Reboot

Just over thirteen years ago, a network of highly successful young cultural creatives began to take shape. These deeply passionate individuals, most of whom considered themselves at the outskirts of Judaism, came together to form Reboot, a nonprofit organization with the primary aspiration of opening up Jewish life. The purpose: to affirm the value of Jewish traditions and to create new ways for people to make them their own. Reboot provides a distinctive methodology, an open space for “Rebooters” to explore Jewishness and its place in their contemporary lives. Most importantly, Reboot offers a welcoming invitation to discover, question, imagine and create.

Since its founding, Rebooters, (there are now over 500 in the network) have been the minds—and hands on the ground—behind Reboot’s projects that have grown to engage hundreds of thousands of Jewish young adults around the country in projects such as Sabbath Manifesto/National Day of Unplugging; 10Q (for the Ten Days of Awe); Beyond Bubbe; Sukkah City; Unscrolled and a new project, reBar. Reboot also partners with and shares methodology, content and DIY tools with over 750 national and international community partners including East Side Jews, Lab/Shul, IKAR, Hillel, Moishe House, synagogues, museums and JCCs.

Reboot puts Judaism in play, makes it active and alive. It presents the same big question, but from dozens of angles a year: What am I going to do with my Jewishness? It asks questions that beg answers. Questions that cannot be ignored. Dozens of times a year, those questions put me in play, and those questions pull me toward interacting with Jewishness.
– Rebooter

Reboot recently reflected on its impact over the last 13 years through a network-wide study. The findings offer great insights into the value of the Reboot experience and community for network members. Through Reboot, many connect to Judaism for the first time, or re-connect after years of detachment or distance. Through Reboot’s programs, projects and DIY resources, the organization also opens powerful new perspectives on living a Jewish life, and routes for exploring Judaism on one’s own terms. Members feel a greater sense of ownership over Jewish rituals, practice, and customs—and how those traditional values and themes can be translated to a contemporary setting.

Reboot has been utterly vital in nurturing the development of my Jewish identity such that I now feel more confident interacting with those traditional bodies (our synagogue, synagogue-based preschool and religious school).
– Rebooter

A Reboot original: Tashlique at the beach in San Francisco

Learning and building from their Reboot experience, Rebooters are also passionate about their obligations to future generations. They continue to create vibrant Jewish life in their communities around the country through idea generation, incubation, and collaboration with like-minded peers from diverse backgrounds—all with the idea that Judaism’s rich traditions offer an array of engagement opportunities in today’s modern world.

The Jim Joseph Foundation has awarded three grants to Reboot totaling up to $6,547,490 beginning in 2008. The most recent grant, awarded in February, is for four years.