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."
Showing posts with label Jewish religious practice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jewish religious practice. Show all posts
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
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:
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.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
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.
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.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Ten Jewish Perspectives on God
The book, "Finding God: Ten Jewish Responses" by Rifat Sonsino and Daniel Syme, published by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1986, presents 10 different views of God by Jewish thinkers ranging from 4,000 years ago through the modern era. The aim of the book is to aid Jews who cannot accept traditional notions of god in finding a god concept they can accept within Judaism rather than seeking it within another religion. The ten views covered in the book are from:
- The bible
- Rabbinic Literature
- Philo: Spiritual Monotheism
- Maimonides: Neo-Aristotelianism
- Luria: Mysticism
- Spinoza: Pantheism
- Buber: Dialogue
- Steinberg: Limited Theism
- Kaplan: Naturalism
- Fromm: Humanism
There is a chapter on each of these views along with background on each thinker. A convenient multi-page chart in the back of the book makes it easy to determine which of the philosophies the reader is most compatible with.
One problem is that, even if the reader falls in love with one of these philosophies, there are not necessarily available Jewish congregations or organizations that follows them. We are limited to those congregations around us, which generally fall under the categories of Chasssidic, Orthodox, Conservative, Reformed, and Reconstructionist, with some wiggle-room within each for congregations to develop their own personalities.
My concepts fall closest to Fromm's Humanism. However, as a true agnostic, I cannot fully accept any of the God concepts put forth in the book. As far as I can tell, we have no way of knowing whether or not God exists and what his/her/its nature would be if he/her/it does exist. That makes it impossible to adopt any philosophies that claims to know the nature of God and man's relationship to him/her/it. My instinct tells me that, if there is a God, it would not be human-like. However, I consider it possible that there is one religion that has it right, but who knows which one that would be. I would be very amused if, when I die, I find myself in a particular religion's classic concept of heaven or hell. My instinct tells me that, if there's an afterlife, it would be something we are currently incapable of understanding and likely involves achieving unity with the universe.
- The bible
- Rabbinic Literature
- Philo: Spiritual Monotheism
- Maimonides: Neo-Aristotelianism
- Luria: Mysticism
- Spinoza: Pantheism
- Buber: Dialogue
- Steinberg: Limited Theism
- Kaplan: Naturalism
- Fromm: Humanism
There is a chapter on each of these views along with background on each thinker. A convenient multi-page chart in the back of the book makes it easy to determine which of the philosophies the reader is most compatible with.
One problem is that, even if the reader falls in love with one of these philosophies, there are not necessarily available Jewish congregations or organizations that follows them. We are limited to those congregations around us, which generally fall under the categories of Chasssidic, Orthodox, Conservative, Reformed, and Reconstructionist, with some wiggle-room within each for congregations to develop their own personalities.
My concepts fall closest to Fromm's Humanism. However, as a true agnostic, I cannot fully accept any of the God concepts put forth in the book. As far as I can tell, we have no way of knowing whether or not God exists and what his/her/its nature would be if he/her/it does exist. That makes it impossible to adopt any philosophies that claims to know the nature of God and man's relationship to him/her/it. My instinct tells me that, if there is a God, it would not be human-like. However, I consider it possible that there is one religion that has it right, but who knows which one that would be. I would be very amused if, when I die, I find myself in a particular religion's classic concept of heaven or hell. My instinct tells me that, if there's an afterlife, it would be something we are currently incapable of understanding and likely involves achieving unity with the universe.
Monday, March 15, 2010
"Nation of Immigrants" Seder
The Boston area is great for Jewish cultural events. If you really wanted to, you could do at least 2-3 events per week without even being a member of a temple. This past Sunday we attended the 4th annual Anti-Defamation League of New England's "A Nation of Immigrants" community seder, which was open to the public. The theme was based on an essay by John F. Kennedy in which he emphasized the positive impact immigrants have had on this country and argued for liberalizing immigration laws to end the bias towards Northern Europeans. It was an inspiring event, with about 300 people of various religions and ethnic backgrounds in attendance.
The seder was designed to maintain the basic structure of a traditional seder yet promote the relevance of its themes to all other ethnic and religious groups who meet adversity. In this sense it was a very pleasant contrast to the words found in a traditional hagadah (seder book), which tend towards the outdated and chauvinistic. The traditional hagadah talks about the Jews being freed from slavery in Egypt, and thanks god for striking down our enemies and making us fruitful in multiplying. I have found this type of writing hard to swallow because 1) Jewish slavery occurred thousands of years ago, 2) any persecution the Jewish People suffered in Egypt very likely paled in comparison to the holocaust, 3) Jews outside of Israel have had a very low birthrate and our numbers are rapidly shrinking as a percentage of the U.S., European, and world population, and 4) We live in a pluralistic society, and ethnocentrism just doesn't sit well with me and a large portion of the U.S. population, particularly non-Orthodox Jews, and 5) Who really believes that the Red Sea parted?
