Shema: The Call to Listen to Each Other to Build Brand Judaism

Listening as the Foundation for Repositioning Brand Judaism 

Fundamental to any repositioning of a brand is the need to do extensive research and listen to all constituencies and audiences. Often, it is most important to focus on the core users—in our case, us Jews. To successfully rebrand Judaism, we must embrace the principle of Shema: “Listen.” This imperative isn’t just about hearing; it’s about truly understanding, respecting, and valuing all voices within our Jewish community. 

Two Jews, Three Opinions, and the Need to Listen 

We all nod our heads in agreement when we hear the phrase, “Two Jews, three opinions.” We chuckle when we hear the anecdote about the Jew who was discovered after years of living alone on a desert island. His rescuers noticed that he had built two huts aside from the one he lived in. He told the puzzled people who saved him that they were shuls. When asked why he needed two synagogues, he retorted, “One is the one in which I pray, and the other is the one into which I would never set foot.” 

This anecdote humorously underscores a serious reality: the Jewish propensity for dissent and debate. While this trait has fueled vibrant intellectual traditions and resilient communities, it also poses a threat to our unity. A few days ago, JNS reported that 74% of Israelis disagree with the Biden proposal for a ceasefire and hostage exchange. In the US, our youth show increasing anti-Zionistic sentiments. Despite our differences, we must remember the fundamental call to action in the Shema: “Listen.” 

The Shema: A Call to Listen 

The Shema is central to Jewish prayer and encapsulates the essence of what it means to be part of the Jewish people. “Shema Yisrael” — “Listen, Israel” — is not merely a command to hear, but a profound call to heed and internalize the teachings and experiences of others.  

This directive goes beyond simple auditory reception; it is an invitation to understand, empathize, and integrate diverse perspectives. In the past nine months, our focused research with Gen Z Jews, Gen Z Muslims, the broader Gen Z demographic, and the overall population has provided a wealth of insights. Through participation in numerous WhatsApp groups, Facebook discussions, and direct dialogues, and coalitions of marketers trying to address the issues we all acknowledge, we have been overwhelmed by the variety of opinions, experiences, and emotions surrounding current events, especially the ongoing conflict. We recently began more in depth “discussion groups” among Jewish parents of Gen Zers and Gen Alphas to listen, understand, and help people feel heard, to discuss ideas and solutions, and to connect people. 

Diverse Perspectives and Common Concerns 

Our research has revealed a tapestry of perspectives that reflect the complexity of contemporary Jewish identity and experiences. Children raised in Jewish and Zionistic households sometimes express pro-Palestinian sentiments, while friends and educators may offer varying levels of support or opposition. Universities and teachers often resist engaging in balanced discourse, and the loudest voices in media and public forums tend to dominate, overshadowing the nuanced views of many individuals. 

Despite these challenges, there is a shared sense of tragedy and a collective yearning for understanding and resolution. The diversity of opinions underscores the need for a platform that can accommodate and respect these differences while fostering constructive dialogue. Instead of focusing solely on the negative aspects of the situation, there is a pressing need to highlight positive actions and solutions that can bring us together. And there are many positive things happening.  

Jewish Heart Monitors: A Platform for All Voices 

To effectively rebrand Judaism, we thought that we must first create a powerful tool to listen to Jewish “consumers”—Jews themselves. The Jewish Heart Monitors (JHM) initiative aims to harness the collective voice of the Jewish community, providing an unprecedented opportunity for individuals to influence the future of Jewish messaging and communal decisions. This isn’t just another social platform; it’s a research panel combined with active engagement and co-creation at the service of nonprofits and the collective cause.  

Today, our ideas, initiatives and engagement are often fragmented across various platforms like WhatsApp chats, Facebook pages, and isolated communities. This fragmentation prevents us from achieving the depth and coherence necessary for meaningful change. The Jewish Heart Monitors initiative seeks to address this by offering a unified platform where discussions can thrive, and collective insights can be collected, and solutions formed. 

The Jewish Heart Monitors aims to facilitate this by providing a safe space where all Jews, regardless of their political views, nationality, or level of religious observance, can debate, discuss, and disagree on the issues that matter most to us and weigh in on ideas to progress together with structured methodologies and approaches. By creating a platform that codifies our thinking and puts real numbers behind opinions in real-time, we can better understand the collective mindset of our community and be of service to the collective whole.  

Donating our voices  

This initiative also offers a practical business proposition: Why pay for research when our engaged community is willing to donate their voices? By creating a centralized platform for Jewish discourse and research, we can achieve greater depth and coherence in our communal efforts and offer ideas, feedback quickly and cost effectively mitigating reactivity.  

After all, Brand Judaism must be rebuilt on the voices of many to become one.