Moving Home

Dear Reader,

The contents of this blog and my blogging activities have been migrated over to my new self-hosted WordPress blog at:

Maskil

I will therefore not be posting any further updates here, although the blog and its original contents will remain in place indefinitely.

Cafe Birkenreis retains its own distinct category on Maskil, and even its own feed, if you’re only interested in this aspect of my writing.

If you’ve subscribed by means of a feed reader, you should continue to receive updates seamlessly. If you’re not already a subscriber, please consider signing up to receive updates via e-mail, feed, FriendFeed or Twitter.

Please contact me at the following e-mail address for any comments, feedback or suggestions: maskil at maskil dot info.

Looking forward to seeing you at my new blogging home!

Regards,

“Maskil”

Mutual Recognition of Conversions

During the debate around the Israeli High Court decision regarding non-Orthodox conversions in Israel, a fellow Tweeter (also Reform) took the stance that he had no interest in the issue, as Orthodox conversions are the only ones recognised by all streams of Judaism (leaving aside the issue of retrospective annulments of Orthodox conversions that have become almost commonplace).

Obviously I disagree profoundly with that attitude, and it’s also something of a circular argument (we shouldn’t press for non-Orthodox conversions to be recognised, because only Orthodox conversions are recognised by all…). It did start me wondering about another aspect of the issue, however. Outside of Israel, why should we even care about whether progressive (in the sense of non-Orthodox) conversions are recognised by Orthodoxy or not? To put this in perspective, would the Methodist Church care about whether the Catholic Church recognised its converts or not?

Shouldn't we then see our conversions in the same way, i.e. they are converting to Judaism as a faith and Reform Judaism as a movement or stream within Judaism? It’s up to other movements to decide whether they wish to recognise them as members of the Jewish faith or not (and I think we already know the answer to that one). This does need to be clearly explained to potential converts beforehand, however. If he/she is not comfortable about acceptance of their conversion, then perhaps a Reform or Conservative conversion is not for him/her.

There needs to be some form of mutuality or mutual recognition here, an agreement (tacit or otherwise) that says that if we are to recognise your conversions, you should recognise ours. Failing that, perhaps we need to consider a tit-for-tat policy that applies the non-recognition both ways. Perhaps in the same way that we don’t allow just any Orthodox Rabbi to lead a Reform congregation? (Although we don’t want a convert to suffer because of this family quarrel.)

Judaism is and remains one faith or religion (in the same way that Christianity remains one religion), but encompasses many movements or streams (in the same way that Christianity embraces many churches and sects). What Judaism does not and should not have is one central authority to decide Halacha, declare something to be heresy or even excommunicate a member. If Orthodoxy wants a Papacy (and by many indications it does), then we cannot allow the writ of such a Jewish Papacy to extend beyond the bounds of Orthodoxy to the rest of the Jewish World.

The situation within Israel is, of course very different, in that recognition of conversions has much wider implications for personal status, citizenship, rights, etc., and we shouldn’t expect those issues to go away until all major streams of Judaism achieve equal status before the religious-bureaucratic complex there.

Has the Jewish Day School Model Failed?

An excellent article by Gary Rosenblatt on the future of Jewish education in The [NY] Jewish Week. In particular, his support for the Hebrew Charter School model and for revisiting the Hebrew (Sunday) School model is welcome. I’m not going to attempt to paraphrase the article, or sprinkle my post with extracts. Rather read it in full here:

Jewish Day School Model May Now Be Thing Of Past

Just a couple of points to add to the discussion:

Isn’t it a bit premature to conclude that the Jewish Day School model has failed (at least financially)? I think that much of the problem is that almost the entire burden of running Jewish Day Schools has fallen on the parents of those attending them (apart from donors, of course), during the course of their attendance. If we believe that day schools are truly the answer for Jewish literacy and a (meaningful) Jewish survival, then surely the burden should be picked up by the entire Jewish community, not just those whose children attend a day school. We should see this as one of the most crucial needs when it comes to communal Jewish spending.

If we look at South Africa, it is claimed that around 80% of Jewish children attend a Jewish Day School, most of which operate under the aegis of the SA Board of Jewish Education (SABJE). This is a good example of what can be achieved when the Jewish Day School model enjoys almost universal support from the community.

(The SA example is not without its flaws, with the culture of the SABJE-supported schools having been hijacked by the increasingly Haredi-oriented Orthodox structures. While the attempt to impose a higher level of “Frumkeit” has probably been largely successful, it has eroded the universal support schools such as King David once enjoyed. The 80% figure referred to above is probably quite optimistic, given the quiet drift away from organised Jewish life that has taken place in conjunction with the increased level of observance in part of the community. Simply put, a pluralistic or non-denominational Jewish education is not available through the SABJE, although it is funded by and should be accessible to the entire community.)

Related posts:

1. Israeli expatriates leading the way with day schools?
2. The best investment in Jewish continuity
3. The Haredisation of Jewish Education in SA
4. Needed: A Big Tent approach to worldwide Jewish education
5. Hebrew Charter Schools: Sit up and pay attention
6. Federal funding for Jewish day schools: The best of all possible worlds?
7. Getting more Jewish kids into day schools

SA Delegation at Connections 2009 in Israel

A delegation of 10 South Africans [including the writer] attended Connections 2009, held in Israel from 18 to 23 March 2009. The delegation was led by Steve Lurie, Chairperson of the SA Union for Progressive Judaism (SAUPJ) and organised by Reeva Forman, with assistance from the SA Zionist Federation (SAZF). It included key figures in Reform Judaism in SA, such as Rabbi Robert Jacobs, spiritual leader of Bet David congregation in Sandton.

Connections 2009 – the 34th (Biennial) International Convention of The World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) – took place in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and was attended by over 600 delegates, representing the Reform, Liberal, Progressive and Reconstructionist movements from more than 40 countries, serving 1,200 congregations with 1.7 million members worldwide. Delegates also celebrated the 30th anniversary of Netzer Olami, the WUPJ’s international Reform Zionist youth movement, now reportedly the world’s largest Jewish youth movement.