While telling the story of the Jews escape from Egyptian slavery, the Nation of Immgrants hagadah broadened much of the language to include the redemption of a much broader range of oppressed peoples. There was multi-cultural entertainment interspersed with addresses by people of various backgrounds. The most inspiring was a woman from Honduras who was raised in a tough town in Masachusetts and found herself pregnant as a teenager and on the road to fitting the stereotype of someone from her ethnicity and class. However, she found the strength to take advantage of the opportunities that this country offers and she will be taking the bar exam shortly to fulfil her dream of becoming a lawyer who represents the disadvantaged.
Lenny Zakim was the leader of the Anti-Defamation League of New England for many years and he did tremendous work in bringing together Jews and people of other religions and ethnic groups to work on inter-group harmony and shared goals. Unfortunately he died prematurely of cancer and the beautiful Zakim bridge was named after him. The New England ADL has also been independent in its stances from the national organization, especially in regard to promoting recognition of the Armenian genocide at the hands of the Turks during WWI. An organization like the New England ADL makes me proud to be Jewish.
The seder was designed to maintain the basic structure of a traditional seder yet promote the relevance of its themes to all other ethnic and religious groups who meet adversity. In this sense it was a very pleasant contrast to the words found in a traditional hagadah (seder book), which tend towards the outdated and chauvinistic. The traditional hagadah talks about the Jews being freed from slavery in Egypt, and thanks god for striking down our enemies and making us fruitful in multiplying. I have found this type of writing hard to swallow because 1) Jewish slavery occurred thousands of years ago, 2) any persecution the Jewish People suffered in Egypt very likely paled in comparison to the holocaust, 3) Jews outside of Israel have had a very low birthrate and our numbers are rapidly shrinking as a percentage of the U.S., European, and world population, and 4) We live in a pluralistic society, and ethnocentrism just doesn't sit well with me and a large portion of the U.S. population, particularly non-Orthodox Jews, and 5) Who really believes that the Red Sea parted?
While telling the story of the Jews escape from Egyptian slavery, the Nation of Immgrants hagadah broadened much of the language to include the redemption of a much broader range of oppressed peoples. There was multi-cultural entertainment interspersed with addresses by people of various backgrounds. The most inspiring was a woman from Honduras who was raised in a tough town in Masachusetts and found herself pregnant as a teenager and on the road to fitting the stereotype of someone from her ethnicity and class. However, she found the strength to take advantage of the opportunities that this country offers and she will be taking the bar exam shortly to fulfil her dream of becoming a lawyer who represents the disadvantaged.
Lenny Zakim was the leader of the Anti-Defamation League of New England for many years and he did tremendous work in bringing together Jews and people of other religions and ethnic groups to work on inter-group harmony and shared goals. Unfortunately he died prematurely of cancer and the beautiful Zakim bridge was named after him. The New England ADL has also been independent in its stances from the national organization, especially in regard to promoting recognition of the Armenian genocide at the hands of the Turks during WWI. An organization like the New England ADL makes me proud to be Jewish.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Orthodox Jewish Laws Without Apparent Meaning
In a February 12, 2010 article in The Jewish Advocate, a Boston-area Jewish weekly, the work of a rabbi who checks for shatnez in clothing is depicted. Shatnez is the combination of wool and linen in the same garment, which is forbidden among extremely orthodox Jews. The reason for the prohibition is a biblical passage in Deuteronomy 22:11: “You shall not wear combined fibers, wool and linen together.” So the rabbi uses a microscope to examine fibers that he picks from various parts of a garment he tests. With the exception of undergarments, wigs, belts and earmuffs, no clothing may be worn until it is ruled shatnez free. That includes embroidery kits, oven mitts, blouses and baseball gloves. The rabbi states, “The mitzvah of shatnez is as important a mitzvah as ‘Do not steal,’ or ‘Love your friend as you love yourself.’
What gives here? Not combining wool and lines in clothing is just as important as loving thy neighbor or not stealing? No wonder most Jews are not Orthodox! This seem absolutely crazy. At least kosher laws have some apparent justification in being humane and promoting cleanliness. But come on now, mixing wool and linen? This is not like mixing milk and meat, which seems to be based on the callousness of washing down the meat of a calf in its mothers milk. Wool comes from the shearing, not killing, of a sheep and linen comes from a flax plant. Now what logic could there be in not mixing them? It seems like Orthodox Jews believe in following an extensive set of rules without regard to reason or benefit. This does not seem very spiritual and may even take the focus away from doing real good. The recent corruption scandal in New Jersey involving Orthodox rabbis speaks to this possibility.
