Ultra-Orthodox Rabbinate in Israel Divides Jews

What craziness! The March 18, 2011 issue of The Jewish Advocate, a Massachusetts weekly, reported that Israeli Jews seeking to get married in their own country must first prove that they’re Jewish. Due to the fact that the religious party is inevitably needed to form a majority coalition government in Israel‘s legislature, the Ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate has been perpetually ceded exclusive jurisdiction over marriage, divorce, burial, and conversion, Jewish rituals that carry legal weight in Israel. That means that two Jews can be married in Israel only by an approved Orthodox rabbi. Now, in an escalation of their efforts to make all Israelis adhere to the Ultra-Orthodox interpretation of Jewish law, the rabbis have been asking for proof that aspiring spouses are Jewish. This has caused much aggravation to many who have no documentation of their Jewishness beyond their own knowledge of their family history. While some have gone through the effort to dig up family records, many other have preferred to either live together out of wedlock or to get married in a foreign country. Also, while Israel’s Law of Return grants citizenship to anyone with a Jewish parent or grandparent, the Rabbinate deems only those with a Jewish mother to be Jewish., thereby denying 320,000 immigrants to Israel status as legal Jews. In addition, the Rabbinate does not recognize conversions performed by Conservative or Reform Jewish rabbis or even conversions by many Orthodox rabbis outside of Israel.

This situation is insane. All other major religions welcome converts with open arms, but those given power over Jewish law in Israel not only make it extremely difficult for those who want to become Jewish to do so, but actually deny participation in major Jewish rituals to those whose identity and family history are undeniably Jewish. What a perfect way to drive Jews out of the fold and to perpetuate the status of Judaism as a relatively tiny and weak member of the world’s community of religions. With the high birthrate of the Ultra-Orthodox in Israel (see my last blog entry) and much lower birthrate of less religious Israelis, the entrenchment and audacity of the Chief Rabbinate seems likely to escalate further. This can only serve to divide the Ultra-Orthodox in Israel both from other Israelis and from Jews around the world. This does not bode well for either Israel or for the unity among Jews needed to stand up against the military and political threats by which it is constantly besieged. Israelis must take the bold step to greatly weaken the power of the Ultra-Orthodox in Israel and spread it more equitably among Jews of various levels of religiosity.

Will Demographics Ruin Israel?

An interesting article by Larry Lowenthal appeared in the March 11, 2011 issue of The Jewish Advocate, a Massachusetts weekly newspaper. The author is a former excutive director of the Greater Boston chapter of the American Jewish Committee. In it, Mr. Lowenthal highlights the population boom among ultra orthodox (Haredi) Jews in Israel along with a population bust among non-Haredi Jews, which he feels can lead to major changes in the country, mostly for the worse. He cites the fact that the Haredi, which make up only 10% of the population, have 30% of the babies, since they average 8-9 children per family in comparison to the 1.7 children per non-Haredi family. If these numbers keep up, the author predicts that the Haredi will comprise 17% of the Israeli population by 2025 and a majority by 2050. The problem the author sees with this is that such a trend can work against the "high-tech, industrialized, globally-connected" country that Israel has become. Seventy percent of the Haredi do not work, but they receive money from the government in the name of preserving the Jewish religion, and because the religious bloc is always needed to form a coalition government. In addition, while the Haredi study Judiasm, they shun important subjects such as science, math, political science, economics, foreign languages, and non-biblical history, and are allowed exemption from military service. Thus, as they become a larger proportion of Israel's population, they threaten to weaken the country's industry, economy, involvement with global intellectual life and, most dangerously, Israel's defense against its hostile neighbors. These possibilities don't bode well for Israel.

It is possible that the scenario Lowenthal describes will not play out. Not all Jews raised as Haredi will stay so. Some percentage of them will be intrigued by the outside world and will become part of the larger society. That certainly happened to most of the Orthodox Jews that immigrated to the United States from the late 1800s until after WWII. But the Haredi community has developed over the last several decades very effective systems for acculturating its children and inculcating in them a sense of belonging and religious fervor. Perhaps, while the less religious are still a majority in Israel, government policy will change so as to eliminate subsidies for the Haredi, forcing them to work in order to survive. That would put them in greater contact with the less religious and likely increase the number of them who merge into the larger society. Whatever happens, we can only hope that the current demographic trend does not weaken Israel's strong scientific, economic, and military status, and turn it into a vulnerable Third World country.

In the following week's Jewish Advocate, Mr. Lowenthal will describe another demographic threat to Israel. That is, the high birthrate of Isreali Arabs that is steadily increasing their proportion of the Israeli population.