The packed agenda included addresses from prominent figures in Israeli and Jewish society. Newly elected mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat spoke at the opening ceremony, while Israeli President Shimon Peres’ address was the focus of the closing banquet. In between these highlights, delegates were treated to a profusion of keynote addresses, lively panel discussions, field trips, congregational visits and walking tours of Jaffa and Tel-Aviv. This was rounded out by innovative Shacharit morning worship and Shabbat evening and morning services with communities from the small but growing Israeli Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ). An important part of such events is the formal and informal “networking” which takes place, facilitated in this case by the “Regional Shuk (Market)” and related activities.

The SA delegation was also privileged to visit key sites in Jerusalem under the expert guidance of Prof. Ophir Yarden, a lecturer at Brigham Young University. This intensive learning experience covered the Old City, the Western Wall and archaeological sites around the Temple Mount, as well as the various components of the Mt Herzl complex (including both Yad Vashem and the IDF military cemetery).

While Reform Judaism is relatively small in communities such as Israel and South Africa, Progressive Judaism can justifiably claim to be the largest Jewish religious denomination worldwide. WUPJ conventions such as Connections 2009 are the ideal opportunity for adherents of Progressive Judaism in SA to connect with like-minded individuals and communities throughout the world, thereby gaining a new perspective on the role and development of Progressive Judaism. It was also the ideal opportunity for the Progressive “family” to show solidarity with the people of Israel as a whole, as well as with Progressive congregations in Israel (which - unlike their Orthodox brethren - enjoy no official support), and new growth areas such as the Former-Soviet Union (FSU).

(This article was originally prepared for (but didn’t make the pages of) the SA Jewish Report.  On my return from Israel, I was hit by a “travel bug” and preparations for moving home, so I wasn’t able to follow up as to why the piece was never published.  Here it is anyway…)

Judaism by Proxy

The quotes below are from an excellent op-ed by Gideon Levy that appeared recently in the online edition of Haaretz. (OK, not THAT recently, but I'm a little behind, having been in Israel for a week and moved home almost immediately on my return. I'm now struggling to cope without my trusty ADSL connection.)

Orthodox society and its leadership should not be blamed for this. The Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox have the right to do everything they can to impose their faith on the secular majority. It's the secular who are to blame. Just as it's not yeshiva students' fault that they are not drafted, but rather the fault of the secular majority that allows this, so it is with the other aspects of our lives. We, the secular people, are to blame for all this. We're the ones who give in. Just as with the tyranny of another minority, the settlers, who terrorize the majority, so it is with the tyranny of the ultra-Orthodox: The tyranny exists because the secular majority has chosen to obey it.

So don't come complaining to the religious people. The secular are the majority, and the power to change the picture is in their hands. If the majority were to stand up and not surrender to the minority, buses would run every day and bread would be sold on Passover. So it could be we are much more religious than we are willing to admit. We may maintain the image of being secular, but we are religious in our essence.

If only we were willing to admit this and stop pretending to be secular. All the same, a society that pretends to be Western and enlightened cannot delude itself while maintaining such a religious and unenlightened lifestyle. Not much has changed since our school days, when we were taught to kiss a Bible that dropped on the floor. So let's enjoy the taste of the matzah and let's not try to pull a beer bottle out from behind the ridiculous nylon on the supermarket shelf, and let's admit it: We are (almost) a state governed by religious law.

I can find almost nothing to disagree with in the piece. Having said that, however, below are a few minor points I'd like to add to the discussion.

We - the secular (and also, very importantly, the progressive) majority do have only ourselves to blame for the current situation regarding religion and state in Israel. Given that, however, there are some things that could be said in mitigation:

Some of the very earliest concessions to Orthodoxy were simply inherited from the legal and social structures of the Ottoman and Mandatory regimes. They were never updated, however, to mirror the real world diversity of Jewish life, reflecting only the outdated Ashkenazi/Sephardi distinction, rather than the more significant Masorti/Orthodox/Progressive ones.

At the time that the earlier concessions were made to Orthodoxy, religion in general (and perhaps Judaism in particular) were in retreat before the forces of secularism and Zionism. The ocean of Jewish religious life in (particularly) Eastern Europe had been drained, and only a few could foresee that Orthodoxy was capable of making a comeback and throwing its yoke over Israel.

Because religion was seen as a spent force, Zionism as a whole never seriously attempted to define a modus vivendi between religion and state or society. We are today paying the price for this “laissez-faire” attitude.

The Orthodoxy of days gone by was far more in tune with spirit of the Zionist enterprise and the needs of a modern society than the backward kleptocracy that maintains its hold over the public and personal lives of Israeli citizens today.

Israel has always had to contend with a long laundry list of pressing issues, particularly on the security front. These seemingly more urgent and important issues conspired to keep the issues relating to religion and state in the background.

The Israeli electoral and political system must also carry at least some of the blame for the situation. It will be very difficult for Israel to become a secular society without radical changes to that system, and there are many entrenched interests that would like to keep the system intact.

Finally, we need to get to grips with the “Judaism by proxy” phenomenon that secular, traditional and (to a much lesser extent) progressive (Masorti and Reform) Jews display. Judaism by proxy is akin to a guilt feeling, and goes something like this: “While we may not be practicing Judaism in the way our ancestors and martyrs did, there are some folks who are still doing things the old way. Let's leave Judaism in their hands for now. They'll make sure nothing changes, and maybe one day we'll get it back from them again”. That, in a nutshell, is Judaism by proxy, and it may well be the most serious obstacle to establishing a normal, healthy relationship between religion and society in Israel.

I can only hope that, as we begin to reclaim a diverse, fluid Judaism from the dead hands of its ultra-Orthodox caretakers, we'll understand and reject the trap of Judaism by proxy, and demand a more just, pluralistic and open relationship between Judaism in all its forms, Jewish society in Israel and abroad, and the State of Israel. This more mature Judaism will realise that it does not need its hands on the levers of power in order to thrive. Until that day comes, constant vigilance will be needed to ensure there is no further deterioration in the situation.

Gideon Levy / The dark religious side of Israel - Haaretz - Israel News

Darwin and the Jews

No, as far as I’m aware, Darwin never expressed himself on the subject of the Jews. Now that I have your attention, however, here’s the point of this post.

The online article “Faithful can accept both Darwin and God, pastors say” included the following snippet in the sidebar, concerning views on evolution across religious groups.

