(401)j presents: SermonSlam Providence

The most common question I get when I talk about (401)j’s SermonSlam event is “What is a SermonSlam?” to which I promptly reply what I learned from the Open Quorum website, “SermonSlam is a poetry slam, but for sermons, poems, stories, narratives, plays and anything else short and on topic.” Founder David Zvi Kalman, who is attending our Providence SermonSlam, explained the origin of SermonSlam.

“SermonSlam is part of a larger venture that I am working on with six other people, called Open Quorum. The idea was to create a forum where people could share their interpretations of Torah – and also to create a forum where Torah was front and center, rather than being one more element of an already-too-long Shabbat morning service. The idea for SermonSlam came up in a conversation between myself and Michal Richardson in October 2013 and the first SermonSlam was in November 2013. By June 2014 there will be 16 SermonSlam events, including two interfaith SermonSlam events (the first interfaith SermonSlam event was in Houston and drew 100 people)….”

In a post-Pew study world, it is more important for young Jews to connect Jewishly. (401)j, the collaborative organization that provides 22- to 45-year-old Jews a space and place to do just that, is hosting its upcoming SermonSlam at The Salon, on Eddy Street in Providence. The SermonSlam allows anyone in the community to present, in five minutes or less, his or her own sermon for the gathered friends. The topic of our SermonSlam is “A Passover Story.” The success of SermonSlam shows just how important being Jewish is to the NextGen community.

So, why attend a SermonSlam? Kalman said,

“Well, beyond seeing your friends perform, which is always fun, I don’t think there are many other venues where Torah can be so freely shared. We are adamant that there are no rules about what can and cannot be performed, and that freedom means that you’re likely to find Torah which will surprise you–which is not something that you can say about a lot of religious institutions!

SermonSlam isn’t just for the seasoned performer or rabbi; it is for anyone who feels inspired to write his or her own sermon and perform it. At (401)j’s SermonSlam, our newly formed a capella group Pastrami on RI, the first post-collegiate Jewish a capella group in Rhode Island, performed its original piece. Performances are recorded, and some do get highlighted on the SermonSlam podcast and YouTube channel.

ERIN MOSELEY is the Director of Arts & Culture and NextGen Engagement for the Jewish Alliance.