Imagine you’ve decided to go on a hike for the very first time. It’s something you’ve been considering for a while, but now you’ve mustered the courage to try. You pack a bag with the things you think you’re supposed to bring, you read up on best trails near you, you arrive in a small parking lot that’s supposed to be the trailhead. You’re excited but nervous to be there; you don’t know where to start, and you don’t want to get lost. There’s woods in all directions. What do you need in order to really explore what the trail has to offer? Some trails are poorly marked, full of brambles and obstacles, lack maps, and make visitors feel like giving up as soon as they arrive. Others have thoughtfully considered their visitors’ experience; they feature a well-labeled parking lot and trail entrance with a giant standing map of the trail with a large red dot: You are here. If you’re lucky, there’s a booth with paper maps and an actual park ranger able to listen to what you’re looking for and explain which trail would be the right one for you. But if you’re really lucky, there’s a guided hike with a naturalist starting in 15 minutes where you can learn with others the best trails, how to spot wildlife, and where the best views are. That’s a trail you’ll come back to and make your own.

The same is true when people come to a Jewish community for the first time, whether because they are newly Jewish or they’ve just moved to town or they’re rediscovering their Judaism: They are faced with a labyrinth of Jewish organizations, programs, and events. If we don’t deliberately design our signage, our maps, and our guides, these Jewish seekers will feel like giving up before they even start.

I know this is true because I’ve listened to Jewish seekers’ stories. Over the course of the fall, I spoke with ten young adults who had successfully integrated into Jewish community in Toronto—newly-connecting Jews who in the last several years have become more interested in and have taken successful steps to make a home in a Jewish community institution. I was documenting the success factors that enabled these seekers to make a Jewish community life for themselves. I asked them each, What would be their advice for others like them who were seeking........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)