Views on evolution by religion
In the United States, Buddhists, Hindus and Jews are the most likely among religious groups to accept evolution, while Christian evangelicals, Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses are least likely, according to a Pew Forum survey.
  Percent who agree that evolution is the best explanation for origins of human life:
  Buddhist...81
  Hindu...80
  Jewish...77
  Catholic...58
  Eastern Orthodox...54
  Mainline Protestant...51
  Muslim...45
  Historically Black Protestant...38
  Christian Evangelical...24
  Mormon...22
  Jehovah's Witness...8
  Source: 2008 Pew Forum U.S. Religious Landscape Survey

At first glance, a 77% acceptance of evolution (which I also take to mean an acceptance of the scientific method) sounds pretty good; right up there with the Buddhists and Hindus. On further reflection, though, perhaps there’s less reason for complacency.

I have a question regarding whether that percentage acceptance of evolution is growing or shrinking? Without understanding the Pew survey and its methodologies (including how those surveyed were selected), I can’t answer that. My intuition, however, is that it’s shrinking.

Why would this be the case? Simply because the sectors within the Jewish population showing the strongest demographic growth are the Haredi/Hassidic (ultra-Orthodox) segments, who are increasingly embracing Creationism and Intelligent Design, in imitation of their Fundamentalist Christian counterparts.

My understanding is that the cognitive dissonance between our scriptures and scientific knowledge about our universe was confronted and addressed centuries ago, by figures such as Maimonides. So, it’s something of a mystery to me as to why the sages of our very own Yahweh’s Witness movements choose to retreat into Biblical literalism.

Should this trend be of concern to us as progressive Jews in the broader sense? Our initial response might be that such views (which contradict common knowledge, common sense and scientific methods) simply cannot thrive, that they will eventually be crushed beneath the weight of evidence.

The problem with allowing events to simply take their course is that – through a combination of demographic growth, organisation and outreach, and just shouting louder – they may drown out other voices. Eventually these Fundamentalist views will be seen as part of mainstream Jewish beliefs. This will in turn succeed in driving rational Jews into the arms of all the other “isms” so dreaded by those who embrace the theology of fear, suspicion, hostility and inward focus.

The idea of Jewish Pluralism is close to the hearts of progressive Jews, but perhaps its time to be a little less accepting when we hear these backward views being identified with Judaism.

Links/Reading/Resources:

• Faithful can accept both Darwin and God, pastors say Freep.com Detroit Free Press
• Religion in American Culture -- Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
• Jewish views on evolution - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Jews Say 'Feh' to Darwin AlterNet

Technorati Tags: Biblical Literalism,Creationism,Darwin,Evolution,Fundamentalism,Intelligent Design (ID),Jewish Pluralism

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Progressive Judaism: Just Be Yourself

Last week I posted an entry regarding Hanukkah, suggesting that it’s time to become more assertive about a Hanukkah “moral” that’s more in keeping with the ethos of progressive Judaism, as well as being aligned with what we know about the personalities and events of that era.

The blog post was based on an item by Andy Ratto on MetaFilter entitled “The True Story of Chanukkah”. One of those who commented on the original piece was user Ghidorah (Jeremy Wilgus), who had this to say:

As a former conservative Jew, I'd go along with the Hassidic/Reform split. When I pretty much left the fold, it seemed to me that the conservative movement was falling all over itself to be more religious, that people in the conservative movement were adopting Hassidic practices as a form of one-ups-manship. It was pretty sad to me. I mean, the conservative movement had solid practices and rules, but through whatever kind of insecurity, or keeping up with the Lipschultzes, they were just throwing it away. As someone who had, at one point, deeply believed, yet struggled with certain things (keeping kosher, no TV on Saturday), it was another thing (of many) that pushed me away from Judaism.

A youth group I was in had a special, super-duper religious sub-section, for truly observant teens. They had an open meeting at one event a year, where anyone could come, and there would be a talmud discussion. While it's odd to say it, I kicked ass at talmud. Liking pepperoni on my pizza, however, kept me from being allowed into the club, though. That, and not wearing a kippah full time, among other things...

Although Ghidorah referred to Conservative Judaism, there’s a lesson in here that all of the progressive Jewish streams (what I’ve referred to elsewhere as ABO – Anything But Orthodoxy) need to take to heart. The lesson is that progressive Judaism needs to be centred on itself. It must not allow itself to internalise (or externalise) the belief or perception that it fits somewhere on a scale of observance or strictness, where more observant or stricter is better, less observant or less strict is worse.

Progressive Judaism is not “less observant” it is “differently observant”!

When I started to become a regular shul-goer again a few years back, I was surprised to find many rituals that were not around in the Reform Judaism of my youth had now become a part of it. While I’m quite happy that many of these beautiful traditions have found their way back into progressive Judaism, this careful and considered adoption of certain rituals should not be allowed to generate into the “observance-envy” referred to above. Down that path lies irrelevance and eventual extinction for progressive Judaism. We cannot outflank ultra-Orthodoxy and Hassidism on the right, and any attempt to do so would be tantamount to spiritual suicide.

Remember what your mother used to say about those awkward social situations: “Just be yourself!”

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Hanukkah: Time to Supplant the Orthodox Rabbinic Narrative?

Andy Ratto (of the Jewish Andy blog) recently posted this interesting item on MetaFilter. “The True Story of Chanukkah” questions just about everything we fondly believe about this holiday.

I thought again how strange it is that – some 250 years since the start of the Enlightenment – even progressive Judaism is still seemingly constrained by the (Orthodox) rabbinic “narrative” when it comes to our celebrations and myths, including those relating to Hanukkah.

Why should this be a problem? These charming versions of pivotal events in our history are great for children. When those versions are challenged, however (either by the outside world or by our own questioning adult minds) we tend to see one of two responses:

• A withdrawal into fundamentalism and a rejection of any knowledge or methodology that does not square with the tenets of the cult (yes, Jews have cults too).
• A complete rejection of the entire Jewish anthology as so much “bobbe meises”, suitable only for children and the mentally deficient.

(In real life, the reactions tend not to be so radical. Many manage to somehow reconcile or hold the two versions of the Jewish anthology in balance, or keep their reservations in some private place while continuing to observe outwardly.)

Does a better understanding of the real history of Hanukkah mean we should stop celebrating it? Is Hanukkah still relevant and meaningful for the progressive Jew today? How do we as progressive (or just questioning) Jews maintain continuity, tell our story, celebrate our history and teach the lessons we would like to teach, while respecting knowledge, scholarship and science?

