JVN Blog

The Facebook group Modern Open Orthodox is a place where the Orthodox Jewish community can come together online and share their views, problems and solutions. David Chait tells us what the purpose of the group is, why he set it up and how it is helping people.

Being connected to the organised Jewish community is incredible. You get to see so many people investing their lives in communal endeavours, the greater good. What goes on in the community is a reflection of those who’ve felt compelled to get involved and build our future.

Running a UK Facebook group to help people engage with each other and know what they can get involved with, provides a great vantage point to see where people’s aspirations lie and who’s prepared to put their time and energy into making them so. Seeing different visions of what being caring and inclusive might look like in the religious Orthodox community. 1700 people with diverse interests and concerns, sharing the problems they see, the hopes they hold. People find others to work with and have a place to share what they’ve built for the community. Things rooted in Jewish sources and values but things that might not have had the attention before to paint them into our future.

Sometimes carving out a space for vulnerable people’s needs or sorting things out for people our structures have made vulnerable. Sometimes providing for the community’s educational needs or looking after the environment and animals. Maybe bridging the gap to other communities and doing our bit for others in G-d’s wider world. Often, surprising many with a new area that others had not given much thought to or didn’t know much about.

People might have known that converts can have a rough time of it but not know the details of the problems or who to work with to address them. Individuals might have been troubled by racism, misogamy, homophobia or xenophobia they witness but felt they were on their own and not empowered to act. Many have wanted a broader Jewish education but not known where to find it. Others wanted the community to understand that organ donation is an option for religious people and used the space to dispel the myths. Many have come together to enable new shuls, new ritual spaces. The community has started becoming more aware of how much it has to learn about mental health. One person’s video about their volunteering experience abroad showed the group that you can be observant and get involved in overseas development – overseas. Perhaps most importantly, people have seen there are so many people who think like them, care and will act, providing the encouragement to push on and make progress happen.

Sometimes we see creative energy and effort that doesn’t seem to have immediately paid off too. Sometimes it can be for a lack of partners to work with and volunteers to make it happen. As ever though, another part of the community has been working away and has a great contribution to make. JVN (Jewish Volunteering Network) is there to connect people with partner charities and organisations to take an idea forward and provide the volunteers who possess the right level of motivation, skill and commitment to make the plans a reality. They work with people of all ages, abilities and religious affiliations. They provide hundreds of opportunities for people to work with all groups and charities and help them find the right one for them. People might not know what they’d contribute but they want to give their time and JVN do the rest.

Individual’s efforts, sparks don’t always work out but I’m hoping that the people in MOO will, through JVN, find new ways to better make their contribution. Come up with creative new uses for people looking to give their time in any way to help things work.