In this provocative book, Scott Shay takes on the major obstacles facing American Jewry today. He examines the current state and future prospects of American Jewry and finds a Jewish community that is dangerously adrift and on an overall downward trajectory, due to a community-wide lack of shared purpose, focus, and mutual concern. To counter this downward spiral, the author presents a platform of ten practical and achievable mini-manifestos that can reinvigorate American Jewry as a whole. Casting away conventional wisdom and political correctness, this book carefully brings to bear extensive research as it deals with the most controversial and essential issues facing American Jews.
Scott Shay has seen all sides of Jewish communal life. His volunteer work began while he was in his teens and lead to leadership and active participation roles in Hillel, Hebrew Schools, synagogues, Jewish Day Schools, Israel trips and a Chair of UJA-Federation of New York's Commission on Jewish Identity and Renewal. His organizational skills have lead to his appointment to the boards of local, national and international Jewish organizations.
Scott Shay has also had a successful career spanning Wall Street, private equity, venture capital and banking. He brings all of his experiences to bear in this book. He is a graduate of the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.
He lives in New York with his family.
"Scott Shay believes unabashedly that Judaism's fundamental purpose is to impact humanity positively. But to do this, there need to be Jews, including American Jews. In this book brimming with ideas, Shay bravely and persuasively tackles the demographic demon so that Judaism can fulfill its noble purpose."
Shulamit Reinharz, Jacob Potofosky Professor of Sociology;
Founding Director, Hadassah-Brandeis Institute;
Founding Director, Women's Studies Research Center "A must read for all who seek to strengthen Jewish life. Remarkably, Scott has synthesized state of the field research, knowledge of "best practice," and his three decades of experience--as a volunteer leader in multiple settings--to offer wisdom on how we can seize this historic opportunity to revitalize Jewish life."
John Ruskay, Executve Vice President and Chief Executive Officer,
UJA-Jewish Federation of New York "
Getting Our Groove Back is a book that every Jewish leader ought to read. Scott Shay lays out an agenda for strengthening Jewish life that pulls no punches - it's passionate, provocative, and practical. Whether you agree or not with all of his ideas, the challenges he puts before the Jewish community are real and unavoidable, and his proposed solutions represent the kind of focused and creative thinking we will surely need to meet those challenges successfully. The author is not reluctant to tackle controversial issues and no camp in the Jewish community escapes critique. But, this is not an indictment; it's a call to action, and one that wide sectors of the community can rally around. Above all, this is a deeply Jewish book - infused with a powerful commitment to Judaism's values and the Jewish people's historic mission. Shay argues persuasively that the world continues to need a strong Jewish community; he wants to make sure that it has one."
Dr. Jonathan Woocher, CEO, JESNA;
Director, Lippman Kanfer Institute "In
Getting Our Groove Back, Scott Shay expertly weaves research, analysis, and his own personal experiences into an innovative program to reinvigorate American Jewry. His passion and commitment to the Jewish community come through in lively prose, and his fresh thinking on the familiar problem of demographic decline will benefit every reader - from synagogue ra
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