Mark I. Rosen, Ph.D., S. Winkelman

      A majority of families with young children are either marginally connected to Jewish life or are not connected at all. It is unlikely that the children raised in these families will grow up to have a Jewish education or a strong Jewish identity. Is it possible to reconnect these families? A promising new approach involves outreach efforts to Jewish parents who have just had a baby. When a couple has their first child, they seek support and guidance and are highly receptive to carefully designed outreach efforts that address their needs as parents. A number of communities around the country have developed innovative programs to engage this group and have inspired many to reconnect to Jewish life. In this presentation, Mark Rosen will describe the results of a national research study that he conducted at Brandeis University to obtain an understanding of these programs, and S. Winkelman will talk about Shalom Baby program that she directs at the St. Louis Jewish Community Center.