The following is the installation speech of Steve Croft, incoming President of Congregation Beth Yeshurun in Houston, Texas, the largest synagogue in the Conservative movement.

I want to start by telling you a story---

A long time ago there was a young man, in his early 30's, very shy, who was ASKED to join the new Beth Yeshurun Young Leadership Group.

Rabbi Jeremy Morrison writes about The Riverway Project of Temple Israel, Boston. To date, one of the most successful project of engaging 20 and 30 something Jews. 

At first glance, most young adult, non-Orthodox Jews in America seem rather unengaged in Jewish life. This seems especially true of single Jews between the ages of 25 and 39. Few of them join synagogues or JCCs, even fewer contribute to Jewish federation campaigns, and with the exception of attending Passover Seders or High Holiday services, not many young adults outside of Orthodoxy practice Jewish rituals.