Tal Keinan, in his new book “God is in the Crowd” asks if and how the Jewish people can long continue.

What are the fundamentals of modern Jewish identity that we might try to sustain? Keinan has attempt to crowdsource an initial answer. He invited Jews in both Israel and abroad to suggest identifiers that might win broad agreement. The responses centred on five: social action, education, challenge and dissent, ritual and tradition, community. Keinan briefly sketches what these might mean.

He envisions a new organization, the Jewish World Endowment. It would lead the practical implementation of a program based on shared values. It might ensure, for example, that every Jewish child has access to Jewish summer programs (one in Israel, one abroad) and a University education of their choice.

I set myself this challenge. Imagine this new international organization has its inaugural convention and sets out to proclaim a values statement. How might it build upon the pillars in Keinan’s survey? In today’s pluralistic Jewish world, any credo would have to be cast in terms that are both broad and concise. Yet it would still have to provide specific and actionable direction.

Here is what I would propose as a draft.

The Elements of Modern Jewish Identity