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{{Short description|Jewish youth group}}

Also referred to as ''Fruity Jews'', or ''Fruity Jews in the woods'', JITW is an informal [[Shabbaton]] meeting that began in New England in 1997 and is held about twice each year. The group was founded by [[Dan Zimmerman]], [[Dan Smokler]], and [[Sasha Pulkow-Suransky]], three high school friends that attended [[Dartmouth College]], [[Yale University]], and [[Brown University]] respectively. JITW has come to be known for it serene, wooded locations, intense praying and singing, and musical, lyrical and terpsichorean geniuses who frequented its gatherings. It has been described as both ''neo-hasidic''[http://www.matzat.org.il/wallstumbledown.html] and ''post-denominational''[http://forward.com/main/article.php?ref=kamenetz200407071100]. The original gathering in 1997 was realtively small, consisting of friends that the three founders had made at their universities, and on two Israel summer programs: [[Nesiya]], and [[Bronfman Summer Seminar]]. The following year, word had spread, and there were over 100 attendees from the North East and Beyond. Following this event, the organizers decided that they needed to limit the size of the gatherings for the sake of intimacy; consequently, future gatherings hosted between 60 and 70 people. In 2000 and in 2001, the JitW gathering was held at [[9 Mountain retreat center]] in Plainfield, MA. Most of the original Jews in the Woods organizers graduated from college in 2001, and the informal group disbanded. The folks went on to start many [[minyanim]] elsewhere, but JitW took a hiatus.

{{COI|date=April 2012}}

'''Jews in the Woods''' ('''JITW''' or '''JitW''') also referred to as '''Fruity Jews''' or '''Fruity Jews in the Woods''' is a privately organized [[Jew]]ish youth group. It has hosted a number of [[Shabbaton]] meetings whereby young Jews gather to observe the [[Shabbat]] (the Jewish Sabbath) in a formalized manner. The group began in New England in 1997 and held its most recent event in Connecticut in 2013.

==History==

Two years later, in the Spring of 2003, [[Ben Bregman]], who had been at the pre-hiatus gatherings, decided to organize a return to the woods. The fifth gathering was organized by [[Ben Bregman]] and [[Joe Gindi]] of [[Brown University]] and [[Wesleyan University]] respectively. During the planning of this retreat some important changes occurred. Jews in the Woods began to be organized in a more egalitarian, transparent way using a makeshift listserv. The process also evolved to include pluralism as a key value. The three-part davening space, or [[meshlitzah]], was introduced as were a variety of compromises designed to make the community increasingly inclusive. This gathering was small and intimate, consisting of approximately 25 people, but included many of the folks who helped with the rebirth including [[Yona Gorelick]], [[Ari Johnson]], [[Zach Teutsch]], [[Lev Nelson]], and [[Rachel Stone]].

The group was founded by two friends, [[Daniel Smokler|Dan Smokler]] and Dan Zimmerman who sought to create a Jewish community that evoked their Hassidic teacher Josh Lauffer's shabbat gatherings. Zimmerman has also cited the famous gatherings of the sainted Rebbe of Szebreszhin as an inspiration for the gathering. JITW has come to be known for its serene, wooded locations, intense praying and singing, and the musical, lyrical and terpsichorean geniuses who frequent its gatherings. It has been described as both [[Neo-Hasidism|neo-Hasidic]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=|title=And The Walls Came Tumbling Down|url=http://www.matzat.org.il/wallstumbledown.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060503111424/http://www.matzat.org.il/wallstumbledown.html|archive-date=2006-05-03|access-date=2021-10-13|website=matzat.org}}</ref> and post-denominational.<ref name="forward.com">{{Cite web|last=Michaelson|first=Jay|date=2006-08-04|title=Grassroots Spirituality: As Jews in the Woods Grows, It Weighs Whether to Open Its Doors|url=https://forward.com/news/581/grassroots-spirituality-as-jews-in-the-woods-grow/|access-date=2021-10-13|website=The Forward|language=en-US}}</ref>

Johnson and Teutsch organized the sixth JitW gathering and then the seventh and eighth. As electronic tools including a [[wiki]] and a yahoogroup listserve became available, JitW organizers took advantage of the increased connectivity they provided. As with the fith gathering, the process of making the JitW community more egalitarian is still ongoing and there will always be more inclusivity to aspire towards, but innovations developed for these Jews in the Woods gatherings were significant and have impacted the larger Jewish community. The [[shabbatonim]]beagan to be held more often - once a semester - and grew from approximately 20 to over a hundred. Word spread. Many neat projects sprung out of the community as a result of its emphasis on possibility and its impact is begining to be seen on the young American Jewish community.

The original gathering in 1997 was relatively small, consisting of friends that the three founders had made at their universities, and on two Israel summer programs: [[Nesiya]], and the [[Bronfman youth fellowships|Bronfman Youth Fellowships]]. The following year there were over 100 attendees from the North East and beyond. Following this event, the organizers decided that they needed to limit the size of the gatherings for the sake of intimacy; consequently, future gatherings hosted between 60 and 70 people.

Jews in the Woods gatherings 9 and 10 in the spring of 2005 were the first time multiple Jitw shabbatonim were organized in a single semester (one in the north, and one further south). Both were smaller and afforded an easier entry into the community. As JitW gatherings continue to spread, futher innovation is likely, as does the likelihood that the experience of JitW will spread beyond it’s current concentration in Israel and the East Coast.

