“Peoplehood” has been a hot topic in the Jewish communal world for the last few years. Some of the discussion has been insightful and provocative. Other instances amount to little more than cheerleading for a vague idea. But what’s been missing, it seems to me, is a substantive exploration of how individuals actually become connected to something larger than themselves.
Earlier this year, I offered some ideas on this question in Volume 8 [pdf] of The Peoplehood Papers, published by the Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education.
I made it simple to remember: story, language, love. These three, I propose, are the three modes through which individuals become connected to something larger than themselves. If we’re looking for a pedagogy of peoplehood, they are not a bad place to start.
I then presented these ideas at the World Conference of Jewish Communal Service (WCJCS) in July. Here’s the video.
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