Several years ago, a collection of Jews from Chicago got together to deal with hatred run amok. They formed two groups which they ironically named “One Groups.” The purpose of these groups was to help its members develop doable, individual projects that would heal rifts and build bridges.
The first meetings were charged with energy. There were people representing many strata of Jewish society that rarely interact with each other. There were Kach members and liberal Jews, there were Lubavitchers and Litvaks, there were Conservative Jews and Modern Orthodox Jews and so on. Take a minute and try to imagine the scene. Norman Rockwell should have been there to paint it. There were awkward moments as members searched for ways to interact with each other, but everyone who was there was dedicated to making it work, and found ways to make that happen.
It was decided early on that the meetings would not be places for mere venting or catharsis; they would not be support groups, but think tanks. People would suggest projects and they would be hashed out. If there was a problem, someone would identify it and then come up with a solution, and then the individual would go off to perform it.
At the next meeting, the group would listen to the result and comment. The purpose was to inspire and encourage the project, and provide motivation for the person to follow through. Much of the motivation was the knowledge that they would have to face their peers at the next meeting, all of whom were anxious to hear their results. Remember, these were designed to be doable. They were small steps. It didn’t matter how big the project was as long as something was being done.
Some people discovered they could do a lot more than they thought. Others discovered that what they thought was doable was more difficult than they imagined. This information was then used when designing the next project.
The groups lasted about a year and then disbanded. It was hard to keep the fire of the first meetings alive from month to month (they met once a month). But a formula was distilled from the creative thinking of those groups, and continues to be used in different formats to this day. That formula is: Always have a project you’re working on. Keep it simple and very doable.
The latest incarnation of the One Groups is the One Jewish People Project. At present its a Facebook group, but soon it will have its own website. As I mentioned above, this movement was intended to be grassroots without any formal structure. You join by simply healing a rift or building a bridge. But no one said we can’t share with each other. So if you want to build bridges and heal rifts with lots of others, why not join the One Jewish People Project on Facebook? Lots of people doing simple goodness; not too shabby.
