The disaffected youth post generated a serious amount of discussion, criticism and support from some unexpected quarters. Gen X has been most vocal with an outpouring of support because only they know how tough the journey has been and how difficult the path ahead will be for the current and future generation.
A recent article from Bernard Salt of The Australian – Boom to Bust sums it up for Gen X. It is well worth a read especially by some of the disaffected youth who claim to have exclusive rights to life not being fair and not being heard.
Generation X. We’re the MTV generation who followed the baby boomers, the crowd who came of age in the ’80s and early ’90s – the era of Madonna, shoulder pads, designer sneakers, and Daryl Somers hamming it up on Hey Hey It’s Saturday. We were shaped by global political events such as The Vietnam War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the Cold War, and the Thatcher-era government in the UK. We grew up protesting at rallies to free Soviet Jewry, watched in awe at Operation Entebbe, witnessed The rise of the PLO in Lebanon and stunning victory of The 6 Day War. Gen X grew up under a constant threat of total nuclear war, that’s right nuclear war, total annihilation.
The disaffected youth complain they do not have a voice, their opinions are not heard but plenty of evidence exists showing many youth participating in many community organisations. Some of these organisations are not actively aligned, to every left wing trendy social justice cause, never the less they are vital parts of our community that deserve to be supported. Without them we as a community suffer and the next generation suffer’s more.
What are Gen X going to do in our community ?
Can we rely on “The disaffected youth”, to busy complaining about their exclusion to join us in the challenges we face ?
Is Gen X up to the challenge ?
What are the real issues confronting the community ? I am not referring to petty nonsense about the price of Challah at The Kosher Providore and the challenges faced in the school car park.
The real issues….
Why does The Maccabean not provide a real place for the community to debate vital issues ?
Why does the Jewish Centre sit in a state of disarray without a real plan to turn it into a thriving community hub ?
Is there a better way to connect our children to our Jewish religion, culture and heritage without private dayschool fees ?
How many Shules do we really need ?
Can we continue to rely on philanthropy ?
Do Jewish community organisations have leadership succession plans ?
Is Jewish migration a trend of the past ?