The Riverway Project in Boston aims to engage young Jewish adults through unconventional programs held outside traditional synagogue settings, such as Shabbat services in bars. The program holds study groups in cafes and brewed a special "beer mitzvah" beer for a recent event. While outreach to young adults was once a low priority, it is now a major focus in Boston, which has over 70 organizations targeting Jews in their 20s and 30s. The Riverway Project's innovative approaches to Jewish learning and events in casual spaces have been successful in attracting unaffiliated young Jews.
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Luring Young Boston Jews With Unconventional Jewish Events
1. Forward.com
News
Luring Young Boston Jews With 'Beer
Mitzvahs' and Shabbat in Bars
Riverway Project Offers Judaism Where You Least Expect It
By Anthony Weiss
Published August 08, 2014.
BOSTON — (JTA) — One recent Tuesday evening, a group of about two dozen Jews in their 20s and 30s huddled around
wooden tables poring over the text for the week’s Torah portion.
A rabbi prodded them with questions about the petition that Zelophehad’s daughters submitted to Moses to inherit their
father’s estate. Why do they petition at this juncture? Why does Moses refer the question to God?
Members of the group raised hands, offered theories, debated.
The learning session took place not in a synagogue study hall but at a bustling cafe in Harvard Square.
Welcome to Riverway Cafe, a program of Temple Israel of Boston to reach out to millennial Jews. The program is an
outgrowth of the Riverway Project, which brings Jewish events to unconventional settings, like Shabbat services in bars.
At Dive Shabbat, a Friday night service held at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, packed crowds turn out for music,
prayer and alcohol consumption, ritual and otherwise. Now 13 years old, Riverway recently held an “Open Bar Mitzvah”
with bottles of specially brewed “beer mitzvah” beer.
“It was awesome,” said Rabbi Matthew Soffer, Riverway’s director. “There was a lot of surprise from people, like, ‘Oh,
that’s Jewish? I thought it would be more awkward.’ But that’s what we’re trying to do, to normalize spiritual life.”
The Riverway Project is emblematic of Boston’s burgeoning Jewish landscape for young Jews, the most sought-after
demographic these days among those concerned about the Jewish future. In Boston, Jews in their 20s and 30s have
become a major focus of Jewish programming: The area has more than 70 organizations are aimed at such Jews,
according to the Boston Jewish federation, Combined Jewish Philanthropies.
“Young adults are an extremely high priority for us because we think that young adults are the opportunity for the future,”
said CJP President Barry Shrage. “If you’re not thinking about the next generation, you might as well shoot yourself.”
CJP offers start-up grants and fellowships to Jewish entrepreneurs. Hebrew College’s Eser program organizes small
study groups in apartments. Gin & Jews combines Jews and drinking with monthly bar nights and the occasional Red
Sox game. For hikers and campers there are two Boston Jewish outdoors clubs. In a program called The MEM, young
adults explore Jewish identity through art workshops.
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