Jewish Futures Conference Showcases Innovative Student Projects

Culture and innovation came together at the 8th annual Jewish Futures Conference on Wednesday, March 14. A video sharing platform introducing Jewish ideas and experiences to newcomers in the Jewish community, a baby subscription box service to foster Jewish identities in families, and applying Judaism to water conservation to tackle the global water crisis, were just a few of the innovative projects and ideas that seniors presented. Designed to engage students, parents, and guests as active participants in a process of Jewish renewal and innovation, the conference was run by graduating seniors, who presented proposals for transforming the Jewish future. Approximately 200 people gathered for the conference.

In his opening address, Rabbinic Director Rabbi Gordon Bernat-Kunin explained that the night was about “moving from consumers to producers — from focusing inwards to focusing outwards.” He invited guests to actively engage in refining the projects “not as judges, but as partners and co-creators.”
 
An interactive conference, students received feedback from their peers, parents, and community leaders after they presented their projects on how to renew Judaism through learning, culture, spirituality, social action, Zionism, community building, or Jewish feminism.
 
Mira Berenbaum combined her love of Judaism and journalism to help create “Consider Magazine,” along with Aaron Saliman and Slava Chemerinski, a platform for students to write about social and political issues through a Jewish lens. The conference was a good opportunity, she explained, to get helpful critiques for the project. “We hope to develop it further and take it onto our college campuses, incorporating the feedback we received,” said Berenbaum.
 
Josh Afshani and Avi Bernat-Kunin wanted to find an innovative way for Jewish students to connect to each other and to Judaism through song and dance on college campuses. Their solution was “Creating Jewish Joy,” a campus club held after Shabbat dinner. A collaborative process of Jewish dance and song it fulfills the goal of simcha (Jewish joy). “We want to draw people to Judaism and the Jewish community in an innovative, yet non-forceful way, through the Hasidic value of simcha,” explained A. Bernat-Kunin. “Through intense, spirited Jewish dancing and singing, we want to guide people to feel comfortable with their Judaism and experience simcha on a personal, communal, and spiritual level.” “The Jewish Futures Conference was incredible,” said Afshani. “It was very helpful to get both positive and critical feedback from parents and adults. Also, it was amazing to see them participate in the Jewish song and dance we hope to teach college students.”
 
“Rikud B'Yachad,” an interfaith dance troupe developed by Clara Pitt, Hannah Lande, and Talia Harris, helps Jewish young adults develop their Jewish identities, while learning about other cultures and meeting new people. It also creates a community of culturally diverse students who are open minded and aware of the world around them, resulting in a greater understanding and acceptance of people who are different through their love of dance. “I really enjoyed participating in the Jewish Futures Conference as I got to learn from my peers and share my passion project with friends and families,” noted Pitt. “Participating in this program made me excited about the prospects of being involved in Jewish Life on a college campus next year.”

Seniors began work on their projects in January and developed them in four stages: first, contacting Milken college students; second, developing a vision, needs assessment, and product; third, research; and fourth creating a lesson plan and in-class presentations. When selecting a topic, they addressed the following criteria: to choose something that mattered to them, something that mattered to others, something doable, and something innovative and that renews Jews and Judaism.
 
This year’s conference expanded from previous ones to include more student sessions with more presentations, as well as a Shark Tank with two to three presentations that were five minutes each. Also, new this year were “do it yourself” Judaism presentations in the Guerin Family Institute for Advanced Sciences. Throughout the evening, attendees could design their own kippots reflecting their families’ histories and values, and create customized mezuzah cases.
 
When asked what he wanted people to take away from the conference, Rabbi Bernat-Kunin responded, “In addition to learning about and experiencing an extraordinary panoply of Jewish renewal project ideas and models, I would like participants to actively engage in a joyful, collaborative process of Jewish renewal and innovation.” He added, “The conference left us feeling far more hopeful about the Jewish Future,” a sentiment that not only he felt, but that many of the those in attendance shared as well.  
 
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