I believe that Hanukkah still belongs on the calendar of progressive Judaism, provided that we can bring both the storyline and the message in synch with scholarship, and with the ethos of progressive Judaism.

The tricky part is to embrace the idea the Judaism does not require a literal acceptance of every word, story or myth transmitted to us by our literature and traditions. This is central to what progressive Judaism is undergoing now, and for as long as our understanding of the universe continues to expand so rapidly, so I won’t go deeper into it here.

The easy part is to update our account of Hanukkah and bring it more or less in line with consensus scholarship, while also updating the moral and other lessons we should draw from the story. This could include the following (phrased as questions):

• How important is political independence compared to religious freedom? If religious freedom exists (and assuming there is no “existential threat”) what price should we be willing to pay for political freedom? (As we now know, the later, misguided struggle against Rome led to the destruction of the Jewish presence in Eretz Israel and almost 2,000 years of exile.)
• Is the imposition of a single Judaism worth the price of a civil war? Does monotheism have to be monolithic, or is there room for more than one interpretation of Judaism?
• Was this actually a setback for Judaism, in that the Temple cult was given a new lease of life, rather than making way for the distributed Judaism of the synagogue?
• Does religious tolerance apply within Judaism itself, or only in relation to “other” faiths?

Idol worship was at that stage the “red line” that Judaism dared not cross. In that form, idol worship no longer exists, but we could argue that more subtle forms have taken its place. The obsession with the right to settle in Judea, Samaria and Gaza might be seen as one form of idol worship; an obsession that jeopardises the unity of the Jewish people and the existence of the State. Another might be the cultist obsession with ritual observance, to the exclusion of the more subtle (and more difficult) ethical and moral imperatives of Judaism.

Judaism tends to be far more successful when it meets the ideological challenges of the day head on (as it did, very successfully, with Hellenism), rather than turning its back and refusing to engage (as “mainstream” Judaism has done in the age of enlightenment and reason) and retreating into superstition and ritual. Judaism did not stand back for or retreat from Hellenism, but learned what it could and became that much stronger for it.

Let’s continue to celebrate Hanukkah, and the rest of our splendid holy days and festivals. Let’s not, however, continue to be enslaved to the Orthodox rabbinic narrative, except where it adds value to progressive Judaism.

Judaism’s Reputation Takes a Beating Again

I should be used to it, but I still find myself disgusted by the actions of “august” bodies, such as those referred to below; one of which recently condemned Rabbi Haskel Lookstein’s participation in the interfaith service with President Barack Obama.

So, on the one hand, it’s not OK to take part in something that enhances perceptions about Judaism.

On the other hand, however, it’s OK for an entire delegation of Orthodox rabbis to meet with jailed Agriprocessors' CEO Sholom Rubashkin. A delegation that “included representatives of the Orthodox Union, the Rabbinical Council of America, the National Council of Young Israel, Agudath Israel of America and Chabad-Lubavitch”.

To observers out there, Rubashkin and Bernard Madoff appear to be vying with one another for the prize of “who has done the most damage to Jews and Judaism in 2008”. Despite this, however, we are treated to the nauseating sight of the entire pecking order of ultra-Orthodoxy in America prostrating themselves before Rubashkin. Surely he should be entitled to chaplaincy visits and nothing more?

According to the JTA article, however, the delegation was there “to offer Rubashkin support”. Is it the normal practice of these organisations to “offer support” to Jews who have entered the prison system? Or does this only apply to so-called observant Jews? Perhaps only moneyed observant Jews?

The article goes on to say that “At the conclusion of the meeting, Rubashkin led the group in prayer.” It also quoted Rabbi David Zwiebel as saying “I have to tell you, it was one of the most moving experiences I've had in some time” (referring to the prayer service). A moving experience? Please don’t make me nauseous. Taking gifts to an orphanage would be a moving experience, not this unseemly display.

It no longer concerns me that they bring Orthodoxy into disrepute by their actions; I doubt that they could bring its name any lower than it already is.

I do care, however, that their words and deeds reflect on Jews everywhere and Judaism as a whole in the eyes of the world. I do care that this fawning behaviour towards someone accused of offences that mock the very meaning and essence of Judaism affects us all. It tells both Jews and non-Jews all they need to know about the moral and ethical standards of Judaism in this age.

This is the answer they give to the questions “Why be Jewish?”, and “What is Judaism all about?” Do they really believe that the world, and those in search of answers within our own tradition haven’t noticed, and drawn their own conclusions?

(This blog post is a slightly revised version of a comment that originally appeared on the JTA website.)

Links/Reading/Resources:

• Rabbinic delegation meets with Rubashkin
• Orthodox group defends Lookstein

Activism for progressive Judaism: Can we do better?

During the latter half of 2008, The World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ) lent its support to two important online petitions (e-petitions) on behalf of member unions. In both cases, the response from progressive Jews worldwide was less than rousing.

In the first case, the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) attempted to gather signatures to support seeking official recognition and a state salary for Rabbi Miri Gold, of Kibbutz Gezer in Israel. This is a potentially ground-breaking case, as a positive outcome would set the precedent for official recognition of progressive rabbis across Israel, and hopefully lead to an improved status for progressive Judaism there.

In the second, the South African Union for Progressive Judaism (SAUPJ) is attempting to gain access to the King David Jewish day schools network for Netzer, the Reform youth movement. The King David schools should be a resource for the entire SA Jewish community, but have instead been hijacked by the Orthodox majority there.

Progressive Judaism claims to be the largest stream within Judaism worldwide (with 1.7 million adherents). Progressive Jews are presumably largely computer literate, and have in the past overwhelmingly supported initiatives on behalf of anything from Climate Change action to the genocide in Darfur. Despite these factors, however, only 3,500 signatures had been gathered by end-November 2008 for the IMPJ e-petition (against a target of at least 10,000). In the case of the SAUPJ initiative, only 538 signatures (against a target of 500) have been added to date. In order to be truly effective, the first needs to be supported by tens, if not hundreds of thousand of signatories, while the second would have carried far more weight if endorsed by thousands rather than hundreds.

