USCJ Review - Spring 2005
Building Young Adult Infrastructure: Manhattan's Ma'alot Minyan Project
The island of Manhattan is linked on every side by bridges that serve to connect the surrounding boroughs of New York City, the suburbs, and the tri-state area. The imagery of bridges is referred to time and again in our Jewish literature, and functions as a powerful metaphor of a sustained commitment to Jewish identity throughout history. On Manhattan's Upper East Side, there is a group of young adults bridging a gap within the United Synagogue community. Our project is Ma'alot Minyan, and our unprecedented growth -- including four marriages in 2004 -- speaks volumes. Our project is unique, with a relaxed, inclusive atmosphere that serves the spiritual needs of interested young adults in the community and inspires lifelong relationships that bring young adults to Conservative congregations.
The Ma'alot Minyan project (Ma'alot means "going up" in Hebrew) bridges a critical gap in the Jewish lifecycle. The Conservative Movement has Solomon Schechter schools to educate our children, USY to supplement our teenagers' social interactions, Camp Ramah to spiritually elevate our youth during the summers. In college, we have KOACH to foster Conservative Jewish values. But what happens for the young adult after college? With couples marrying later, we have identified a need to serve this growing young adult population. Many have specifically articulated a desire for the camaraderie and traditions of their earlier experiences, be it at Solomon Schechter, USY, Camp Ramah, or KOACH. In that spirit, Ma'alot Minyan was created.
Dr. Jennifer Madan, an active participant, notes, "I had some of the best experiences of my life because of Jewish social/educational groups. In my teens and early 20s, I made USY and Hillel a big part of my life. And then I graduated from college... I missed the connection and community that are so central to USY and Hillel and Judaism. Maalot Minyan fills this void. Particularly here in New York City, where it is easy to get lost in the crowd, it is nice to share Shabbat services with faces you know. At Maalot Minyan, you find young professionals and couples who grew up with the traditions of USY and Hillel but for whatever reason don't find being members of a synagogue appealing at this point in their lives."
Under the auspices of the USCJ New York Metropolitan Region (METNY), Ma'alot Minyan began six years ago as a Friday night gathering to target young adults who were not affiliated with a synagogue. METNY first approached the alumni of Schechter schools, USY, and Camp Ramah and then developed this project involving the special interests of this group. In a havurah style, an egalitarian, volunteer-led Minyan was developed for both married and single young adults in their 20's to 40's residing in the NYC area. The idea was to offer this group an opportunity to create a spiritual and social environment on their own terms. The hope was to encourage membership in a Conservative shul with the ultimate goal of full involvement in a synagogue. Many Ma'alot Minyan members have crossed this bridge and are counted as some of the leading members in synagogue communities across the New York Metropolitan Region.
The Ma'alot Minyan offers a warm environment that encourages newcomers and welcomes back regular members (who are affectionately referred to as "Minyanaires"). The Minyan meets in a synagogue once a month (currently meeting at Park Avenue Synagogue on Manhattan's Upper East Side) for Friday night services. Services begin with Kabbalat Shabbat and the week's d'var Torah, continue with Ma'ariv, and culminate with Kiddush and an Oneg Shabbat. But these facts are not enough to explain the success of this project.
The main attraction of the Ma'alot Minyan is the cohesion of the group. Despite the every-changing population of new and regular attendees at each gathering, the Ma'alot Minyan creates an inclusive community by always introducing all who are present. The introductions promote a hospitality that makes it easy to participate, meet new friends, reunite with old ones, and share a Shabbat experience as a group. Craig Artel, a lawyer, remarks, "My wife and I were introduced to Ma'alot Minyan shortly after we were married in 2003. We were living in Manhattan at the time, and although we were already participating in our own weekly havurah that met on Shabbat in New Jersey, we were also looking to become part of a unique Friday night community in New York City where we could meet other similar-minded Jewish individuals within our own age group and level of spiritual observance. Since that time, not only have we found those individuals within Ma'alot Minyan, but some of them have become a special and lasting part of our lives. I continue to attend Ma'alot Minyan because I look forward to spending Friday nights forming and reinforcing these friendships with unique Jewish people of different backgrounds."
How do young adults find out about the Ma'alot Minyan? In addition to outreach to alumni of Conservative youth groups through newsletters, the Minyan is also publicized through advertising. Its monthly Friday night service is posted in local New York Jewish community newspapers. Often, parents and grandparents will encourage their children and grandchildren to attend after seeing an ad. Elissa Buxbaum Beerman's mother, Dr. Shelley Buxbaum (JTS '91), saw a Ma'alot Minyan ad and suggested her daughter participate in services. Elissa is now one of the group's leaders. She remarks, "I have led both Kabbalat Shabbat and Ma'ariv using the tunes and songs from my USY and KOACH experience. I enjoy participating and praying with this group. It allows me to give back to the Jewish community, continue to relive old memories and create new ones at the same time".
Word about the Ma'alot Minyan is also spread by targeting havurot in USCJ congregations that tend to attract young adults. Rebecca Witonsky attended the Park Avenue Synagogue havurah and is a popular Friday night leader with Ma'alot Minyan. Ms. Witonsky remarks, "I have enjoyed leading Ma'ariv services at Ma'alot Minyan since I moved to the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The role of spiritual leadership is very satisfying because I feel that I am helping my fellow Jews to become better connected to God and to Judaism. The supplemental poetry readings and the like never fail to delight the group with creativity and spirit. We have had many bonding experiences like the blizzard Minyan where we trudged through the snow to conduct the service."
However, the best outreach mechanism is word of mouth. Elissa Buxbaum Beerman adds, "I brought other people with me to Ma'alot Minyan, including my husband Adam. We had the wonderful experience of sharing our engagement with Ma'alot Minyan in June 2003. Several people from the Minyan have become among our closest friends."
A new member, Steven Cohen, shares, "When I learned about this Minyan on the Upper East Side, curiosity got the best of me and I decided to check it out. I was born and raised in Brooklyn and I attended a Solomon Schechter school. I have always valued being able to connect with my Jewish peers in the synagogue. In Ma'alot Minyan, I have discovered a young, budding congregation to do just that."
Says Elizabeth Marcus, a researcher, "I am Jewish and single, in my early 30's. I attend synagogue but there are few or no singles who attend. Therefore, being single, I always wished there would be more involvement on the part of synagogues to get Jewish singles to meet each other. At the Ma'alot Minyan, the people are very warm and it is nice to be asked how our week was and for what we are thankful. The atmosphere is caring, much nicer than going to yet another Jewish singles event in this big city."
Ma'alot Minyan continues to grow. Bruce Greenfield, METNY Executive Director, "points with pride to the popularity of this program and the wonderful reactions that we have received from our young people -- some who, through this program, are continuing their experience begun at Camp Ramah, USY, and other Conservative youth programs. At Ma'alot Minyan, young adults have found a warm environment with like-minded people that contribute to the growth and blossoming of the Conservative Movement."
The young adult community is an underserved population in our regions. We are succeeding at attracting the unaffiliated and transforming them into synagogue members. Shifting programmatic approaches to allow for comfortable interactions with young adults can bring them closer to the synagogue, and ultimately, to leadership in our Jewish causes. If we build the bridge, it can be crossed.
Elianna Baslaw Goldman is the Program Coordinator of Ma'alot Minyanat United Synagogue's New York Metropolitan Region. She can be reached by emailing metny-Minyan@uscj.org. Ma'alot Minyan currently meets at Park Avenue Synagogue in Manhattan.
