The Jewish Light recently published an article about the different organizations in St. Louis' young adult scene.  In discussing some of the challenges facing young adults, Moishe House CEO David Cygielman is quoted:
The need, he said, is growing as young Jews wait longer and longer to settle down, get married and have children.

"I think it's getting better but it depends on what perspective you are coming from," he said. "If you are sitting in a long-standing institution like a Federation or synagogue, it can still be a serious challenge. The question still is, ‘Where is the place for people who don't have their roots yet in that community?'"

Nor is it just one community that's at issue. The average young Jewish professional coming out of college is a part of the most mobile generation in history and is likely to have seven different jobs over the course of his or her life, Cygielman said. That means networking - on a national scale - is becoming vital.

"You might live in D.C. one day but you could be living in St. Louis or San Francisco the next," he said. "That's not a scary thing. That's OK."



The article touches on the work of Moishe House, Chabad, and dedicates quite a bit of space to Next Dor.

To read the full piece, click here



 
 
Thursday night, February 3rd,  a diverse group of young adults came together at Next Dor for a 'Kabbalah poetry reading'.  The readings, which were performed by Jaffa Aharonov, Sarah Barasch, Julia Gordon-Bramer, and Sarah Bernstein, ran the gamut from apocalyptic short stories to poems filled with biblical allusion.

Sarah Barasch, a native of St. Louis who has been 'reading and writing since preschool' said, " I think St. Louis can be a good environment for artists because people here are good at sharing.  I mostly write poetry on personal themes, even if not about my personal life, then the personal lives of others. Some call this the confessional style. It is important to me that poetry sound good read out loud.  I am influenced by the delta blues, hip hop, feminism, the Talmud, W.H. Auden and Cubism. 

Nicky Rainey, a poet, and the event's organizer commented , "For me, hearing the writing of brilliant women aloud is powerful."  She explained that, "poetry is an avenue to explore topics that are not always easy to talk about in a community setting."

Next Dor was created, in part, to provide a haven for artists and to help develop a Jewish cultural and arts scene for young adults in St. Louis.  With events like these, that reality is one step closer.
 

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