These results are disappointing, to say the least; perhaps even shockingly so. What went wrong with these two initiatives, and how can we ensure that future efforts receive the support they deserve from progressive Jews worldwide? To my mind, there are two factors to be addressed:

Attitude

I think we’re seeing an example of the barber’s children going with hair uncut. Progressive Jews have simply adopted so many causes, that there’s no drive or energy left for something closer to home. Charity doesn’t have to begin at home, but it should also not be neglected.

Not neglecting our own issues is doubly important in the case of those relating to Israel. I believe that progressive Judaism will always be taken less than seriously and will always find itself in a defensive posture, until it receives official recognition and equality in the Jewish State.

We need to take the approach that “an injury to one is an injury to all”, and simply not accept second-class citizenship or a lesser status for progressive Judaism anywhere in the world, but particularly not in Israel.

Approach

To ensure an effective response to issues such as the two above, the initiative still needs to begin with a union (e.g. IMPJ, SAUPJ or URJ), but should then be adopted and coordinated by the WUPJ.

The issue and call to action (e.g. an e-petition) should be communicated to all progressive Jews worldwide, either by the WUPJ, the union, the congregation, or a combination of all three. The issue (including links to the appropriate online petition, donation page, etc.) should also be communicated through the official websites, blogs and e-newsletters of all these bodies. Members should also be encouraged to forward the material to their own “e-brigades” (something we all have).

We should also try to standardise on a single online petition site for all WUPJ-backed petitions, preferably one that allows us to create a dedicated area for all related petitions.  Someone adding their name to one petition could thereby be made aware of others of interest to progressive Jews.

Issues relating to privacy policies, etc., should be addressed by all progressive unions worldwide before the next such initiative, to ensure that no union is unable to support a petition due to privacy or related concerns (this seems to have been a problem regarding URJ support for the IMPJ e-petition).

Such a combined “bottom-up” and “top-down” approach should prove more effective in both reaching and motivating the widest possible audience when these initiatives are undertaken in future.

In conclusion, progressive Judaism is facing many challenges, opportunities and threats worldwide. Where armchair activist tools such as electronic or online petitions can help us to meet those challenges, the WUPJ and all its member unions and congregations should present a united front and a coordinated approach.

Altneuland: The Haredisation of Jewish Education in SA

Cafe Birkenreis: Stand Up for Reform Judaism in Israel!

Cafe Birkenreis: Netzer effectively banned at King David Schools

Israeli Congregational Rabbi Seeks Further Support For State Recognition

(An earlier draft of this post was published on the Reform Judaism blog.)

Book review: Whose Torah?

Whose Torah?: A Concise Guide to Progressive Judaism (Whose Religion? Series)

At just over 150 pages, this slim volume really is the “concise guide to progressive Judaism” it claims to be.

As progressive Jews, we are often made to feel that the social justice issues and values we champion are not a part of Judaism itself; not something Jews should be concerning themselves with. Instead, we are led to believe that these are simply democratic, liberal, secular or Western values that have been adopted en masse by assimilated Jews as an alternative to Judaism. Judaism, so we are told, is about piety, ritual, observance and Torah study, as well as identity and survival, but certainly not about justice. It deals with our relationship to God, not our relationship to one another, to humanity as a whole and to the planet that sustains all life.

It is therefore inspirational to read a book that convincingly asserts that these issues (concern with issues around sexuality, gender, race, war, poverty and the environment) do actually go to the heart of what Judaism is all about, far more so than do the minutiae of ritual observance.

As a teenager growing up in the affluent northern suburbs of Johannesburg during the 70s, the genteel anti-Semitism I encountered resulted in my being heavily influenced by the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, founder of the JDL. In Kahane’s view, there was (is?) only one authentic Judaism; the Judaism of Orthodoxy (even ultra-Orthodoxy). Reading “Whose Torah?” has played an crucial role in helping me to at last shake off the mental and psychological shackles of that worldview, and finally accept that there is no one true Judaism, but multiple Judaisms. It also helped me to realise that concern for social justice is part of our legacy to the Western World, not something we picked up along the way.

My quibbles? The issue of the Black anti-Semitism that went hand-in-hand with Jewish involvement in Civil Rights was not discussed. As regards Israel and the Middle East, there is little recognition that the Palestinians are a party to the conflict, not its innocent victims. One side cannot simply “declare peace”, nor did I get a sense of how human rights can be safeguarded in the middle of a civil war. (And sometimes, even when we act justly, we can still receive a slap in the face in return.)

The “Whose Religion?” series would benefit from a companion volume that focuses more on the theology and rituals that should be core to progressive Judaism in the 21st Century, i.e. what are the bedrock beliefs we should grapple with, and how should they be reflected in our customs, traditions and rituals? Or perhaps such a companion volume already exists?

My grateful thanks to Thaler Pekar for providing my “review copy” of this significant work, which now has a permanent place in my nightstand.

For an aspiring writer, having readers such as Thaler makes it all worthwhile.

(This review was originally posted to Goodreads.)

Judaism: No more lifetime membership

The retroactive annulment of Orthodox conversions was – until 2 or 3 years ago – almost unheard of. Given the high profile cases we’ve seen in the last few years, however, I think one can say safely say that this trend will become increasingly significant as the ultra-Orthodox (Haredim) strengthen their grip on the Orthodox world.

The latest case involves Yossi Fackenheim, adopted son of Emil Fackenheim OBM, a prominent philosopher and (Reform) theologian. (Please see the links below for details of the case.)

There’s no doubt in my mind that these annulments are contrary to the letter and spirit of Halacha. From the point of view of their impact on the victims (and converts in general), the practice is beyond contempt and should be rejected due to the hurt and suffering it causes.

Apart from disgust, what can one get out of this? A number of things:

Those in the Diaspora: If you’re a convert, or you have any concerns whatsoever regarding your “Jewish status”, stay well away from these guys! You’re not going to get the answer you were hoping for. Stop giving them a power they don’t have, don’t deserve and will continue to abuse. You’re going to get hurt here!

Those in Israel: Your options are far more limited, given that Orthodoxy is the “official” form of Judaism there, and is increasingly dominated by those in black. Avoid dealings with the religious hierarchy as far as possible, fight hard for your rights, get help from bodies such as IRAC in need, and vote for any party that promises to end the unholy alliance between the State and Orthodoxy.