In 2000 and in 2001, the JitW gathering was held in Plainfield, MA. Most of the original Jews in the Woods organizers graduated from college in 2001. The following year a gathering was held in New York City with many of the original JITW group.

JITW has grown dramatically, and while still unofficial, has acquired a following at university [[Hillel Society|Hillel]]s around the country, and has served as the inspiration for the Kavod Social Justice House [http://www.kavodhouse.com/]. The group has received attention from various bloggers [http://www.orthodoxanarchist.com/2005/10/and-walls-came-tumbling-down-part-x.php], especially for their use of a [[wiki]] in organization and decision-making. In [Mah Rabu's|http://mahrabu.blogspot.com]series on [Hilchot Pluralism|http://mahrabu.blogspot.com/2006/04/hilchot-pluralism-part-iii-macroscopic.html] Jews in the Woods is heralded for popularizing the three-sectioned prayer system. Jews in the Woods was also recently profiled in the major US Jewish newspaper, [The Forward|http://www.forward.com/] in an [article|http://www.forward.com/articles/grassroots-spirituality-as-jews-in-the-woods-grow/] devoted to the issues surrounding boundaries and community.

[[Image:Copy of jewsinthewoods6.jpg|thumb|300px|left|A scene at the sixth gathering.]]

In 2003, [[Ben Bregman]] from [[Brown University]], who had been at the pre-hiatus gatherings, decided to organize a return to the woods. Co-coordinating it with [[Joseph Gindi]] from [[Wesleyan University]], the two wanted to bring the spirit of the original Jews in the Woods gatherings to their friends. During the planning of this fifth retreat some important changes occurred. Jews in the Woods began to be organized in a more multi-denominational, transparent way.

{{Judaism-stub}}

{{Spirituality-stub}}

The three-part davening space, known as a "meshlishah" or "tri-[[Mechitza|chitzah]]", was introduced as were a variety of compromises designed to make the community increasingly inclusive for participants from all [[Jewish denominations]]. This gathering was small but included many of the folks who helped with the rebirth.

In the fall of 2003, Brown Students [[Ari Johnson]] and [[Zach Teutsch]] took over leadership. They used tools to increase transparency including a [[wiki]] and a [[Yahoo! Groups|yahoo group]] [[LISTSERV|listserv]]. These tools replaced the constantly changing list of e-mails. The process of making the JitW community more egalitarian is still ongoing. As with the 2003 Jews in the Woods gathering, the process evolved to include pluralism as a key value. While Johnson and Teutsch were coordinating, the [[shabbaton]]im grew from approximately 20 to over a hundred. Many progressive projects sprung out of the community as a result of its emphasis on possibility and its impact is beginning to be seen on the young American Jewish community.

With numbers growing by over 125% each time, gatherings 9 and 10 in the spring of 2005 became the first time multiple JitW shabbatonim were organized in a single semester. The spring of 2006 saw the first gathering in [[Israel]]. The JitW experience was introduced to an older group of Anglo Jews learning in Israel, many of whom were working toward degrees in Jewish communal leadership. In March 2012, the most recent gathering took place in Rhode Island, attended by 60 students and organized by one Brown student and one Yale student.

JITW has grown dramatically, and while still unofficial, has acquired a following at university [[Hillel Society|Hillel]]s around the country, and has served as the inspiration for the Kavod Social Justice House.<ref>{{Cite [httpweb|title=home.|url=https://www.kavodhousekavodboston.comorg/].|access-date=2021-10-13|website=Kavod Boston|language=en}}</ref> The group has received attention from various bloggers [http://www.orthodoxanarchist.com/2005/10/and-walls-came-tumbling-down-part-x.php], especially for their use of a [[wiki]] in organization and decision-making. In ["Mah Rabu's" series<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mah Rabu מה רבו|url=http://mahrabu.blogspot.com]series|access-date=2021-10-13|website=mahrabu.blogspot.com|language=en}}</ref> on ["Hilchot Pluralism"<ref>{{Cite web|httplast=Bz|date=2006-04-18|title=Mah Rabu מה רבו: Hilchot Pluralism, Part III: Macroscopic prayer issues|url=https://mahrabu.blogspot.com/2006/04/hilchot-pluralism-part-iii-macroscopic.html]|access-date=2021-10-13|website=Mah Rabu מה רבו}}</ref> Jews in the Woods is heralded for popularizing the three-sectioned prayer system. Jews in the Woods was also recently profiled in the major US Jewish newspaper, [[The Forward|http://www.forward.com/]]<ref in an [article|http://www.name="forward.com"/articles/grassroots-spirituality-as-jews-in-the-woods-grow/]> devoted to the issues surrounding boundaries and community.

== References ==

<references/>

== External links ==

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120207123855/http://jewsinthewoods.org/ JITW Homepage]

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071214035020/http://newvoices.org/campus-news/a-student-run-shabbaton-falters.html A Student-Run Shabbaton Falters] by Ashley Bagan at [[New Voices magazine]].

[[Category:Jewish clubs and societies]]

[[Category:Jewish organizations based in the United States]]

[[Category:Jewish youth organizations based in the United States]]

[[Category:Shabbat]]

[[Category:Jewish organizations established in 1997]]

[[Category:1997 establishments in the United States]]