Appreciating Great Works of Other Religions

After scanning our local newspaper’s website for things to do on the weekend, I attended a performance of Handel’s Messiah at a Methodist church in a neighboring town. The church building was of ample size, but much of the space was given to rooms used for various activities. The section where services are conducted and where the concert took place was relatively modest in size and, in keeping with the Protestant ethic, had clean, simple lines and was pleasing to the eyes but had no elaborate decorations other than a giant gilded cross mounted on the front wall. Not being Christian, I found the cross to be rather imposing and somewhat of a distraction, but I was set on not letting that hinder my enjoyment of the concert. The area in front of the pews was not large enough to hold the approximately 100 singers, who were dressed in street clothing rather than church choir garb, so they occupied the first several rows of pews, and were organized into sections of basses, tenors, altos, and sopranos. There was also a modest orchestra of about 12 musicians.

What a concert it was! The reason that so many people like to listen to Handel’s Messiah and, especially its Hallelujah Chorus is that it is a fantastic piece of work. The two-hour performance alternated between segments by soloists (alto, soprano, bass, and tenor) and those sung by the chorus. The performance was absolutely inspiring! The four-part harmony between the choral sections was very beautiful to hear and, when the sopranos got going, they lent such an air of spirituality that it felt like their voices were projecting straight to heaven. And the last segment of the performance was the Hallelujah Chorus, that is so widely loved. The whole experience was uplifting, rewarding, and inspiring.

Appreciating a concert like that in no way made me interested in becoming Christian. I can appreciate its great beauty and inspirational qualities without feeling an attraction to the religion that sponsored such work. Over several centuries, both Protestantism and Catholicism in Europe became highly organized and wealthy religions that provided the main source of funding for the arts. Masters of the visual arts like Michelangelo and Rembrandt, and Classical composers like Bach and Beethoven were both funded and inspired by the great Christian religions of Europe. Anyone with any level of objectivity would have to agree that this combination of funding and inspiration produced some of the greatest human artistic achievements ever. Jews and others should be able to appreciate great works produced by other religions without feeling that it threatens their own identity.

Must Jews Close Themselves Off to Maintain Their Faith?

The Jewish Advocate is a weekly newspaper that publishes news relevant to Jews of eastern Massachusetts. It’s writers include those of the Orthodox, Conservative, Reformed, and Reconstructionist Jewish movements as well as those of secular or ethnic Jews. The paper also publishes extensive listings of community events. One column in the paper is called “Ask the Rebbetzin.” A Rebbetzin is a rabbi’s wife who, in the orthodox tradition, has some responsibilities in religious leadership, particularly to women and girls. Rebbetzin Korff point of view appears quite orthodox and her responses to readers’ questions indicate the extent to which many Orthodox Jews feel they must distance themselves from secular society in order to avoid challenging the strength of their faith.

In a letter published in the December 10, 2010 issue of the paper, a reader queried whether there was anything wrong with listening to the Christmas carols she loves. The Rebbetzin strongly discouraged listening to the carols because they are a celebration of Christianity. In another recent response, the Rebbetzin stated that a letter-writer should not attend a non-Jewish friend’s wedding in a church because, as a non-Jewish religious ritual, it is prohibited.

I find such defensive responses repugnant. Should it be assumed that the faith of Jews is so weak that to appreciate the art and music of other cultures or to participate in major life events of non-Jewish friends is enough to make one stray from his own religion? I frankly find this abhorrent. Do you think there are any Catholics or Protestants who wouldn’t attend the wedding of Jewish friends? Even priests have been seen at bar mitzvahs. Why must we be so much less secure than everyone else? There is strength in true faith that enables one to experience and appreciate beauty created by those outside the faith without feeling threatened or becoming defensive.

Additional Comments on "Future Tense" by Johathan Sacks

I have finished the book "Future Tense: Jews, Judaism, and Israel in the Twenty-First Century. I must say that, even though I am a secular Jew and Rabbi Sacks is a religious Orthodox Jew, I have found him to be a towering intellectual who has tremendous knowledge of philosophy, history, and the world's religions. His major points are that: 1) Orthodox Jews have been turning inward, thereby shutting themselves off from communication with the larger world. This process must be reversed to enable Jewish thought to positively influence others and to gain wisdom and friends from other groups, and 2) Non-Orthodox Jews have engaged with the outside world to the extent that their ties to Judaism have weakened and intermarriage and assimilation threaten to greatly diminish Jewish numbers.

Rabbi Sacks strongly supports the right of Israel to exist, but feels that, when the Israeli government took over the charitable and human service functions that had been performed by religious and other voluntary organizations in the Diaspora, the spiritual, religious, and emotional aspects of these activities were greatly diminished. Because Israeli Jews are, in large majority, non-religious, and assume that all they need to uphold their Jewish identity is to be Israeli, deprives them of their heritage and all the spiritual benefits and wisdom about life they can gain from their religion.

Rabbi Sacks feels that Judaism brought hope to the world. Ancient Greek culture promoted fatalism. As in the Greek tragedies, people could not escape their fate, not matter how hard they tried. However, in Judaism, there is always hope for the future, as exemplified by the belief that the Messiah will come, but hasn't come yet, and by the prayer recited over thousands of years for a return of the Jewish People to the Land of Israel.

