Connecting to religion through a mundane venue

Newsday.com: New trends aim to bring young Jews to the fold.
It seems founder of ChosenCouture.com, Sara Schwimmer, is tired of Jews being ignored by the mainstream marketers. The article discuses the idea of using pop culture as means to bring Judiasm to the unaffiliated or less religious Jew. People like Matisyahu and klezmer-rock band Golem are attempting to do just that.

Annette Ezekiel, a founding member of klezmer-rock band Golem, said her goal is to bring Yiddish music, disguised as good ol' rock 'n' roll, to a younger audience who wouldn't normally listen to it.

"We sing these (traditional Yiddish) songs as though we're Mick Jagger," she said.

In performances, Golem makes fun of traditions but honors them at the same time. For example, they recently performed in drag at a mock Jewish wedding, much like those staged in the famed "Borscht Belt" resorts of New York's Catskill Mountains decades ago.


The question then becomes will people connect the two together:

"I see the increase in Jewish pop culture," said 25-year-old Jason Brzoska, of Albany, "but I don't know if it's really bringing disillusioned, disengaged Jews together. The problem with pop culture is that it's ephemeral."

Brzoska is director of learning communities and marketing for the Web site and organization, myjewishlearning.com.

"Young Jews aren't necessarily going to make the connection (between spirituality and the trends) but its emergence may be an indication that the Jewish community is stronger than we think," he said.

It's also important to make the distinction between superficial trendiness and real substance, according to Josh Neuman, editor of Heeb magazine, which began in January 2002.