Jersey Tribe Provides Community for Young Jews

A group of young Jewish adults congregate to advocate for immigration rights, the Israeli conflict, going green and of course, happy hour. The headquarters:  Rebecca Missel's Morristown apartment. 

Missel moved to Morristown for a job four years ago from a bustling Baltimore, Md., Jewish community where she earned a master's degree in Jewish Communal Service.  "One of the things I really missed about living in Baltimore was the vibrant scene for young Jewish adults," she said.  

Despite the substantial percentage of Jews in Northern New Jersey, the community was weak in comparison to Baltimore's concentrated Jewish population, Missel said. "It was difficult here because young adults are spread out, and so is the Jewish community itself."

Many of Missel's friends and family members suggested that she venture into New York City to meet other young Jews, but she often longed to mesh her life in Morristown with her Jewish identity.  "I didn't want to live the Jewish part of my life an hour away from where I live," she said.

In the summer of 2009, Missel was laid off from her job. With extra time on her hands and an increasing desire to establish a Jewish community within Morristown, Missel hit the streets—or rather, the web.  She created an online questionnaire to gauge the interest in Jewish community among local Jews in their 20's and 30's.  Missel, 30, surveyed approximately 60 people in the area and found that "…people were really interested in having a group for young Jewish adults here in New Jersey."

And so was born Jersey Tribe.  Founded by Missel, the group first met in December 2009 to create Hanukah care packages for Jewish people serving the U.S. Armed Forces. Eleven participants gathered in her Morristown apartment for the cause, and since, 80 young Jewish adults have participated in Tribe events focusing on service, advocacy and just having a plain old good time.  As Missel described, "You schmooze, you eat and you hang out."

Missel said there is something really powerful about building a Jewish community. "You have a shared experience, shared cultural references and family experiences," she said, adding, "A lot of young Jews also have a shared passion for events happening in Israel."

Striking a balance between social events, philanthropy and community service, the group meets approximately twice per month. In light of the controversial immigration debate in Arizona, where Missel grew up, Jersey Tribe ran an advocacy event in July to raise awareness of immigration rights and pathways to citizenship.  The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS), responsible for aiding many Russian immigrants coming to the United States, provided an informational DVD and the group ran several activities, Missel said. 

Jersey Tribe has also visited the Humane Society in Jersey City, Community Food Bank in Hillside and the Urban Farm in Morristown.

Missel now works in grants and marketing for a social service non-profit organization in Florham Park, but said she highly values the time she dedicates to The Jersey Tribe. "You can be Jewish in a way that works for you, but you still have things in common with others…I come from the other side of the country and meet people here who know the same camp songs as me and whose grandmother does the same wacky stuff mine does."

All Jersey Tribe events are open to everyone regardless of faith. Members range from very religiously observant to secular. Through the end of September, Jersey Tribe is running a fall membership drive. Five dollars of each $20 membership fee will be donated to the North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry (NACOEJ), an organization dedicated to assisting Ethiopian Jews resettling in Israel. 

On Oct. 21, all are invited to attend a dinner event benefiting the NACOEJ at  Café Lalibela in South Orange.  An Ethiopian Israeli will be sharing her story at the event.

Learn more about Jersey Tribe at www.facebook.com/jerseytribe or e-mail  thejerseytribe@gmail.com.