I do not know the positions of leadership you hold, or the experiences with which you may be familiar, but from the standpoint of a Rabbi, it also can be frustrating to observe fellow Jews’ reluctance to get involved with Jewish community life. I would be careful about making the assumption that those who shun volunteer roles are not supportive of Jewish continuity, however. We don’t always know their life situation or their troubles, or the workload under which they labor. In Pirkei Avot 2:5 our sage Hillel reminds us, “Do not judge your fellow until you are in his place.”
In that same Mishnah, Hillel also admonishes us: “Do not separate yourself from the community.” So this could be some evidence that ‘non-involvement’ in Jewish communal affairs is not a new phenomenon. [The place and purpose of Pirkei Avot in our lives, of course, is unclear, and could be another entire answer for Jewish Values Online all its own. Suffice to say here that Pirkei Avot does not represent halachah but rather advice to some undefined audience. It’s good advice, to be sure, but it is probably better defined as ‘wise things to consider as you go through a very complex life existence’ than law or custom.]
That being said, we examine one more Mishnah from Pirkei Avot. Rabbi Tarfon reminds us of another truism, that “it is not incumbent upon you to finish the task, yet you are not free to desist from it.” And it might be here that we can find some guidance about encouraging people to get involved.
You ask 'what is reasonable to expect.' I think the expectations begin with us. Perhaps leaders in the Jewish community need to consider how to bring Jews along in smaller steps than before, and ask people to undertake smaller chunks of volunteer responsibility. They also need to share the vision with their ‘followers’ that each act they perform is a vital portion of a larger whole, and that each person can contribute something valuable when presented with the right opportunity. Thirdly, all this should be done in a one-on-one meeting and not via a mass mailing calling for volunteers. Our experience has shown us, on a synagogue scale, that one, targeted letter from a leader – be it the Rabbi, the President, or our Executive Director – to one member that seeks that person’s volunteer involvement, is extremely effective in bringing someone new on board.|
FOLLOW-UP: We leaders have to realize and accept that life itself is more complex these days as compared to a generation or two ago, or at least the perception exists that this is so. What are the realities? Both partners in a home may be working; the increase of children’s activities require more schlepping; the ease of electronic communication has made our lives more busy, not less, with “Go To My PC”, “Go To Meeting”, telephone and internet conference calls, international commerce and overseas contacts having to me maintained through communication media; the list is endless. The way we live our 21st Century lives is not the way that our ancestors lived theirs.
However, again, looking at Hillel’s advice about not separating from the community, the issue of people distancing themselves from Jewish communal responsibilities appears not to be new, and we have to learn to adapt our attitudes to the times.
The activities that strengthen the Jewish community are many and varied, and from the standpoint of leadership, there is a lot to do, and there are few able-bodied and able-minded workers. Yet when you bring one leader together with a potential follower, and the leader explains in simple language the task that needs to be done and the reason that the potential follower is the right person for the job, good things can happen.
Answered by: Rabbi Jonathan Biatch
