Kew on cue
A Melbourne rabbi has initiated a new program to connect Jews in their 20s and 30s in his shul’s area.
With the release of the 2013 US based Pew study revealing that of the Millennial generation (Jews born after 1980), only 68% identify as Jews by religion, while 32% describe themselves as having no religion, there has been a global awakening by Jewish community leaders worldwide to try and engage the younger generation.
Directly addressing this issue, Rabbi Stephen Boroda of the Kew Hebrew Congregation has recently taken on a challenging, but rewarding initiative, one that will change the face of Kew Shule and become a stepping-stone to build a bigger and younger congregation.
To achieve this, he is launching OnKew, a young adult project that specifically targets Jewish 20’s and 30’s from Kew and the surrounding suburbs.
On the agenda for 2014 is a VIP cocktail party, the “OnKew Launch Party”, taking place at The Aviary Bar in Richmond on February 18th, in their elegant and newly revamped “White Room” upstairs, offering guests premium cocktails, and kosher gourmet sushi and hors d’oeuvres.
The evening will feature a high profile speaker, MP and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister, Josh Frydenberg, on the topic: “From Jewish Day School to PM’s Right Hand Man.”
Rabbi Boroda believes that OnKew is a necessary community initiative, “Young adults are less engaged in community events and less involved in Jewish life than either teenagers or older adults.”
“As they build and grow their professional networks, Jewish young adults will likely find themselves in the minority, and their contact with Jewish peers tends to be limited.”
“OnKew events will be a vital building block to a more engaged 20’s and 30’s community across a wider geographic, and is especially important as the Jews from Kew, Camberwell, Richmond, Hawthorn and Balwyn are more spread out than those that live in the typical Jewish areas like Caulfield and East St Kilda.” Rabbi Boroda said.
The OnKew project goal is to raise a minimum of $10,000 for a series of events for 2014, and thanks to generous sponsors and donations, they are almost halfway there.
“Leaders of Jewish communities worldwide are well aware of the issue, and both the Australian Gen08 Survey and the recent Pew study in America have showed us that things are not getting any better for the younger generation, so with OnKew, we hope to be part of the solution,” Rabbi Boroda said.
To purchase tickets to the “OnKew Launch Party” please click here:
http://onkew.eventbrite.com.au
