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

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)