“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.