The leaders of progressive Judaism (ABO, or Anything but Orthodoxy): Orthodoxy no longer has the answers. It no longer even understands the questions. Stop deferring to Orthodoxy on this or any other issue; it is no longer the Gold Standard of Judaism. Condemn this practice forthrightly and point out the options to anyone considering conversion to Judaism, or undergoing any other change to their personal status. Most importantly, ensure that your congregations understand the importance of the status of progressive Judaism in Israel, and suggest concrete steps they can take to change matters.

The Haredim are happy with a contracting Jewish population, provided it adheres to their standard of observance. Many of us, however, are not happy with such a scenario, and believe there is room for all of us – in all our diversity - within the tents of Jacob. The ultra-Orthodox strain of Judaism is steadily driving away many from within (and on the fringes of) Judaism and the Jewish people, because too few voices are challenging its unjustified claim to speak for Judaism as a whole. We need more voices to speak out and affirm that there are manifold ways of being Jewish, and that not all of them (shock, horror) have to involve formal religion or observance. (Also, more importantly, that observance doesn’t need to be measured by the yardstick of Orthodoxy.)

Get out of the swamp and dive into the Jewish sea. The water’s great!

Links/Reading/Resources:

FailedMessiah.com: Israel Rabbinic Court Voids Conversion Of Emil Fackenheim's Adopted Son

Rabbinical Court Rules Emil Fackenheim’s Son is not a Jew

Conversion to Judaism: Halakha, Hashkafa, and Historic Challenge

Related posts:

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

Altneuland: The conversion debacle: good or bad for Judaism?

Getting more Jewish kids into day schools

The Jewish Exponent (serving the Jewish community of Greater Philadelphia) recently carried an article concerning a tuition reduction scheme being piloted at the local Perelman Jewish Day Schools. The initiative is spearheaded by venture capitalist David Magerman’s Kohelet Foundation. (I won’t get into the details of the tuition discounts, which are covered within Bryan Schwartzman’s article.)

Similar programs also exist in communities such as Cleveland, Massachusetts and Seattle.

The article mentioned a 2003 Boston survey indicating a strong interest in Jewish day schools amongst 18% of Jewish parents, but a reluctance to sacrifice academics or extra-curricular activities to send kids there. According to the article, the following factors are inhibiting a wider adoption of the day schools model by Jewish parents (as the parent of a child of school-going age, this list certainly resonates with me):

• Affordability (almost certainly the #1 issue)
• The quality of the secular education and extra-curricular activities
• Exposure to diversity
• General ambivalence towards Jewish identity

Is it possible to come up with a Jewish day schools model that will address all these factors, leading to much wider availability and adoption of this education option? I believe that it is feasible, provided that we redefine our community priorities and responsibilities when it comes to Jewish education.

What do I mean by this? The benefits of Jewish literacy accrue to the entire Jewish community over the lifetime of the individual and beyond. The costs of this literacy, however, are incurred almost entirely by the parents over the +/-12 years of schooling. These costs are in many cases incurred at a time when the parents are at their most stretched financially (young, growing family, study debt, early stages of career, etc.).

I’m therefore suggesting that if we want parents to send their children to Jewish day schools, the financial burden needs to be picked up by the entire community, not absorbed solely by the parents. In fact, provision of such an education to whoever wants it should be seen as one of the (if not THE) most important functions of the community; a cornerstone responsibility.

If not free, cost should certainly not be an inhibiting or prohibitive factor when it comes to Jewish day school education.

The quality of secular education and extra-curricular activities can be addressed by means of standards, monitoring and inspection at local, state or national levels to ensure a uniformly high standard. In addition, if education is given the priority it deserves by the community, the recruitment of qualified, experienced and dedicated staff becomes easier.

Exposure to diversity might be more difficult (but not impossible) to achieve. The issue of Jewish diversity must first be addressed. Day schools should offer a “Highest Common Factor” Jewish curriculum, focusing on Hebrew and Jewish culture, civilisation and history. Such a curriculum should find acceptance across almost the entire Jewish spectrum (apart from the Orthodox end of the scale), based on the premise that beliefs should be addressed in the home and the synagogue, not the classroom. Admission should be open to so-called sociological Jews (those with only one (either) Jewish parent), as well as to non-Jews agreeing to study the Jewish curriculum. Exposure to diversity in the wider sense could be achieved by a full and enthusiastic involvement in the local community, joint activities with other schools, and just plain effort.

The only issue that this community day schools initiative can’t address is that of the general ambivalence towards Jewish identity. I think most would agree that this is outside the scope of this project, although we would hope to raise a generation of graduates for whom this ambivalence is much less of a factor.

What about those who are not ready to commit to a fully-fledged Jewish day school education, but do want some exposure to their Jewish heritage? Why not leverage the investment and available resources by offering an after-hours Hebrew and Jewish studies program to those attending public or other private schools? Programs could be offered at both basic and advanced levels; the basic requiring a commitment of 1-2 afternoons a week, with the advanced requiring 3 or more. Adult education programs could be offered in a similar fashion.

Neither Judaism in the religious sense, nor a secular Jewish culture or civilisation can exist for long without a minimum level of Jewish literacy. As a people, we should be in a position to offer free, universal Jewish day school education to every Jewish child anywhere in the world. If we can’t get that right within the next generation or so, it puts a huge question mark over our commitment and the commitment of our community structures and institutions to Jewish survival and growth.

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

Netzer effectively banned at King David Schools

This article on the SAUPJ (SA Union for Progressive Judaism) website highlights the controversy surrounding what is effectively a ban against Netzer (the Reform youth group) activities at King David Schools (KDS) – the flagship schools of the SA Board of Jewish Education (SABJE) - in Gauteng.

My initial reaction? Disgusted but not surprised.

Due to a unique set of circumstances - and unlike elsewhere in the English-speaking world – Orthodoxy came to be exclusively identified with Judaism in SA. While Progressive Judaism and Reform Jews participated fully in Jewish life and institutions in SA, they did so provided that they “knew their place”, i.e. did not attempt to upset the status quo that regarded Orthodoxy as normative Judaism.

Rather than being content with this status quo, however, it appears that official Orthodoxy is doing everything it can to squeeze Progressive Judaism (and Reform Jews qua Reform Jews) out of Jewish institutional life. This is pretty much to be expected, and occurs wherever Orthodoxy tends to dominate Jewish public life (Israel being the prime example). It is also the opposite of what generally occurs in the Western Democracies, where cooperation and pluralism tend to prevail.

