OyChicago articles

In a Jewish world obsessed with continuity, the millennial generation is an enigma. Age-old norms that defined what it means to be Jewish don't seem to fit. Yet "being Jewish" often is seen as cooler and more accepted than ever.

The public-affairs television show "Sanctuary," which first aired on Nov. 18 on ABC7-Channel 7 and now you can watch it below, examines every angle of this generation. On the program, millennials look closely at themselves and, in the process, reveal a deep commitment to a Judaism rooted in tradition and community, but lived in ways that often challenge 20th century structures and lifestyles.

The show features Oy!Chicago blogger-in-chief, Stefanie Pervos Bregman, editor of the newly published Living Jewishly: A Snapshot of a Generation. The book is a collection of revealing, incisive personal essays by a diverse group of young adult Jews from Chicago and around the country.

Bregman will be joined by an array of millennials offering insights into what “living Jewishly” means to them, from the role of ritual and the importance of choice, to the significance of denominations and the transformation of dating in the era of JDate. Guests include Jenna Benn, Rachel Kohl Finegold, Rachel Friedman, Jonny Imerman, Rabbi Jason Miller, Rabbi David Russo, Benjamin D. Singer, Elizabeth Wyner and Alyssa Zeller.

This episode is hosted by Cindy Sher, editor of JUF News.

"Sanctuary" is a joint production of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and the Chicago Board of Rabbis, in cooperation with ABC7-Channel 7.