Posts Tagged ‘ahavath achim synagogue’

What am I supposed to do in this town?

June 22nd, 2009

If I came to your community, what would I do?
Even though I enjoy a drink with friends, I don’t feel like spending every night at the bar.  Where else can I go to socialize with people my age with my interests?  I don’t have any kids, so I can’t make friends with other parents from daycare.  There really aren’t any young people where I work, either.  Do you have any suggestions?

What would you say to these young professionals who are coming to you sans children or families?  It seems like small communities (those under pop. 3,000) spend all their time and resources trying to attract young families and keep its older members.   But, how many communities are thinking about those who are fresh out of high school or college?

Mike has posted before about Young Professional groups around the region, and I think they are incredible.  Many young people have come from a college town (population at least 5,000) and like the buzzing social scene where they can find thousands of like minded people in an instant.  These YP groups do for a community what a college does for its students: provide activities and resources for them to get together to make connections or help advance their career.

Help us get to know each other

I found an application for the Solomon Schechter Awards for Outreach to Young Adults from the Ahavath Achim Synagogue in Atlanta, GA.  They were facing a withdrawal of young adults (age 20-35) without families.  Sound familiar?

a woman stands against a porch that she helped build while volunteering for Habitat for Humanity

a woman stands against a porch that she helped build while volunteering for Habitat for Humanity

They made an active decision to reach out with specific events tailored to people aged 20-35.  They started with a Habitat for Humanity project that drew about 60 people; the basis for their e-mailing list.  That lead to a monthly “parlor – type discussion” in a rabbi’s home, a monthly contemporary service at 7:30pm with appetizers and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, trips to concerts, and other purely social parties.  They now have an e-mailing list of 600 and the monthly events are attended by 100-200 people.

Sure, Atlanta is a big city, but don’t put down what they accomplished.  This congregation had over 900 members, just like a lot of our small towns.  A whole community could be a model after this congregation.  They can modify the synagogue’s events and tailor their own to help bring back the young people.

Invite us in

We probably will not invite ourselves to serve on your city council, nor invite ourselves into an already made community like a congregation.  Instead, invite us to volunteer at the church, school or other function.  If we say yes, you have another volunteer who feels needed.  And if we say no, you have at least invited us into your circle.  The more you help us connect to other people, the more willing we will be to stay.  If small towns do not start projecting their want for young ideas and young involvement, they will continue their history of decline.  What image is your town projecting?

Photo credit: Susan Lloyd Image - flickr

For an interesting article about “the quarter life quandry” and how some towns are keeping young people involved, check out Facing a Midlife Crisis … at 25.

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Posted in Community Engagement, Gen Y, Rural Life | Comments (0)