L
eading the Jacob Project at Temple
Micah in Nashville, TN, was one of the
experiences that made me realize I
wanted to be a rabbi. It offered an opportu-
nity for people in their 20s and 30s to
experience the cycle of one Jewish year to-
gether, through alternating discussions and
celebrations that were entirely lay-led. It was
a year spent wrestling with how to make Ju-
daism our own, recognizing that what was
meaningful to earlier generations might dif-
fer from what’s meaningful to us today.
This project was inspired by the story of
Jacob in the
Torah
,
who one night finds him-
self wrestling with an ambiguous creature and
emerges changed by his experience. He is
given a new name, Israel, and goes on to fa-
ther the ‘children of Israel,’ the Jewish
people. Our hope was that in the end we
would emerge – like Jacob – changed by our
experience, transformed into a community
that enjoys “living Jewish,” and capable of
passing on what we’ve discovered to future
generations.
We met twice a month for a discussion
(
learning, exploring, planning) and for a
celebration (doing, making, holidays). The dis-
cussions were held each
Rosh Hodesh
and
explored an aspect of Judaism relevant to the
lives of people in their 20s and 30s, or an up-
coming holiday’s meaning in our lives, or
planning how to celebrate the upcoming
holiday together in a traditional or creative
way that would have meaning to this age
group. The celebration of holidays, which
grew out of these discussions, were held
outdoors when possible – from starting the
year with
Rosh Hodesh
under the stars and
ending the year with a
Shavuot
sunrise hike
at the lake.
When we weren’t planning holiday
events, we discussed the weekly
Torah
por-
tion, debated Reform Principles, learned
about our congregation’s history, and volun-
teered in the community.
We had a
Shabbat
dinner and a
Hav-
dalah
gathering in participants’ homes. The
cost of participation was one can of food for
the food bank per gathering and an occasional
potluck meal. On
Simchat Torah
we began
reading
Torah
together, and the synagogue gave
each participant a
Tanakh
(
Bible). Occa-
sionally, participants were emailed a short
text to read before meeting for discussion.
The success of these lay-led programs
was due to the mixture of discussions and
celebrations in diverse settings, offering op-
portunities to both learn and experience.
Articles were written about each discussion
so that those who missed a gathering didn’t
feel left out. The unintimidating environ-
ment fostered honest discussions, in which
participants learned from each other and en-
joyed sharing what they found most
meaningful about Jewish living. Those con-
sidering conversion felt comfortable coming
to learn and to experience Judaism for the
first time and began to feel more like a part
of our congregation. Participants took own-
ership of different aspects of the Project, by
offering their web-design services, hosting
gatherings at their homes, leading discus-
sions, organizing community service
activities, playing guitar for our
Havdalah
services, and teaching the
Birkat HaMazon
,
which was new to many in the Project.
Participants learned about our congrega-
tion’s history and their role in it. They learned
how to better define Reform Judaism in affir-
mative terms. Our discussions were lively and
our celebrations were festive and educational.
The Project provided an opportunity for a
group of people who were eager to engage in
Judaism to do so. We had a diverse group of
participants – couples (Jewish and interfaith),
singles (Jewish, non-Jewish), converting, gay,
parents, twenty-somethings, thirty-some-
things – who now serve on the congregation’s
board, teach religious school, and no longer
feel estranged when they attend services. Ju-
daism has become integral to their lives, and
they have formed lasting friendships. And in
the process, I found my own path to rabbini-
cal school at HUC-JIR.
The Jacob Project received the Union for Reform
Judaism’s Belin Outreach and Membership Award
for actively welcoming and integrating those new
to Judaism within the synagogue setting.
46
| THE CHRONICLE
MEET HUC-J IR’S STUDENTS
TRANSFORMING
GENERATIONS X AND Y
AND DISCOVERING
MY PATH TO THE
RABBINATE
Nicole Roberts, C ‘12
Nicole Roberts, L’12, (at left) and Rachel
Grant Meyer, N’12, making bricks at Kib-
butz Lotan during their Year-In-Israel.