Perhaps it’s a good thing that matters have come to a head in this way, with the SAUPJ having now set up an online petition calling for Netzer’s access to KDS to be restored. To my mind, however, this still doesn’t go far enough.

I would actually like to see the Progressive community call on the SABJE to re-constitute all the Jewish day schools for which it is responsible (including KDS) as general community or pluralistic (rather than Orthodox) day schools. It should also withdraw support for schools that cater to only one part of the community (albeit currently the majority).

Failing this, the SABJE should be called on to reconstitute itself as the SABOE (SA Board of Orthodox Education) or SABHE (SA Board of Haredi Education), and a new, pluralist SABJE should then be established.

The Pluralist SABJE should call on all those within the Jewish community who espouse a pluralist approach to Judaism to withdraw all financial and other support from KDS, and establish a non-denominational Jewish day schools network, initially in Gauteng.

Support for such a network is likely to come not just from current KDS pupils, but also from those enrolled at secular and multi-cultural private schools such as Crawford and Eden, which currently perform the role that a non-denominational Jewish day schools network should be fulfilling. It is also likely that even students currently enrolled at government schools would be attracted to an open, pluralistic approach to Jewish education in SA.

One thing is clear, however: Things cannot be allowed to remain as they are. As I said in one of my previous pieces on this subject, “Jewish education is too important to be left in the hands of a cabal of Orthodox rabbis”.

The next institution to be tackled in the same manner is the SAJBoD (SA Jewish Board of Deputies), the SABJE’s silent partner in these shenanigans. The SAJBoD claims to speak on behalf of all of SA Jewry, but appears to do little to promote cooperation and tolerance between denominations in issues such as this.

Oh, and please don’t forget to sign the petition here, or join the Facebook group here.

Yesher Koach to The Movement for Quality Government in Israel

According this recent article in the Jerusalem Post:

The Movement for Quality Government … petitioned the High Court of Justice to order the government to stop subsidizing haredi elementary schools that are not recognized by the state and are not under its supervision.

… the Ministry of Education allocates each year more than NIS 170 million to haredi elementary schools, known as talmudei torah, which are not part of the recognized Independent education and Ma'ayan Hachinuch Hatorani haredi streams, even though there is no legal basis for the funding.

"If Israel is based on the rule of law, this situation cannot continue. Not only does it transfer millions of shekels of public money without a legal basis... [the state] transfers the funds to a private body which has no experience or training in supervising the spending of the funds and whose interests are not identical with the public interest," the petition says.

Recently, the Knesset passed a law obliging the state to allocate to yeshivot [haredi secondary schools similar in age group to state high schools] 60 percent of the funding that it grants state secular and religious schools, even though the yeshivot refuse to teach the core curriculum.

Anyone who cares about the future of a rational Judaism, the Jewish people and a secure and just Israel should applaud this move on the part of an organisation doing what the various arms of government itself should be, and are failing - in fact not even attempting - to do.

I firmly believe that not one shekel of public funds (or one dollar of donated funds) should be diverted to support schools that are not controlled and supervised by the education ministry. The fact that they exist should be enough, but they need to be paid for entirely by those who utilise them, not out of funds diverted (misappropriated might be a better word) from the treasury. The Israeli taxpayer should not be subject to this form of “double taxation” by being forced to pay for both a public and various private educational systems.

The same discipline and controls need to be applied to donations from abroad, etc., unless the funds have been specifically raised for the purpose of subsidising Haredi education, with the knowledge and permission of donors.

At the same time, however, the Jewish content of the state educational system needs to be reinforced in a pluralistic manner, that gives weight to other ways and interpretations of Judaism and Jewish culture.

There is a word for the redirecting of public funds to private purposes: that word is corruption. We all owe a debt of gratitude to The Movement for Quality Government in Israel for tackling this abuse head on. Show your support for what the MQG is attempting to do by joining (and contributing, if you are in a position to do so) here.

Technorati Tags: Corruption,Education,Movement for Quality Government

Stand Up for Reform Judaism in Israel!

The IRAC (Israel Religious Action Centre) of the Israeli Movement for Progressive Judaism has prepared a petition which will be sent to President Shimon Peres. The petition calls for the State of Israel to officially recognize Rabbi Miri Gold, who serves as the Rabbi of Birkat Shalom congregation in Kibbutz Gezer.

If you’ve no wish to read any further, please click here to be taken to the online petition. You can sign up for the interesting and informative weekly IRAC e-newsletter (The Pluralist) at the same time.

For those who want the complete story, here it is as per the official IRAC petition website. I think it’s important enough to be quoted in full:

Rabbi Miri Gold has served as the Rabbi of Birkat Shalom congregation in Kibbutz Gezer since her ordination as a Reform Rabbi by the Hebrew Union College in 1999. 16 other local rabbis serve the area of the Gezer regional council and receive a State salary. Rabbi Miri Gold, who serves the entire region, is not recognized by the State because she is a Reform rabbi. Out of the thousands of rabbis recognized by the State of Israel there is not a single Reform rabbi!

It is time for a change – it is time for recognition!

In 2005 The Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism filed an appeal with the Israeli Supreme Court through the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), demanding that Rabbi Miri Gold is recognized by the State. The court has ordered the State to present the criteria according to which rabbis are recognized. To this day the State has not replied. This fall we hope that the State will present an equal and just set of criteria, such that is accepted by the Supreme Court.

Recognition of Rabbi Miri Gold by the State of Israel means a true breakthrough, a precedent leading to the recognition of hundreds of rabbis from liberal streams in Judaism. Please join the struggle and sign this petition.

We, too, are Jewish. We, too, deserve Rabbis

A call for the State of Israel to officially recognize Rabbi Miri Gold

We the undersigned believe the time is long overdue for our nation to recognize that there is more than one way to practice Judaism and to acknowledge the value and importance of supporting spiritual leaders of all denominations to the stability and growth of our communities and our quality of life.

