “What Makes a Jew?” The entire discussion about mothers/fathers, patrilineal/matrilineal descent, observant/not observant, didn’t resonate with me. When I thought about who was Jewish, I decided that whoever says she is [...]

How Do Jewish Men Pray?

Kerry Olitzky — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:03:27 +0000

I think that it is fair to say that men navigate the world differently than do women. We relearn that lesson each day here at Big Tent Judaism/Jewish Outreach Institute (JOI) as we promote our women’s programs (such as The Mothers Circle and Empowering Ruth) and our men’s programs (such as How Should I Know? [...]

You Found the Teens, Now What?

Jamie Allen Black — Fri, 31 May 2013 16:16:53 +0000

In the late afternoon leading up to Shavuot, I happened to be the only person left in the office and answered the phone. It was a Jewish communal professional who works with teens. She told me that every teen in her city was a member of her organization, and she was hoping that our Big [...]

Being a “Non”

Amanda Kaletsky — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:42:13 +0000

A hot topic of conversation here in the Big Tent Judaism/Jewish Outreach Institute (JOI) office is the barrier of language. We often consult with Jewish organizations about language used on their program marketing and websites, identifying the use of Hebrew and Yiddish words or organizational acronyms as potential barriers to participation. But the language barrier [...]

A Courageous Rabbi Asks Hebrew Union College to Make a Change

Andrea LeVine — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:32:01 +0000

As someone who not only works with intermarried, but is also immersed in the Brooklyn Jewish community, I was extremely moved by the recent open letter to Hebrew Union College from Rabbi Ellen Lippmann of Kolot Chayeinu of Brooklyn, NY. Published in the Jewish Daily Forward, Rabbi Lippmann urges the seminary, of which she counts [...]

Join Rabbi Kerry Olitzky Tomorrow in Middlesex County, NJ

Amanda Kaletsky — Sun, 19 May 2013 14:01:47 +0000

A Special Invitation for Jewish Communal Professionals & Volunteer Leaders in Middlesex County Please join us Monday, May 20th at 3:00 PM for a FREE presentation by JOI Executive Director Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky, How Big Tent Judaism Can Help Grow Your Institution. We will discuss what we can do to help unengaged Jews find their place [...]

Jewish Culture Not Just for Jews; Even Hulk Hogan Buys Kosher

Zohar Rotem — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:36:51 +0000

An interesting story in The Jewish Chronicle caught my eye recently. In it, writer Sarah Angrist argues that, when looking at the current state of the North American Jewish community, “bemoaning the decline in synagogue membership, high rates of intermarriage, and our aging population” misses the point. She thinks that Judaism in America is (and [...]

Did You Say Cheesecake is a Jewish Food?

Kerry Olitzky — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:45 +0000

New York cheesecake is thick and dense, just the way I like it. I have never been predisposed to smooth French cheesecakes. But whether New York style or French, cheesecake is a Jewish food. “A Jewish food?” you might ask, “I thought those were limited to bagels, chicken soup, and hummus.” But cheesecake is indeed [...]

Is an Emphasis on Jewish Education Good or Bad?

Nikita Kaganovich — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:39:04 +0000

Today we are seeing a growing number of Jews choosing to not affiliate with the Jewish community, yet still identifying as Jewish. Whereas in the past, community and shared experiences have defined what it means to be Jewish, Jews today seem to be shying away from many communal practices, such as synagogue affiliation and Jewish [...]