A Jew is a Jew is a Jew...: You contradict yourself

The SA Jewish Report for 9 May 2008 (.PDF) carried a piece by (Lubavitch) Rabbi Yossy Goldman entitled “A Jew is a Jew is a Jew...” The piece dealt with the growing trend within SA Judaism’s religious right to delegitimize and denigrate Jews who don’t meet the required standard of Orthodoxy, observance, frumkeit, or whatever the measure is. Anyone not meeting the required standard is simply dismissed as “not a real Jew” or not a Jew at all.

Despite what Rabbi Goldman says, this attitude is far, far more widespread than he acknowledges, not just in SA. It has now also become common currency with Israel’s political right, even where it does not overlap with the religious right. Anyone who breaks ranks with entrenched positions runs the risk of having his or her Jewish bona-fides called into question.

Leaving aside Rabbi Goldman’s spirited defense of “the spiritual nature of every Jewish soul”, I found one the Rabbi’s concluding paragraphs to be quite enlightening. He says:

On the other hand, we mustn't confuse issues. While a Reform Jew is fully Jewish, no Orthodox rabbi will agree that a Reform convert is authentically Jewish. It's not only Chief Rabbi (Warren) Goldstein or the Beth Din but Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks (of Great Britain) as well.

So, while a Reform Jew is fully Jewish (gee, thanks Yossy, that makes me feel so much better), Reform Judaism is presumably not even close to being “fully Jewish”. Rabbi Goldman scrupulously avoids using “Reform Judaism”, preferring the term “Reform”. (As a member of Chabad, perhaps Rabbi Goldman should recall the history of his movement and how early Hasidism were persecuted by the Mitnagdim for many of the same reasons as he now uses to deny Reform its authenticity. They only managed to achieve eventual acceptance by becoming “more Catholic than the Pope” in terms of observance. The erstwhile revolutionaries are now the establishment.)

So, if Reform is not Kosher, and Reform converts are not authentically Jewish, I guess a less than welcoming attitude towards Reform Jews in general is understandable. Who knows, the Reform Jew standing in front of you may well be a Reform convert, or the offspring of a Reform convert.

Your age-old definition of a Jew is “one born of a Jewish mother”. In an era where we are all “Jews by Choice” it will no longer suffice. My definition of a Jew is one with a longer and even more distinguished pedigree, “all those who would cast their lot with the Jewish people”.

As the old saying goes, “With friends like that, who needs enemies?”

Perhaps the Reform and unaffiliated Jews (particularly in the US) who contribute to the outreach efforts of Chabad need to be made aware of attitudes like this before reaching for their wallets.

Technorati Tags: Chabad, Conversion, Frumkeit, Hasidism, Lubavitch, Mitnagdim, Observance, Outreach, Reform Judaism, SA Jewish Report, Unaffiliated

Joel Oseran at SAUPJ Indaba

In a previous post on the blog Altneuland, I mentioned the address given by Rabbi Joel Oseran at the European Region Conference of The World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) in Vienna (March 13 through 16, 2008). I suggested that “it [the address] needs to become something akin to a manifesto for Liberal, Progressive and Reform Jewish communities worldwide.”

According to an article on the SAUPJ (The SA Union for Progressive Judaism) website, it appears that Rabbi Oseran will be a keynote speaker at the SAUPJ Indaba, its biennial conference, to be held in Cape Town from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 June.

The other guest speaker will be Dalya Levy, executive director of Arzenu, the Zionist movement of Progressive Judaism based in Israel.

Presumably only those on the committees of the various Reform congregations countrywide and various invited guests will be attending. Perhaps one day when I’m big, I’ll also get invited to events such as this (no irony intended)!

Technorati Tags: Altneuland, Arzenu, Liberal Progressive Reform Judaism, Rabbi Joel Oseran, SAUPJ, SA Union for Progressive Judaism, WUPJ, World Union for Progressive Judaism

Alternative SA Jewish Report – 30 May 2008

The Great Debate on Mashiach

Page 5 of this week’s edition of the SA Jewish Report carried a half-page advert for various events related to Shavuot at the Mizrachi Shul.

One of the items featured is a “Great Debate on Mashiach”, including such thought-provoking questions as “What will he look like?”, “When is he coming?” and “How will we bring him?”

At one, time, this obsession with Mashiach (usually rendered Moshiach to prevent any odious confusion with the Messiah of another faith) was the domain of Chabad. With conventional Orthodoxy seemingly having lost its way in so many other respects, it is probably not surprising that Moshiach fever has taken hold there too.

