Don’t donate to Chabad!

Below is the text of a letter I’ve just submitted to the Reform Judaism Magazine. I’m a bit dubious as to whether it will ever make it into print or not; Reform Judaism is published only quarterly, with just a small selection of letters being included. So, in case it never makes it between the covers of RJ, here it is:

I was shocked to read (Letter from Rabbi Michael M Remson in the Spring 2008 edition of Reform Judaism) that “many Reform Jews donate to Chabad”. In the US they may be more circumspect, but in South Africa and elsewhere, Chabad makes no secret of the fact that it considers Reform Judaism to be Reform, not Judaism. Our rabbis are little more than reform clerics and our converts are quite simply “not Jews”.

The letter also mentioned that “Chabad unabashedly claims to be doing God’s work”, but that’s a claim any TV evangelist can make.

Yes, we should be motivated by the work and the attitude of their Shlichim (emissaries), but we should be motivated to imitate their example, not support it. To my mind, there is no discussion: Chabad is no friend of Reform Judaism, and should not enjoy the support of the Reform community or individuals.

Those within Reform who wish to give to initiatives that reach out to the marginalized or unaffiliated should rather consider supporting the activities of The World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ), the global umbrella body for progressive Judaism in all its diversity. Pioneering congregations throughout the European Union, the former Soviet Union, Israel and elsewhere need our support; financial, organizational and moral.

Have a look at the newsletters on the WUPJ website and, the next time you reach for your checkbook to support outreach to the unaffiliated, ignore pseudo-outreach organizations such as Chabad. Rather make your check out to the WUPJ and stipulate that you’d like to support the activities of Rabbi Joel Oseran, their vice president for international development. I’m sure the URJ has or supports similar initiatives within the US itself.

Imitation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery, and I believe we should be imitating (NOT supporting) Chabad’s example when it comes to global outreach. I’m not sure yet how we could achieve this without the cultist mindset of the Chabad Shlichim, but one of the most apparent needs amongst fledgling progressive communities is for trained (and preferably full-time) spiritual leadership, i.e. a rabbi. So, how about setting up a fund for “Rabbis in Remote Places”, to cover the cost of training and subsidizing the remuneration of spiritual leaders for these start-up communities?

Let’s hear from you out there!

Links/Reading/Resources:

Reform Judaism Magazine - Home

Reform Judaism Magazine - Spring 2008

The World Union for Progressive Judaism | WUPJnews

The World Union for Progressive Judaism | Our Newsletter

Related:

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

Technorati Tags: Chabad, Progressive Judaism, Rabbi Joel Oseran, Reform Judaism Magazine, Shlichim (emissaries), World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ)

The conversion crisis: End the religious-bureaucratic complex

I was pleased to see from this JTA article that Diaspora Jewish leaders are finally beginning to respond to the crisis in Israel regarding conversions to Judaism. Jewish leaders outside of Israel are understandably reluctant to intervene in something that may be considered an internal Israeli matter, but this is something that affects Jews (and in particular Jews by Choice and their descendants) everywhere.

According to the article:

Leaders of the United Jewish Communities federation umbrella organization sent a sharply worded letter to Olmert on July 9 urging him to assign his Cabinet secretary "to oversee conversion."

In order to keep up the momentum generated by this initiative, I would like to see the leadership of all the major non-Orthodox streams of Judaism – both in the US and globally – direct similar letters to all leadership figures in Israel.

The leaders of the Conservative, Reconstructionist and Liberal/Progressive/Reform streams of Judaism worldwide should call on all the main Israeli leadership figures and offices to do their utmost to ensure that conversions performed by these streams of Judaism – both within and outside Israel – are unequivocally recognised by the Israeli authorities.

Petitions should be addressed to the President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the Knesset, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the heads of all the major non-Haredi political parties.

The leadership of the non-Orthodox streams of Judaism should actually go further than the UJC and call for all matters regarding conversion to be taken out of the dead hands of the Haredi-dominated rabbinate. There should be a complete separation between those responsible for bringing converts into Judaism – the rabbis and courts of all the major streams of Judaism, duly authorised by their own movements – and those responsible for recording such conversions for Israeli identity purposes (the Interior Ministry). The ministry should not be permitted to question the validity of such conversions on religious grounds.

A complete separation between secular and religious functions – an end to the religious-bureaucratic complex - in Israel is long overdue. All members of the non-Orthodox movements should call on their leadership to put pressure on Israel to end this anachronism, and with it the harm that it inflicts on Judaism and the Jewish people daily.

UJC, JAFI press Olmert on conversion - JTA, Jewish & Israel News

Technorati Tags: Conversion crisis, Conversion to Judaism, Diaspora Jewish leaders, Jews by Choice, non-Orthodox Judaism, Religious-bureaucratic complex

Road under construction

I am in the process of implementing new Blogger/Blogspot XML templates across all my blogs.

Please bear with me, as there may be some disruption, broken links and widgets, etc., during the transition.

I will be utilizing various 3-column layouts from the eBlog Templates website. (See the link below.)

