Shmulkey Gebrachts Shows How Not to Do Jewish Outreach

The Afikim Foundation, a Jewish non-profit organization that uses the internet to promote Jewish education, has created a funny video purporting to show how to reach out to unaffiliated Jews and bring them closer to their traditions. 

Outreach, or kiruv in Hebrew, is widely and successfully practiced by many Jewish organizations including Chabad Lubavitch and NCSY, the Orthodox Union's youth program.

But like any activity, there are right ways and wrong ways to go about it.  This video had us laughing after we realized it was meant to be a spoof of kiruv methods.  It's the second time the Shmulkey Gebrachts character has been used to parody the methods of some outreach professionals, most of whom go about their business in a dignified, respectful manner.  But not Shmulkey!  

Here is the outreach parody sponsored by Afikim, followed by an earlier version posted a few years ago by NCSY.  We'll let you decide which one is funnier and which one is better at illustrating the ways not to do outreach.

Enjoy!