How do you do Jewish? The answers to that question range from going to Synagogue for High Holiday services to loving a good bagel and lox spread on Sunday morning.
Logically we know that any way of being Jewish counts, yet we still consider certain Jews “MORE Jewish” or “Better Jews” than us and that can make us feel bad.
Many of us want to just be Jewish in our own day to day lives, without feeling like we have to go somewhere or do something stereotypically Jewish. The Key Engagement Fellowship (KEF) is for those people.
So, what is the KEF then?
KEF is all about giving more people more ways to be Jewish. It’s about thinking outside the current, traditional Jewish model that exists and creating new opportunities that people actually want.
KEF will train you to use 1:1 engagement and relationship building to connect to Jewish people who don’t see a place for themselves in today’s Jewish community. You will gain understanding of what’s not working for these folks and what might and then, with resources and support provided through KEF, you will invent and build new, relevant ways to “do Jewish” in the Twin Cities for those who don’t see a way to do so today.
Why is KEF it different?
This is not about getting you to go to events, ask for money, or even meet a certain number of one on ones. This is about expanding the definition of being Jewish. You will be empowered to focus on people and relationships rather than metrics so ultimately when you create a final capstone project it will be grounded in conversations you’ve had.
What are the details?
This Fellowship has 9 official meetings, one a month from June-February. If this seems like a long amount of time, you’re right. We want to give you the flexibility and time to form natural relationships and come to informed conclusions about how your capstone can best serve those you’ve met.
What is the goal?
This is the best part. You will be a part of the first ever cohort, and therefore you will help define what success looks like! You will get to be creative and inventive and help form the basis for what good engagement looks like.
Throughout your time you will be working towards the creation of a capstone project. This project is put together at the end of the fellowship and is grounded in the conversations you had throughout the 9 months. Each project will look different because you will all have spoken to different people!
Who should apply?
Are you the kind of person who randomly meets Jews at the grocery store? In line for coffee? At the gym? You should apply.
Are you someone who is Jewish but doesn’t feel connected to any of the Jewish opportunities that already exist in the Twin Cities? You should apply.
Are you in a post-grad, pre-family Jewish limbo? You should apply.
Don’t feel you’re right but know someone who would rock this? Have them email [email protected] or just send them straight to the application at tcjewfolk.com/kef
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