This past May, a group of Canadian students studying in Jerusalem decided that the time had come to conclude their idealistic debates, cafe philosophizing and constant discussions enumerating the problems which have plagued the modern Jewish world. No more talk-it was time to assume the responsibility incumbent upon every Jewish student: to solve the community's problem of apathy and disaffection while transforming the world around them. Their decision would require a consensus on a two primary issues: which problems deserved their immediate attention, and what radical formula would remedy the distressing realities?
The students wanted to move from a world of utopian fantasies into practical realism yet they stubbornly refused to abandon their youthful conviction of students' capabilities. Nothing was impossible. The fact that these students had decided that their dreams would soon become realities did not mean that their realities should not remain in dreamlike proportions.
A movement had been launched! Students jumped at the chance to offer their ideas on what was plaguing a generation that appeared so intensely bored with Judaism. Activists and Jews (is there a difference?) began to crawl out of the woodwork to explain how they envisioned their Jewish future. From their brainstorming a consensus emerged:
There is an overwhelming sense of boredom and passivity associated with being Jewish. Jewish joy and Jewish excitement and Jewish fire are three powerful forces that have not proven integral to the 90's overused catchword: Jewish Continuity. Students who are told that they already belong to the most apathetic generation are all too quick to dismiss yet another agenda that is devoid of excitement.
Young Jews are not clamoring to be Jewishly involved when they are told, "Be Jewish because your parents are, your grandparents are and so many of your ancestor were." Students have not found reasons why they should be Jewish for themselves.
Jewish student activism is a forgotten art. Active Jews seem not to remember that they are required to engage in Tikkun Olam (fixing the world). Incredibly, anti-Semitism has been the most powerful incentive for students to reaffirm their Jewish identity. The activist student community is fully mobilized when there is an anti-Semitic incident on campus yet are strangely uninvolved when it comes time to initiate action. There are few examples of Jewish students coming together to express their Jewish pride, their Jewish joy and their Jewish funk! Years of defensive Judaism have taken their toll; now when Jews are asked to be pro-active they respond with confused apathy. Pain and suffering were our old rallying calls and we have yet to find an exciting substitute.
Jews and non-Jews alike have understated their capabilities. The sixties, a time when many students recognized just how involved they could be, feel like a decade that existed centuries ago. Youth simply don't know how much they can accomplish and how powerful they are.
This all adds up to a Jewish student world-possibly an entire generation-that is bored and by most accounts FAST ASLEEP! Time for a . . . WAKE UP TOUR.
Students, without any assistance from the adult establishment, came up with the idea of a Wake Up Tour, a call to wake up Judaism, Jewish students and the state of Jewish activism. Inspired by the words "Jewish Renaissance," they decided that the priority was to find a source of extreme Jewish joy. They searched their religion for an element that would light sparks in Jewish souls across North America. On this they were unanimous: the solution would have to include the music of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. The charismatic singer, rabbi, and leader is remembered as an individual who rocked the Jewish world with such powerful fire that upon hearing his music, thousands of Jews stopped to re-examine the beauty and excitement of their religion.
After Carlebach died in 1994 many rock bands continued his legacy by performing his world-famous songs (also known as niggunim). One of these bands, Facing East (a.k.a. The Moshav Band), had become immensely popular among overseas students studying at Israeli universities. Together with Carlebach's finest tunes and an eclectic array of rock (from Bob Dylan to Pearl Jam to the Grateful Dead), they presented Jewish students with a brand of Judaism funkier, more sincere, and more passionate than anything they had ever experienced. The band's exciting stage presence, their awesome musical ability, and the inspiring Jewish world that they revealed soon convinced hundreds of fans to re-examine what they once thought was only a heritage, a past, a history. This band and the music they played was waking up Jewish students who, despite the fact that they had chosen to come to Israel, had yet to discover extraordinary joy within their own religion.
The student organizers who were seeking to revive the Jewish student community agreed that in Jewish music they had found the exciting medium that would convey their wake up call. With an idea reminiscent of hippy activists, the students resolved to get the greatest Jewish rock bands into a school bus and start rocking universities throughout the U.S.A and Canada. Facing East would journey to campuses accompanied by inspired students who would speak of a Jewish Renaissance. The caravan would wake up the Jewish world.
It is difficult to describe exactly what ensued. It is incredible to watch the beginnings of a true revolution. Students from around the world began to call the creators of the Wake Up Tour asking to help plan, fundraise and organize this event. Even skeptics were amazed by the way students began to formulate and lead an activity so large in scope and complex in design.
The students soon focused on finding an immediate source of support and guidance. They had the honor of meeting a man who is famous for both his affinity to Jewish students and his overwhelming contribution towards a Jewish Renaissance. World Jewish Congress President Edgar Bronfman offered the students invaluable suggestions and powerful support; he took a leap of faith when he was asked to assist a group of relatively inexperienced organizers. Mr. Bronfman's dedication to students gave the Tour the start that it needed: a trial concert to an audience of 400 Jewish students.
The result of this "test run" was one unforgettable night when Judaism was the coolest thing around! And the effects of the concert would resound long after the performance: the tour organizers received hundreds of e-mails from students who had attended or had heard about the concert. Each letter typically included two queries-How can I help to plan this tour and when can it visit my campus?
A crescendo effect resounded through university campuses. The tour, dedicated to ensuring permanent Jewish excitement (a fire that would continue long after the last notes of any concert) grew to encompass aspects of Jewish learning and social action. The student community was finally mobilized for causes other than anti-Semitism. The issue of the four Israeli soldiers‹Ron Arad, Zachary Baumel, Yehuda Katz , Zvi Feldman‹who have been missing in action for over 10 years soon gained student interest. Early in the Tour's planning stages, the parents of Zachary Baumel expressed their interest in accompanying the Wake Up Tour. They proposed that during each Wake Up Concert, they would speak about what American students could do to assist in freeing the missing soldiers. The Wake Up Tour's organizers agreed that they would make every effort to join up their buses with the Baumel's freedom plan.
The Wake Up Tour organizers also met with Elie Wiesel and Alan Dershowitz. Both were very interested in assisting in the activist dimension of the Wake Up Tour. Faced with this eclectic mix of Jewish action, people recommended that the Tour become the party for Israel's Fiftieth anniversary. People discussed the Tour as if it were a Jewish Lollapalooza, an activist, Jewish student celebration.
Despite the incredible waves that the Wake Up Tour has caused in the Jewish world, it is still in need of additional assistance. The Tour would not even be discussed were it not for the extraordinary dedication of students across the globe and the invaluable kindness and generosity of Edgar Bronfman. Yet for the Tour to continue in its expanded format, it is in serious need of finding additional funders to guarantee that this project, the largest student initiative since the Soviet Jewry movement, remains attainable.
As assimilation and intermarriage statistics continue to climb, it is clear that Jews are slowly becoming resigned to the semi-comatose state of Jewish programming and Jewish activism. It is finally time for our wake up call.
Remember the days of your youth when you thought anything was possible? Look deep into your memory and find that feeling of youthful invincibility. Remember the joy when you heard that Soviet Jews and Ethiopian Jews were on planes heading to Israel? Then try and fathom the smile on your face when you hear that four missing soldiers are freed. Remember the first time you saw hundreds of Jewish students dancing to the most uplifting Jewish music? Try to imagine that energy sweeping through the Jewish world. Then look deep into the fire of your Jewish soul. Then look a little deeper. And then: Wake Up!
Interested in becoming involved in the The Wake Up Tour? Contact: Justin Korda, Korda@accent.net and Sigmond Shore, Shore@netaxis.ca
Sigmond Shore is a student at McGill University.