Remembering our Roots
Be it waning cultural ties, bittersweet nostalgia or disappearing historical relics, progress comes at a price. Propelling toward ever-greater innovation in the heart of Silicon Valley, it’s easy for us to lose touch with our roots. In this issue, we explore the implications of this disengagement and local efforts to reconnect.
For staff writers Gila Winefeld and Ben Cohen, it’s personal. They began our cover story, “The Orthodox Paradox,” as observers of one religious community’s journey of outreach — but soon found they were coming along for the ride. The local Orthodox movement, in fact, aims to rekindle the spiritual fires of increasingly secular Jewish youth. But while many Palo Altan teens stray from their roots, others struggle to find soil to plant them in a city which favors flashy tablets over traditional texts.