Whereas

1. Despite being the most popular and effective rabbi in the Gezer region, Rabbi Miri Gold is the only one who does not receive a salary from the State;
2. Rabbi Gold is denied equal status solely because she is female and Reform;
3. In 2005 Rabbi Gold, along with the Israel Religious Action Center, petitioned the Supreme Court for recognition, however the Court has repeatedly delayed making a decision.;
4. Though only 17% of Jews in Israel identify as Orthodox and 12% as traditional, Orthodox rabbis are the only ones recognized, and therefore, funded by the government.; and
5. The spiritual needs of 71% of Israelis are going unmet and even being denied, a form of brazen discrimination against liberal Jews.

Therefore - We urgently call on you to

1. Recognize immediately Miri Gold as an official rabbi of the Gezer Community and
2. Apply government funding to support the work of Rabbi Miri Gold and her peers, and to equally support all streams of Judaism in the spirit of Klal Yisrael, thereby fulfilling the religious pluralism and freedom that should be the hallmarks of the only Jewish and democratic state.

Even if you’ve never signed another online petition in your life, please sign this one!

IRAC - Petition

Impressions of Limmud South Africa 2008

It’s almost a week since Limmud SA’s 2008 all-day session on Sunday, 31 August. I don’t think I’ve digested the whole experience yet, but I just wanted to capture some comments and impressions before they dissipate in the heat of other priorities.

I haven’t seen any official statistics yet, but the event was well attended; I would venture to say very well attended. I’m guessing that 2007’s attendance figures (as well as the estimates for 2008) were exceeded by a comfortable margin. There was also a “vibe”, a “buzz”, something that wouldn’t show up in the numbers.

In a previous post, I discussed the SA Orthodox rabbinate’s decision to boycott Limmud. I experienced Limmud as a festival, a celebration of Jewish culture and learning, exploration and discovery. Quite frankly, I can’t see how they could have added value, while their disapproving presence would have just soured the event for many. I look forward to their absence from next year’s event as well. (The boycott was the subject of one of the sessions, but quite frankly I wasn’t that interested.)

The standard of the sessions was exceptionally high. I only attended one lecture that disappointed somewhat (no names, no pack drill). I came away with a whole lot of new insights, like Gershom Gorenberg’s observation about the “division of duties” between the observant and the secular, with the former attending to ritual while the latter have adopted social justice as their “observance”. Needless to say, I believe the latter is the authentic Jewish way…

Now we just need some sort of “virtual presence” mode, so we can attend all the sessions, instead of having to choose between them. (That’s a joke.)

There was also a marvelous full-day track for kids. Unfortunately we’d already made other arrangements for our daughter, because I know the activities would have been right up her street. We’ll know for next time.

Talking about next time, reminder to self: take along a backpack or day pack to hold all the usual conference stuff, and still have both hands free (when exploring the shuq, for instance).

The event was run entirely by volunteers and was, to my mind, extremely well organized. I have no criticisms to make; just a couple of suggestions for the future that I hope to pass onto them for next year:

The ecological footprint of the event was probably relatively small. One thing I did notice, though (at both the refreshment stations and the cafeteria), was “genuine” garbage, leftover food and the plastic crockery/cutlery disappearing into the same garbage bags. If there was any intention of recycling, this would obviously make it a whole lot more difficult and unpleasant. I would suggest setting up (assisted?) stations where delegates can scrape leftovers into one receptacle and drop recyclables into another.

The final programme distributed on registration included times, speakers, subjects, rooms, etc., but just not the “track”, e.g. Art & Culture, Spirituality, Torah. This was only included in the Conference 2008 Handbook. Please could we have the track on the programme as well? Perhaps also include a version or release number on the programme, so delegates can ensure they’re referring to the latest.

One of the spinoffs of Limmud for me is that I’ve resolved to attend at least two Jewish cultural or educational events each month. They’re out there, usually free, usually of a high standard. You just have to make the effort to attend.

Kol Hakavod to everyone involved in either organizing or sponsoring this event. May it go from strength to strength in South Africa. We really need the break from the drabness, dourness and sameness that is increasingly characterizing Jewish society here.

p.s. I’ve sometimes wondered whether I’m imagining it, but this time I took careful note: Jews will stop anywhere, anytime and have a conversation! On the stairs, in a doorway, in the middle of passage, you name it. Fortunately we all managed to get to our destinations eventually…

Technorati Tags: Boycott Limmud, Jewish cultural educational events, Jewish pluralism, Limmud SA 2008, Limmud South Africa 2008, SA Jewish society, SA Orthodox rabbinate

Reform rabbis ordained in Holland for the first time

According to this recent JTA Breaking News item,

Reform [Liberal] rabbis were ordained in Holland for the first time.

The Robert A. Levisson Institute ordained its first five graduates Wednesday at the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of the Liberal Jewish Congregation in The Hague.

…The new rabbis are all Holland residents who took part in the five-year, part-time rabbinical program while continuing in other careers.

Lilienthal … told JTA his dream was to encourage people from Holland who wished to pursue rabbinical studies but could not afford to do so abroad.

There are some 40,000 Jews in Holland today, and about 4,000 are members of Reform congregations, Lilienthal said.

As someone who believes that the progressive streams of Judaism are our best hope for salvaging something from Judaism for the benefit of Jews and humanity as a whole, I was very pleased to see that one more community is beginning to embrace Reform to some degree.

That these graduates took part in a “five-year, part-time rabbinical program while continuing in other careers” impresses me even more, and tells us something about the character of those who took part.

Should this additional load really be necessary, however? Shouldn’t the progressive community globally take more of an interest in the education and training of rabbinical candidates everywhere in the world? Doesn’t the progressive community command the resources to be able to provide full-time training of rabbinical candidates (in the language of the target community), preferably without burdening the students with massive study loans?

Perhaps the WUPJ should be granted a more generous budget - subsidised by its wealthier member communities (countries) – in order to sponsor programs to develop and support fledgling communities or, as in this case, fledgling spiritual leadership cadres.

In a previous post, I expressed my shock and disappointment with those Reform Jews who support Chabad financially, despite all the accounts of Chabad delegitimizing Reform and its adherents. Perhaps those benefactors could be persuaded to instead channel their financial support into initiatives such as this?

Please read the full (brief) item for more of the background. The story will also be covered in the WUPJ Newsletter in due course.

Technorati Tags: Dutch Reform (Liberal) Jewish community, Liberal Jewish Congregation The Hague, Progressive Judaism, Reform [Liberal] rabbis, Robert A. Levisson Institute, Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, World Union for Progressive Judaism (WUPJ)

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