I Am Not Crunchy Enough For Jews in the Woods

So there’s this awesome thing called Jews in the Woods. Basically, it’s a shabbaton held way out in some rural location in the Northeast, and recently it’s been happening as often as three or four times a year, and even in Israel. Also known as Fruity Jews in the Woods or just Fruity Jews, the group is led by an informal contingent of mostly college students, and they’ve done all kinds of really cool and innovative things, though by far my favorite is their tri-chitzah, a mechitzah that separates the group into three sections so that people who want to have egalitarian davening can be accommodated, as can people who want separate seating. Pretty nifty, eh? JitW is completely non-denominational and not run by any overseeing organization like the Federation. Money comes from grants, though there isn’t much of it, and there’s no mission statement or agenda. Read an awesome Forward article about Jews in the Woods here, or visit their wikipedia page. The JitW website is not quite as helpful as you might want (though that’s by design, apparently) but here’s my favorite little blurb:

Jews in the Woods is a community. JITW is a laboratory for a vibrant, inclusive Judaism. JITW is a way for Jews of a younger generation to create a Jewish community that draws on the love and wisdom of Jewish tradition as well as the richness of contemporary American and world civilization. JITW is the first Jewish community I’ve found that is not built around the pain and fear of previous generations. With a commitment to respect and working things out, there is a joy present that is hard to find elsewhere. JITW is, for some folks, the only Jewish setting where they feel at home. And for others of us, it’s the Jewish setting where we feel most at home. JITW is a place where it is the norm to be Jewish and: Jewish and feminist; Jewish and queer; Jewish and pagan; Jewish and an anarchist; Orthodox and egalitarian; Jewish and vegetarian; Jewish and dating a non-Jew; Jewish and Buddhist. JITW is a Jewish community where geography is incidental. Moving across the state or even a few states away is irrelevant to membership, participation, and leadership. This is so valuable in an age when synagogue membership (and thus, connection to a particular form of Jewish community) is so geographically linked. – ilana s

If this sounds like the community for you then I encourage you to go to the JitW website and click on the making contact link.

Sadly, even though I’m totally in awe of all of the rockin’ pluralism and innovation going on there, I think I’m a little too straight-edge for JitW. I would pretty much rather poke my eye out with a rusty old menorah than put my arms around someone else and sway while singing Eliyahu HaNavi. But hey, if singing and swaying is your thing I give you a virtual high five and usher you towards JitW. Go and be Jewcy in the Woods!