What gives here? Not combining wool and lines in clothing is just as important as loving thy neighbor or not stealing? No wonder most Jews are not Orthodox! This seem absolutely crazy. At least kosher laws have some apparent justification in being humane and promoting cleanliness. But come on now, mixing wool and linen? This is not like mixing milk and meat, which seems to be based on the callousness of washing down the meat of a calf in its mothers milk. Wool comes from the shearing, not killing, of a sheep and linen comes from a flax plant. Now what logic could there be in not mixing them? It seems like Orthodox Jews believe in following an extensive set of rules without regard to reason or benefit. This does not seem very spiritual and may even take the focus away from doing real good. The recent corruption scandal in New Jersey involving Orthodox rabbis speaks to this possibility.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Relatively Few Jews Identify Themselves as Religious
A Jan 8, 2010 article in The Jewish Advocate, a Massachusetts weekly newspaper, described a Pew Research Center poll of 35,000 Americans concerning their religiosity. The 6 New England states plus Alaska had the lowest percentages of people (36-44%) who felt that religion was very important in their lives. In contrast, the southern states of Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee had the highest percentages of religious people (72-82%). Jews were lower is religiosity than Americans overall. The following percentages compare Jews to Americans overall:
Certainty of God's existence: 41% vs 71%
Religion is very important in life: 31% vs 56%
Attend weekly religious services: 10% vs 39%
Their religion is the one true faith: 5% vs 24%
Pray daily: 26% vs 58%
College graduates: 59% vs 27%
Family income above $100,000: 46% vs 18%
What this seems to boil down to is relatively low religiosity among Jews. Judaism appears to have a strong strain of rationalism as opposed to spirituality, that probably has some historical basis, with roots in the religion itself. This rationalism has led to some highly influential theorists like Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx, and also led to great achievements in science, medicine, and literature. It has also led to a questioning of religious tenets. That, and the low birthrate of Jews in the U.S. raise the question of whether Judaism will eventually become the tiniest of minorities within the U.S., populated only by the ultra-Orthodox.
Certainty of God's existence: 41% vs 71%
Religion is very important in life: 31% vs 56%
Attend weekly religious services: 10% vs 39%
Their religion is the one true faith: 5% vs 24%
Pray daily: 26% vs 58%
College graduates: 59% vs 27%
Family income above $100,000: 46% vs 18%
What this seems to boil down to is relatively low religiosity among Jews. Judaism appears to have a strong strain of rationalism as opposed to spirituality, that probably has some historical basis, with roots in the religion itself. This rationalism has led to some highly influential theorists like Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx, and also led to great achievements in science, medicine, and literature. It has also led to a questioning of religious tenets. That, and the low birthrate of Jews in the U.S. raise the question of whether Judaism will eventually become the tiniest of minorities within the U.S., populated only by the ultra-Orthodox.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Atonement?
Although I have only attended High Holiday events sporadically for several years, I felt like attending some this year. I went to a Rosh Hashannah service that did not require temple membership. Everyone met at a wooded site and hiked up a hill to a cabin facing a beautiful pond. The service was conducted outdoors, in front of the cabin, facing the pond. It was a pleasant experience and I enjoyed hearing and singing some of the songs I used to sing when I attended temple during my childhood. I also attended Kol Nidrei service conducted by a Jewish workshop. I enjoyed hearing the traditional song that begins the Yom Kippur holiday. However, I could not get into the prayers and did not stay much after Kol Nidrei was sung.
I have difficulty understanding the concept of atoning in one day for sins you committed during a whole year. First of all, I think it is difficult or impossible to really atone for sins against people. I know that the prayer book distinguished between sins against God and sins against people. If the sins against God involve breaking religious rules such as keeping the sabbath, putting on tfillin, or keeping kosher, then I can understand atonement. However, how can you really make up for sins against people like beating your wife or child, breaking trust, or committing crimes? It seems to me that you should not be doing such things in the first place and, if you do them, you should not be let off the hook so easily. This is the same feeling I have about Catholic confession. Once the damage is done, it is almost impossible to reverse. I think it would be better if people knew that they could never be absolved of their sins and that, in the final accounting, all the good and bad they did over the course of their lives would be weighed. As an agnostic, I do not particularly believe in the concept of a heavenly being judging whether we should go to heaven, hell, or purgatory. However, I think that for those who do believe, their behavior would be better influenced if they felt they could not get off for their sins.
I have difficulty understanding the concept of atoning in one day for sins you committed during a whole year. First of all, I think it is difficult or impossible to really atone for sins against people. I know that the prayer book distinguished between sins against God and sins against people. If the sins against God involve breaking religious rules such as keeping the sabbath, putting on tfillin, or keeping kosher, then I can understand atonement. However, how can you really make up for sins against people like beating your wife or child, breaking trust, or committing crimes? It seems to me that you should not be doing such things in the first place and, if you do them, you should not be let off the hook so easily. This is the same feeling I have about Catholic confession. