Facing the future together, without fear

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once said that the special gift that Jews and Judaism gives to the world is the equal honour placed on the individual and the collective. While our relationship with Hashem may be a personal one, it is our collective strength found in strong communities that maintains our resilience and effectively, our survival.

On Rosh Hashanah, we see this duality clearly. We know the importance of individual reflection as an opportunity for repentance and to reassess our values and beliefs. Yet, great emphasis is also placed upon communal prayer during the festival. We gather as a reminder of our collective responsibility to each other and to the world and the importance of unity as we enter the new year.

Upon my own reflections of this past year, I noticed a trend amongst those who similarly self-identify as a “young person”, this being a push towards more in-person community events – by young Jews, for young Jews. What feels different is that this desire for community often goes beyond any religious context, where community may typically exist, and is concerned more with safety, shared identity and connection.

Before October 7, 2023, large Jewish gatherings were more commonplace across Melbourne and Sydney, particularly when centred around Jewish festivals. Teneille Murray, now the political affairs director at the Australian Jewish Association, spent many years running large-scale Jewish parties in Sydney with groups such as I-Society, the young adult division of the Zionist Council of New South Wales, and Lilah Blue. Since retiring from the Jewish party planning business, Murray said that she feels the community has now “gone to a different model of these small events, more niche, more based on hobbies and likes rather than large-scale celebration of pride and Judaism.” What this indicates to me is that young Jews are looking for new and more meaningful ways to connect.

In Melbourne, Rabbi Rabin, who runs Young Adults of Caulfield Shule (YACS), observed a similar phenomenon. “Young adults are still connected online, but they’re increasingly searching for something that a screen can’t provide … I don’t think young people are simply looking for entertainment. They’re looking for friendships, mentors, meaningful conversations, and a place where they feel they belong.”