Rabbi Sacks writes so beautifully that I would be remiss not to include a few quotes from his book:

"... the Jewish people wrote a story of hope that has the power to inspire all who dare to believe that injustice and brutality are not the final word about the human condition, that faith can be more powerful than empires, that love given is not given in vain, that ideals are not illusions to give us comfort but candles to light our way along a winding road in the dark night without giving way to fear or losing a sense of direction."

"Jews have turned inwards; they need to turn outwards. They are conscious of being different, but so is every member of a minority, and in a global age every group is a minority. Our uniqueness is our universality, and it is precisely by sharing our uniquenesses that we encourage the heritage of humankind. Jews are not the only people to seek God, live lives of faith, work for the betterment of humanity or count themselves blessed by God's love. They are not alone. Jews have friends among many faiths, and among secular humanists, and they should cherish them all, making common cause with them in defence of freedom, human dignity and moral responsibility. They should not take every criticism as a form of antisemitism. They should rest secure in their unparalleled past and fact the future with vigilance but without fear."

"I have argued for a Judaism that has the courage to engage with the world and its challenges. Faith begets confidence, which creates courage. That is how Jews lived in the past and should live in the future. For they are the people of the journey to a distant destination, begun by Abraham, continued by a hundred generations of ancestors, and it still beckons, Judaism is faith in the future tense. Jews were and are still called on to be the voice of hope in the conversation of humankind."

Book - Future Tense: Jews, Judaism and Israel

I've gotten about a third of the way through the book, "Future Tense: Jews, Judaism, and Israel in the Twenty-First Century", by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the main Orthodox Jewish congregations in Great Britain. He is an impressive intellectual who cites from many Jewish and non-Jewish historical and religious sources.

Only partway through the book, I have already been enlightened by many interesting points and historical facts Rabbi Sacks brought up. For instance, he made the point that Judaism is unique among the major religions in accepting religious diversity (what he calls particularism). He states that the Torah recognizes that people of all monotheistic religions worship the same god, can be righteous, and will not have to become Jewish when the messiah comes and brings peace to the earth. This contrasts to the "universalism" of the other major religions, whose basic tenets are that all people should follow the one true faith and that an unpleasant fate awaits those who do not.

An interesting fact that Rabbi Sacks brings up is the German origin of the term, "antisemitism." This has far more than linguistic importance in that early anti-Jewish sentiments among Christians and Muslims were related to Jews' refusal to convert to what were seen as the true faiths that evolved from Judaism. The saving grace of this religion-based anti-Jewish feeling was that Jews could convert to redeem themselves. That left a way out for physical survival. However, the term "antisemitism" refers to a race of people, not a religious group. This distinction is critical, for one cannot change one's race. Thus, the "Jewish Problem" could not be solved by religious conversion. That, of course, led to the Holocaust.

Some recommendations put forth to Jews include:

• Have pride in your religion. Don't let the negative view of others define you.
• Jewish religious observance is necessary for the preservation of the Jewish People. Ethnic Judaism leads to loss of identity within 3 generations.
• Jews must not see themselves as an isolated people with no friends. It is important to establish bonds with other religions and fight discrimination against any of them.

While I don't agree with everything Rabbi Sacks says, his arguments are extremely well thought out and he supports most of them with solid and wide-ranging references. The man is a true intellectual and reading his book would stimulate anyone's mind. For those concerned with survival of Judaism, the book has particular value. I will likely have more to say about the book as my reading progresses.

High Temple Membership Costs Quash Participation

A recent editorial in Newsweek by Lisa Miller, an intermarried Jew, discussed the high cost of leading a Jewish life in the United States. The cost of day school, camp, temple membership, Jewish center membership, kosher food, etc. has been pegged at $50,000-100,000 for an Orthodox family with 3 children. Such costs are staggering. However, many Orthodox families receive financial assistance from philanthropic sources.

The less religious have little help in meeting the daunting costs of Jewish life. One such cost is temple membership, which averages $1,100 annually and can be over $4,000 in large cities, where many Jews live. This represents a large portion of after-tax income, given the median gross family income of 2-child Jewish families in the U.S. of $75,000-80,000 per year. The high cost discourages Jewish families who are interested in, but not strongly committed to participation in temple life. Lisa Miller feels that the Christian church model of inviting participation, then asking for money later, allows people to become involved before making a heavy financial commitment. The success of this approach is paralleled by that of the Orthodox Jewish Chabad centers, which welcome participation without commitment. However, most Jews in the U.S. are not Orthodox and are not ready to accept the restrictions that Orthodoxy imposes on them.

Given that non-Orthodox temple membership has been steadily decreasing, a change in the financial model of temples is needed. People must be welcome to participate in temple life without making a heavy financial commitment. The Catholic model of passing around the donation plate would be a good place to start. It allows people pay what they can afford and to develop a sense of commitment that could eventually motivate them to make a larger financial contribution. The welcome must come first.