Federal funding for Jewish day schools: The best of all possible worlds?

According to the JTA Breaking News item “Orthodox schools get federal funding” from 08/26/2008:

Several Orthodox Jewish day schools in Houston will receive $70,000 in federal funding.

The fervently Orthodox umbrella group [Agudath Israel of America], in partnership with other faith groups in Houston, successfully lobbied the school board for an expansion of federal support.

The funds are part of a total of $610,000 in federal dollars allocated to private educational institutions. They can be used for supplies, textbooks and staffing expenses for remedial programs, the statement said.

I trust that Jewish day schools affiliated to the Conservative and Reform/Reconstructionist movements, as well as schools not affiliated with any of the movements will take note of this development. The Jewish day school concept is under threat on a number of fronts, with budget issues probably the most pressing. If Federal assistance can be obtained for struggling schools (without compromising on the separation between church and state), then every effort should be made to do so.

The leaders of those movements should also see this as a possible threat. In Israel, the ultra-Orthodox schools – with help of massive subsidies from the overburdened Israeli taxpayer – are succeeding in attracting traditional and secular students, because they are able to offer a more stable educational experience then even state religious schools. Those students would then tend to gravitate towards the ultra-Orthodox sector, further artificially skewing the demographic balance in Israel. It is not inconceivable that a well-funded ultra-Orthodox day schools network in the US could achieve the same objective.

Like the Jesuits, the Haredim have long realised the importance of control over the educational process.

Related posts:

Cafe Birkenreis: Israeli expatriates leading the way with day schools?

Altneuland: The best investment in Jewish continuity

Altneuland: The Haredisation of Jewish Education in SA

Altneuland: Needed: A Big Tent approach to worldwide Jewish education

Altneuland: Hebrew Charter Schools: Sit up and pay attention

Technorati Tags: Demographic balance, Haredim, Jewish day schools, Jewish education, Ultra-Orthodox

Jewish Values, Human Rights and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Last week I attended a talk by Rabbi Brian Walt (Rabbis for Human Rights - North America (RHR-NA)) on the subject of Jewish Values, Human Rights and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

This is not intended to be a comprehensive report on the talk and the discussion which followed. Something along those lines will no doubt be provided in due course on behalf of the SAUPJ by the attractive and talented Darryl Egnal, who was also present. Rather, these are just my impressions and reactions; those of someone who started out far to the right of positions that may be taken by RHR-NA!

I couldn’t contribute my questions to the discussion, as it was continued over the optional dinner, which I didn’t attend. These are issues I’ve been grappling with for some time, without having formulated a clear position yet. For that reason, I can’t draw a line between what Rabbi Walt had to say, and my own questions and views. In no particular order:

What is the basis of Judaism’s ethics? That we were all created in God’s image, or that we are enjoined not to do what is hateful to us? Either one leads us quite shockingly far from where (especially Orthodox) Judaism (at least as observed in Israel) is right now.

The fact that we even have an organisation called Rabbis for Human Rights is a serious indictment of Judaism and Jewish society. It implies (correctly) that we have rabbis indifferent to human rights, to say nothing of rabbis AGAINST human rights!

Israel’s acts and omissions (particularly since the Six-Day War) serve to remind us that it’s easy to have clean hands when you’re powerless. Prior to 1948, Jews were able to assume the moral high ground with regard to the treatment of The Other. With the benefit of experience, we can now see that victimhood and powerlessness are not the same as moral superiority. Power over others’ lives is the real test, one which Israel appears to be failing, quite dismally. Welcome to the human condition.

Having said that, let me immediately add that the existence of Israel as a secure Jewish State (hopefully along democratic, secular and Western lines) is an absolute red line for me (and no, not one of Olmert’s blurry red lines). I cannot and will not visualize a Jewish world without an Israel in something like its present form.

We should be able to discuss and debate every position and viewpoint regarding the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (short of talking about dismantling Israel) without resorting to accusations of anti-Semitism or Jewish self-hatred. At the same time, however, we must acknowledge that some of Israel’s opponents (physical or spiritual) are actually driven by just those motivations.

So, how do we express principled opposition to certain of Israel’s policies (or, sometimes of even more concern, her lack of policies) without crossing the line from critic to enemy? How do we remain members of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition (Her Majesty in this case being Israel itself)? (It should be noted, however, that those on the right are generally not accused of disloyalty even when espousing the most radical views.)

Some questions are even more fundamental. For instance, I still don’t see any evidence of a genuine desire for peace on the part of either the Palestinian Arabs or the larger Arab/Muslim world that surrounds Israel.

How does one protect (or at least respect) the human rights of enemy combatants and civilians or even our own minorities, while not falling prey to the delusion that we can bring about peace by changing only what we do? (If it was that simple, we would have had peace decades ago.)

Oppression may be damaging to the other, but being the oppressor is also damaging to us. (At the same time, I do believe that any oppression we may be inflicting on others is pretty mild compared to anything done to us.)

I am not a peacenik. I believe that Jewish physical survival worldwide requires a militarily and strategically robust Israel. Because of the Jewish character, however, we need to have justice on our side in order to manifest that strength. Perhaps that’s the missing ingredient in many of Israel’s military endeavours since, say 1982?

Human rights are not an absolute good for me, at least not separate from other considerations. Here in South Africa our human rights regime is unparalleled, certainly in our own history. At the same time, there is probably no more corrupt, dangerous, unjust and even outright racist society in the world today. What is the value, the good of human rights in such a situation?

Technorati Tags: Anti-Semitism, Human Rights, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Jewish ethics, Jewish self-hatred, Jewish Values, Peace process.Rabbis for Human Rights, RHR-NA

UOS caters to the needs of over 95% of SA Jewry?

This amazing factoid appeared in Volume 1 Issue 3 Tamuz 5768 of The SA Jewish Board Cast (“A review of Jewish South Africa today”), published by the SA Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD).

The item read “It (the Union of Orthodox Synagogues or UOS) is the largest Jewish religious organization in the country and caters to the needs of over 95% of SA Jewry”.

There’s no doubt that it is the largest Jewish religious organization here, but over 95%? The last figures I saw suggested that SA Jewry is +/-80% Orthodox (still a substantial figure), 10% Reform (presumably this includes the single Conservative/Masorti congregation) and 10% un- or dis-affiliated. We really have no way of knowing for certain right now. Estimates of the total Jewish population in SA vary between as little as 50 thousand and as many as 80 to 100 thousand.

In my opinion, even 80% overstates the Orthodox position, while the 10% figure for those not affiliated is probably greatly understated. These are the “consensus” numbers generally bandied about, however, so I’m really not sure why the UOS felt the need to inflate their market share.

The same item mentions that The Office of the Chief Rabbi provides “unified national leadership for the South African Jewish community … dealing with government, media and civil society”. Strange, but that sounds more like it should be the role of the SAJBD rather than that of The Office of the Chief Rabbi. I guess I must have missed out on the subtle nuances in the distinction between the organizational roles of these two bodies.

As for “unified national leadership for the South African Jewish community”, this might have been true for previous incumbents of this office. It is certainly not the case for the current incumbent, who appears to have done his best to drive a wedge between the Orthodox and Reform communities, overturning perhaps half a century of generally harmonious relationships between the two.

As a footnote, the reason for the overwhelming preponderance of Orthodoxy in SA is best explained in this article by Jocelyn Hellig.

One reason for its [the Reform community] smallness may be that a large body of Orthodox Jews, who did not follow a fully observant lifestyle, felt no need to change their affiliation. They could ride to shul on Shabbat and pick and choose which mitzvoth to observe.

I labelled them the 'non-observant Orthodox' and their predominance was the key to understanding the religious expression of our community at the time. The preponderance of Orthodox affiliation in South Africa is an accident in history because such Jews would have felt distinctly uncomfortable in an Orthodox congregation in the US, for example.

Technorati Tags: Jewish South Africa, 'non-observant Orthodox', Office of the Chief Rabbi, SA Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD), SA Jewish population, South African Jewish community, Union of Orthodox Synagogues (UOS)

JPost.com international online survey: relationship between state and religion

According to an item on the JPost.com website:

The Jerusalem Post Internet Edition JPost.com - Israel's most read English web-site and most recognized Israeli media brand around the world - is conducting an international online survey about the relationship between state and religion.

Don't miss this opportunity to let your voice be heard! Many media outlets and national leaders are interested in your opinion.

The survey on the state-religion relationship will analyse responses to the following questions:

• Which stream of Judaism should be recognized by the state when performing marriage ceremonies?
• Should the state recognize civil marriage?
• Which stream of Judaism should be recognized by the state when performing conversions to Judaism?
• Should ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students be exempted from service in the IDF?
• Is the Law of Return discriminatory?
• Should state and religion be separated in Israel?

A valid e-mail address must be provided in order to participate. This is presumably in order to prevent ballot stuffing.

Anyone interested in correcting the skewed relationship between religion and state in Israel is encouraged to make their views known by taking part in this survey.

This is a rare opportunity for those who hold a pluralistic view of Judaism, and who question the role of Orthodoxy and ultra-Orthodoxy within Israel’s “religious-bureaucratic complex” to make their views known. Perhaps some of those politicians and other public figures who have an almost Pavlovian urge to genuflect and kiss the ring of anyone wearing basic black may even sit up and take notice!

Certainly anyone who is a member of (or identifies with) the ABO (Anything But Orthodox) streams of Judaism (Conservative, Reconstructionist, Reform, etc.) should respond appropriately.

Hat tip to Joel Katz at the indispensable Religion and State in Israel blog for this one.

You can complete the survey here.

Technorati Tags: Anything But Orthodoxy (ABO), Civil marriage, Conversion to Judaism, Israel’s religious-bureaucratic complex, Pluralistic view of Judaism, Religion and state in Israel, Separation of religion and state

Women’s voices in the corridors of power

(This piece began as a response to the issue of female MKs being excluded from the Knesset choir which sang the national anthem during the British PM’s visit to Israel. It has mutated into a more general rant against the black tide that continues to sweep through the Jewish world (particularly Israel) today. So be it.)

Elsewhere in the world, Jews gravitate towards societies that protect freedom; economic, social and religious.

Elsewhere in the world, Jews are in the forefront of the ongoing struggle to ensure the separation of church (religion) and state.

Elsewhere in the world, Jews recognize, condemn and distance themselves in all ways from religious fundamentalism, whether Christian, Islamic or Jewish.

Elsewhere in the world, Jews are the first to rush to defend the rights of minorities and disadvantaged or marginalized groups, from the largest “minority” (women) to the smallest.

This is as it should be. In Israel, however, the opposite appears to be happening.

Here, the advocates of Grim Judaism are managing to turn back the clock in another arena of public life, and that arena the Knesset, the very body that should be a powerful bulwark against the tyranny of those claiming to speak in the name of tradition.

Middle Israel, the mainstream, the secular and traditional majority that makes up the very essence of Israel appears not to recognize the danger, or perhaps to have become reconciled to it or exhausted by it.

The public figures (including notably and disgracefully the Speaker of the Knesset, Dalia Itzik) who should be fighting these battles appear to have sold out their constituencies once again. Once again the public and the ideals they should be serving have been betrayed, and they have handed over to the Dark Side what does not belong to them; what belongs to all of us.

And so the country that proudly (justifiably) holds itself to be the only outpost of democracy in this benighted region betrays fully half its population in one fell swoop. How? By allowing that a woman’s voice should not be heard singing in the very place that should fight to the death to protect that right.

And to whom do they make this concession?

To the opponents of Zionism, to those whose every action and deed undermines it.

To those who played little part in the making of an independent Israel, and who to this day play only the feeblest role in furthering it.

To those who isolate themselves from the rest of Israeli society, who fail (nay, refuse) to send their sons (and daughters) to defend it, who send their women out to be both breadwinners and caregivers.

To those who contribute little but grasp all they can from the public purse, with their ceaseless demands and their ceaseless procreation.

There are so many threats to the present and future of Israel, this precious and irreplaceable gift from just a few generations that immediately preceded ours, and including the one still with us, our own Greatest Generation.

The most insidious threat, however, is this one. This black tide has the potential to transform Israel from a strong, vibrant democracy where any and every Jew can find a place, into a dismal Kehilla, a bloated Ghetto that will exclude and include, allow and forbid, until Middle Israel gives up and leaves, and those who remain fall to the sword-stroke of a waiting Islam.

Am I being overly dramatic? Perhaps. But this would not be the first society to be destroyed because it failed to confront its enemies, domestic and foreign.

Right now the real Israel has the ability and the mandate to end these attacks on its core values.

Just weeks ago, it could have ended this crisis by inviting – politely but firmly - those who find the sound of women’s voices in song offensive (or who can’t concentrate because lust overwhelms them) to simply absent themselves from the event.

Will it still be able to do this in a year from now? In five or ten? I fear the worst.

I’m glad to see that at least some recognize the significance of this seemingly insignificant event. I hope that those who have defended the rights of women in Jewish society elsewhere in the world and on other issues will take up this particular struggle as well.

Time is running out. How much more of this erosion can Israel’s institutions endure?

Technorati Tags: Black tide, Female MKs, Grim Judaism, Knesset choir, Middle Israel, Minority rights, Religious fundamentalism, Separation of church (religion) and state, The Dark Side

Why I’m not on JBlogSphere [.] com: Does this explain it?

In a post late last year, I speculated as to the reason why I couldn’t get my Israel advocacy blog Altneuland onto the JBlogSphere [.] com Jewish blog aggregator. At the time, I assumed it was either a technical issue, or that the site was no longer being maintained.

It appears there may be a simpler explanation. I accidentally clicked through to the site the other day, and I see that the following banner is now displayed on the home page:

Welcome to JBlogSphere [.] com - aggregating Frum Jewish Blogs online.

The site description now reads as follows:

JBlogSphere [.] com - Jewish, frum and religious blogs in the jblogosphere

So, I guess that explains it. Altneuland was not considered “frum” enough. Cafe Birkenreis would presumably be considered even less so!

I guess I must be doing something right.

At the time, I had this apparently naïve belief that in order to be added to these J-Blogosphere aggregators and directories, I simply needed to ask. As with so many other things in the Jewish world these days, however, it seems that your “yichus” must first be vetted. I guess I must have been really desperate for inbound links…

Related posts:

Cafe Birkenreis: Pimp my Blog: J-Blogosphere: JBlogSphere [.] com

Technorati Tags: Altneuland, Blog aggregators, Blog directories, Café Birkenreis, Frum, Israel advocacy, J-Blogosphere, Yichus

Limmud SA and the Orthodox rabbinate: What are they afraid of?

A reminder to my readers in SA that Limmud South Africa takes place in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg over the period 29 August to 3 September 2008. Check the Limmud SA website for exact details for your city. If you’re planning to boycott Limmud in line with the call from the Orthodox chief rabbi and rabbinate (SARA), boy, are you ever on the wrong blog!

From the little that I’ve been able to find on the web regarding the boycott, this appears to be the best explanation (from It's Almost Supernatural):

The rumours I have heard seem to indicate that SARA is uncomfortable with the fact that Reform Rabbis and secular scholars will be giving talks on the Jewish religion. The logic as I was explained it, is that the Orthodox Rabbinate sees itself as the only legitimate vehicle for Jewish religious instruction in South Africa. Limmud with a mix of talks by representatives of all Jewish streams clearly presents a threat to this monopoly. Moreover they can not accept the premises of Limmud that all subjects of Jewish interest (from Torah to food) should be given equal space.

Fortunately the Orthodox rabbinate no longer has the coercive power of the Kehilla, so the boycott is limited to the rabbinate itself and to anyone over whom they have some form of influence (not to be underestimated). Limmud will miss out on the participation of those who heed the boycott, but at the same time those who heed it are unlikely to have benefited from Limmud anyway. Limmud, I guess, will benefit from all the free publicity surrounding the boycott. Win some, lose some.

To me it almost appears as if Orthodoxy in SA is still fighting the war against Emancipation and the Enlightenment. I see this as the tragedy of Judaism in the centuries since then; that “mainstream” Judaism (what has now come to be identified with Orthodoxy) failed to meet the challenge of these critical events and ideologies, and instead chose to turn inward.

In my understanding, this was the first time ever that Judaism had withdrawn from competing in the marketplace of ideas, and the repercussions can be felt to this day.

While various movements within Judaism (Reform, Conservative, even Zionism) went on to try and meet the challenges of the secular age, the blessing of Rabbinic Judaism was withheld from these attempts. The flight from Judaism into assimilation, the delegitimisation of the ABO (Anything But Orthodox) streams of Judaism, the Haredisation and contraction of Orthodoxy can all be traced back to this turning point.

Emancipation and Enlightenment did not represent a greater challenge than previous ones (consider Paganism, Hellenism, Christianity, Islam, etc.), but because the challenge was not met head on, it proved to be the crucial one. The failure to respond cohesively left much of the Jewish world asking fundamental questions about Judaism and being Jewish; questions that remain without a consensus answer to this day.

End of amateur sociological lecture.

Head on over to the Limmud SA website and book (please). Booking in advance will assist the organizers (all volunteers) in their planning. In addition, if you book before 10 August (Johannesburg only), conference fees are discounted. Fees vary from venue to venue and are discounted for children, students and pensioners.

Technorati Tags: Anything But Orthodox (ABO), Assimilation, Conservative Judaism, Emancipation, Enlightenment, Haredisation, Kehilla, Limmud SA, Limmud South Africa, Orthodox Rabbinate, Rabbinic Judaism, Reform Judaism, Secularism