Craig
Parks
Nickname: Music Mensch
Age: 33
where he’s at now:
Youth director at Temple Solel, director of Camp Simcha, song
leader at Congregation Beth Israel, founder of Jewish teen group Kavannah
and member of Congregation Beth Am’s Rock’n Shabbat band.
He also fronts his own rock ensemble, Torpedo Betty.
why he’s on this list:
Through innovative recreational programs and uplifting musical
performances, Parks is constantly striving to bring religious meaning
to young people. “My work with the teenagers is very much a reaction
to my own teen years, which were filled with alienation and a kind of
yearning,” he reveals, adding that he didn’t feel spiritually
connected to Judaism until his early 20s. “As an adult, I can see
that it was really a yearning for connection, a yearning for meaning,
a yearning for making a difference and having an opportunity to make a
difference.”
why his band might one day be known as Torah-pedo Betty:
“Torpedo Betty is not a Jewish band,” explains
Parks. “But it’s not like I’m no longer Jewish when
I play funky, jamming music. That’s why I wear a kippah on stage
and when I’m out and about. I recently wrote a L’cha Dodi
and the band actually wants to do it, so we might have a Jewish piece
in there.”
where will he be in 18 years?
“I want my music to be able to touch and inspire people
all over the world,” says the father of a newborn son. “I
don’t really believe that the Jewish world is disconnected from
the rest of the world, so I would want my music, and the wealth and influence
that I’ve developed from it, to be able to provide money or services
[to the community].”
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