Belief in the Messiah is one of Judaism’s 13 principles of faith (“I believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah; and even though he may tarry, nonetheless I wait every day for his coming.”), but it appears to me that Chabad and those of like mind are elevating it to the status of a super or defining principle. Questions along the lines of those quoted above seem to me to be a pointless exercise in religious self-stimulation, given that none of us can possibly know or even guess at (never mind intelligently debate) the possible answers.

Let’s rather have a debate along the lines of “Observance – is it taking the place of ethical behaviour?”

Lag B’Omer at Great Park Shul

Pages 6 and 18 featured the Lag B’Omer bonfire and other activities at Johannesburg’s Great Park Shul.

According to the glowing account of Rabbi Dovid Hazdan:

There was a marvellous diversity of people that lent their logos and support including Chabad, Bnei Akiva and Aish Hatorah, and others from the different synagogues, shuls and schools.

The greatest joy for Hashem is when communities get together in harmony.

When Jews are sharing smiles, when His children are close to each other, then they are close to our Father.

There is so much Ahavas Yisroel here - surely the time to bring Moshiach, he said.

His sentiments were followed by those of Chief [Orthodox] Rabbi Warren Goldstein who paid tribute to Rabbi Hazdan and the organisers, saying that Lag B'Omer in the forest had become an institution for South African Jews who can teach everyone the concept of achdut, unity.

We are 'one person with one heart'. May this continue to go from strength to strength. Every Jew is a part of Hashem and we have to focus on each other's similarities rather than the discrepancies.

This concept of diversity can probably be paraphrased as “you can be as diverse as you like, so long as you’re Orthodox”. Don’t expect to see a warm fraternal welcome extended to the SAUPJ, Netzer, Tamar or the SA Union of Temple Sisterhoods here. Reform or Masorti Jews would presumably have been welcome in their individual capacities, but not as representatives of these organisations. Marvellous diversity indeed.

Likewise, in the case of Rabbi Goldstein’s pronouncements that “we have to focus on each other's similarities rather than the discrepancies”; this only applies when dealing with other religions. Reform Judaism need not apply for this dispensation.

Brushing off evil: Dinner with Mugabe

I really enjoyed these gems from author Heidi Holland, author of Dinner with Mugabe on page 8:

Heidi Holland … said she had tried to present a "more nuanced version" of the man as much of the reporting on him was "rather shallow" - due to the fact that he had banned "most" journalists from the country.

Yes, I imagine that if a journalist can’t even get into the place, any reporting might start exhibiting signs of shallowness.

She had first met him 30 years ago and said she had been impressed with him then and had thought of him as "caring".

I can clearly remember the fate of any unfortunate white Rhodesian who happened to fall into the clutches of his “caring” terrorist cadres from the mid-60s to the mid-80s.

She claims that he has been "deeply hurt" by his rejection by whites and his response has been to take revenge.

He certainly gives every indication of having been “deeply hurt”. As we all now know in the age of PC, the oppressor is the real victim. It doesn’t explain how this translated into taking revenge on his entire country, not just the whites who rejected him.

Describing his "traumatised psyche", she said he was "emotionally incapable of accepting defeat" and was "now going for revenge as we've never seen before".

Holland disagreed, saying: "I think the West should talk to Mugabe - Britain should engage with him and make peace with him." She described as "tragic" the fact that President Thabo Mbeki had been left to resolve the situation in Zimbabwe.

Talking to someone has and will always solve every problem. That’s why our world has so few problems, it’s because we’re all talking to one another. I do agree with you on the Mbeki thing though.

She predicted that Mugabe would win the election "on his own terms. I think he's still running the place - I don't think he's been displaced," she added.

Definitely on his own terms. And yes, he’s definitely still running the place.

I can’t wait for Heidi Holland’s next book, “provisionally entitled “Cocoa with Hitler”. Rumours of a third volume “Chardonnay with Bin-Laden” have been strenuously denied by her publishers, however.

Yes Heidi, it is possible to find some redeeming human attribute in just about anyone. Just remember that explaining or understanding evil does not justify or excuse it.

Technorati Tags: Chabad, Jewish diversity, Jewish pluralism, Lag B’Omer, Mashiach, Moshiach, Mugabe, Orthodoxy, SA Jewish Report, SAJR