I don’t know how many of you are Starbucks patrons, but I for one am partial to the “Grande Americano, steamed non-fat milk and 2 sweet-n-lows.” It took me nearly a year to figure out the precise order of the words to get the desired drink. All I really wanted was strong coffee. My how my vocabulary has grown! I was stunned recently when the woman in front of me ordered something that was completely unintelligible to me while the person behind the counter smiled politely and asked, “Would you like whipped cream with that?” I wondered not only what she said, but what concoction she had ordered. It is fascinating to see the emergence of a new language fostered by a commercial enterprise. Who knew how many ways you could order coffee? Remember when it came black, in a cup?

With the concept of designer coffee firmly entrenched in our culture, what does the emergence of a variety of flavors and possibilities mean for the Jewish community? How does this concept impact Jewish communal survival?

Recently, I read a report entitled, “Grande Soy Vanilla Latte with Cinnamon, No Foam: Jewish Community and Identity in an Age of Unlimited Choices”, by a New York Jewish non-profit organization. The findings in this study were revealing. The current generation of 18-25 year olds is known as the “Generation Y” and is marked by the culture of unlimited choices in every aspect of their lives. The Jewish community is not immune from this. As a matter of fact, as the report suggests, that for American Jews in Generation Y, being Jewish is not their sole identity. This generation has unlimited access to American society, therefore Generation Y Jews behave much like all other Generation Y Americans, regardless of religion. Today’s young Jews have multiple identities shaped by many factors, including intermarriage in their families, diverse social networks, and dynamic boundaries around geography and other identity characteristics such as gender and sexual orientation. Being Jewish is part of a larger identity mosaic for today’s Jews.

We know from previous research that earlier generations of Jews felt a need to maintain tight connections as they experienced anti-Semitism, workplace discrimination and other challenges. But unlike Jews in the pre- and post-World War II era, this generation is fully integrated and does not need close communal cohesion in order to survive in a hostile society. Many Generation Y Jews no longer personally experience anti-Semitism or exclusion from the opportunities society has to offer; therefore, they are similar to their non-Jewish peers in that they worry about getting good grades, finding jobs and socializing with friends more than they worry about their religious identities.

Despite their integrated appearance, Generation Y Jews feel incredibly self-confident about their Jewish identities. In contrast to the survival ethic of many of their grandparents’ Jewish journeys, and contrary to the continuity fears of the 1990s, Generation Y Jews are very positive about being Jewish. This is particularly important because members of Generation Y are in stages of adolescent development where self-confidence and building self-esteem is critical to their adult identity formations. There are limits to their self confidence, however; young Jews in this study do not claim to have a depth of knowledge about Jewish rituals, liturgy and text. Being Jewish remains a complicated tangle of spiritual, cultural, historical and ethnic dimensions, but their Jewish self-confidence may be an important factor in their personal development and in the communal evolution of Jewish identity.

For the synagogue, then this stands as a significant area of concern. How in the 21st century will we be able to respond? What will our choices be? If history has taught us anything about the nature of the community, it is in fact that Jewish learning and Jewish ritual are the common denominators across time and space even as the level of knowledge with text and tradition seems to decline, and that the synagogue is the best place to experience the fullness of Jewish life. A renewed effort in these areas on our part will result, I believe in a remarkable mosaic of programs and possibilities, the likes of which we have never seen. It is both exciting and challenging. I look forward to joining hands with you as we walk our way through this time. And if you’ve never have had a “Grande Soy Vanilla Latte with Cinnamon, No Foam”, try it, it’s pretty good!