Filed under: Israel | Tags: gaza, Israel, Israel Gaza Weat Bank Judaism, judaism, rabbis human rights, west bank
As a child my family practiced liberal Reform Judaism. We would observe the Sabbath by lighting the candles, saying the blessings and singing a few songs. My father was an important leader in the blossoming Reform Jewish social and political action movement. I grew up caring about liberal political and social issues. As I grew up the idea of a God that is involved with the world grew more and more alien to me. Eventually I found myself at peace with a faith in a people, a faith in religion.
I love the words of the Prophet Micah. The words which were engraved on the edifice of the early home of Reform Judaism in New York City; “Do justly, lovemercy and walk humbly withyour God” The Friday night reform liturgy with which I connect most profoundly are these words said in English after the T’filah; “…O God, Teach us the pathto a better life. So shall we, by our lives and our labors, bring nearer to realization the great hope inherited from ages past for a world transformed by liberty, justice and peace.” My faithis grounded in the vision and the mission of a people commanded to do justly in order to help redeem the world. I grew up with a vision of Israel inherited from many of the early leaders of the Yashuv, Jewish Palestine before 1948, and of the early Israeli labor parties. It was a vision of social and economic equality. (more…)
Filed under: Israel
I have been reeling by the recent attack http://www.forward.com/articles/14847 of the President of the Union for
Reform Judaism on J Street http://www.jstreet.org/campaigns/statement-response-rabbi-eric-yoffie%E2%80%99s-comments-forward-december-31
J Street and J street PAC, are a new voice which is attempting to be an alternative voice to the Israel lobby and AIPAC. Rabbi Yoffie’s attack seems to be centered on J street’s assertion that neither side is right. I interpret the Rabbi’s words describing J Streets views as “morally deficient and appallingly naive” as a condescending attack on the views of many Jews and a view that is central to my religious and political beliefs. He says further that these views are “profoundly out of touch with Jewish sentiment”. I have been deeply hurt, angered and further alienated by his comments.
I believe that his thinking sheds light on the crux of the problem. Even the most liberal Jewish leaders live in the world of the Jewish establishment where the in an undefined, amorphous kind of way the idea of God and the state of Israel have become conflated.
I have been thinking a lot about a new kind of Judaism. A Judaism where an American Jew can choose to love Israel (as an Italian American loves Italy) but that’s not part of the covenant. A new kind of Judaism which emulates the Social and Political involvement of the Religious Action Center of the Union for Reform Judaism but where the concept of ‘the centrality of Israel to Judaism’ is removed. That concept has been used by the Israel lobby both overtly and covertly to deify the state of Israel. Once deified Israel cannot be questioned. I believe that separating the state of Israel (the political return to Zion) from Judaism would be better for Israel and better for Judaism.
A Judaism whose values are not attached to the secular values of a state would be a Judaism whose vision and message of right and wrong would be clearer. And a State with religion removed from governance could be a true democracy. And Israel without unconditional American support would need to think more of the consequences of her actions and might spend more energy in peacemaking than war making. Thanks, Chuck
Filed under: Israel | Tags: gaza, J Street, Rabbi Yoffie and J Street, Reform Judaism, URJ, Yoffie
I’m hurt, angry and alienated. The leader of the Reform Jewish Movement of which I have been a member for my entire life has called my views “morally deficient, profoundly out of touch with Jewish sentiment and also appallingly naïve”.
I’m proud of my Judaism. I was born into Reform Judaism. My family was fiercely reform and my parents devoted their lives to the reform movement and especially it’s magnificent work for Social Justice. I became bar mitzvah in a reform congregation. So did my two children. Eugene Lipman, a giant of Judaism, officiated at our marriage. I was born in 1948 while Israel was fighting for her existence. I’ve been to Israel 5 times. I’m a product of the reform ‘NFTY’ camps as are my children. Sam took the NFTY Israel trip after his confirmation. Ben’s a full time four year student at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. I’ve served on the board of our Reform Congregation and for many years worked hard on its social action committee. I am deeply pained when the leader of Reform Judaism calls my views ‘morally deficient’.
Rabbi Yoffie wasn’t talking about me he was speaking about the views of ‘J Street’. http://www.forward.com/articles/14847/ J-Street is a new Washington lobbying group and a major voice of the pro-Israel pro-peace Jewish Community. J Street
http://www.jstreet.org/campaigns/statement–rabbi-eric-yoffie%E2%80%99s-comments-forward-december-31
had said, heretically, “Neither Israelis nor Palestinians have a monopoly on right or wrong…While there is nothing ‘right’ in raining rockets on Israeli families or dispatching suicide bombers, there is nothing ‘right’ in punishing a million and a half already-suffering Gazans for the actions of the extremists among them.” Is that a morally deficient statement.? Out of touch with Jewish Sentiment? Appallingly naïve?
I agree with that statement. Yes, the actions of both parties are equally reprehensible. And I bet (more…)