Free Blogger Templates and How-To Blogger Articles | eBlog Templates

How to change the world: a guide for inter faith families

I regularly correspond with someone intensely involved in trying to have the status of Patrilineal Jews formally and unequivocally recognized within progressive Judaism and the State of Israel. At the end of the last round of e-mails, the questions weighed heavily on my mind: how DO we go about making the Jewish world (or rather, the progressive part of it) more friendly and accommodating towards those in inter faith relationships (IFRs) and sociological Jews (the “hyphenated Jews”, variously referred to as Patrilineal Jews, half-Jews, non-Halachic Jews or even non-Jews; anyone who happens to have been born with the "wrong" Jewish parent)?

These notes are an attempt to answer that question. This is still very much a draft, so comments and feedback would be welcomed and appreciated.

• Stay informed regarding efforts to reach out to those on the fringes of the Jewish world (Jewish Outreach Institute), those in IFRs (InterfaithFamily.com) and Patrilineal Jews (Jewish Justice).
• When issues relating to outreach, etc., are aired, make your views known by means of letters to Jewish and general publications.
• Put your views across by means of timely and relevant comments on Jewish and other websites when outreach issues are raised.
• Where appropriate, consider creating or supporting online petitions to help change the status of sociological Jews, those in IFRs, etc. (I’m not aware of any currently in operation.)
• Support those organizations attempting (in various ways) to build a welcoming Judaism. Big Tent Judaism (a JOI initiative), InterfaithFamily.com and the Jewish Outreach Institute are the ones I’m aware of. I’m sure there are a number of others that haven’t appeared on my radar.
• Link up with other individuals or families in the same situation. The sites referred to can help point you in the right direction. Facebook and other social media sites may well be the way to achieve the initial networking.
• Look out for and share resources such as organizations, books and other publications and websites or blogs. The few I’ve mentioned are, I’m sure, just the tip of the iceberg.
• When considering membership in a congregation or minyan, make it clear that your decision to join or not join will be heavily influenced by the attitude towards IFFs and sociological Jews.
• If you’re unable to find a suitably welcoming spiritual home for you and your family, consider starting your own minyan or congregation. In the same way that LGBT congregations are now becoming mainstream, such “Outreach” congregations could help to change attitudes while providing comfort zone for those on the margins.
• When considering a Jewish day school for your children, be upfront about concerns regarding outreach. (Your options are, however, likely to be somewhat limited here. Perhaps we’ll see an improvement once Hebrew charter schools start to gain traction.)
• Likewise, when considering joining or supporting any other Jewish organization, make your views known, and let it be understood that your decision will be influenced by its stance regarding outreach.
• When casting your vote for office bearers in any Jewish organization to which you already belong, make it clear that the candidates' stance on outreach and acceptance is key.
• Similarly when donating to a particular Jewish cause. Here’s where you REALLY have the upper hand. Make your donation count, by aligning your giving with strongly held beliefs. There are plenty of worthy Jewish causes out there; avoid supporting those that discriminate against IFFs (inter faith families).
• On occasion, your purchasing decisions can also be made to count. I’m not a great believer in the efficacy of boycotts, but take a consumer activist approach and try to ensure that your purchasing power is aligned with your beliefs and ideology.
• Understand the case for the recognition of Patrilineal (or equilineal) descent in Judaism. The Jewish Justice website is the best resource in this regard.
• Make use of the form letters on the Jewish Justice website to bring the plight of Patrilineal Jews to the attention of those who currently have the whip hand.
• Within progressive Judaism, call for a uniform approach and attitude towards IFRs and their offspring across the entire WUPJ. One’s Jewish status should not change when moving to another congregation or country.
• If you’re a sociological Jew, you should probably stick with Reconstructionist and Reform Judaism, unless you’re prepared to undergo (another?) conversion, that is. In which case this is probably not your fight anyway…
• Prepare your kids, particularly those being raised by a non-Jewish mother. Just because they’re accepted by their own community does not mean they will never encounter the “you’re not really Jewish” canard from some smug, self-satisfied “Real Jew”. Make them aware that they may encounter such attitudes and how to deal with them.
• Steer clear of pseudo-outreach organizations such as Chabad. Rather channel your hopes, efforts, energy and dollars to those organizations genuinely concerned with all of those on the fringes of the Jewish world, not just so-called Halachic Jews.
• There is probably much that can be learned from the struggle of LGBT Jews for acceptance by the Jewish community. This is a process of changing attitudes that may take decades, but based on the LGBT experience, there is no reason why it can’t succeed. The issue of outreach to IFFs is one that that probably impacts a much greater part of the Jewish community than does the LGBT issue.
• Realize that this is probably THE central issue confronting the Jewish world today, and that you’re on the just side of the debate. Expect the mainstream to eventually catch up and invest far more effort and funds into outreach.

I’m positive that if we all take as many of these actions as possible, we will succeed in making the Jewish world a friendlier place for those on the fringes, who still see themselves as part of the Jewish assembly.

Big Tent Judaism

InterfaithFamily.com

jewish matrilineal patrilineal descent

Jewish Mosaic: The National Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity

The Jewish Outreach Institute

JewsByChoice.Org: Your people will be my people and your G-d will be my G-d - Ruth 1:16

As Acceptance Grows, Gay Synagogues Torn Between the Straight and Narrow

Technorati Tags: inter faith families (IFFs), inter faith relationships (IFRs), Jewish outreach, LGBT, Patrilineal Jewish Descent, sociological Jews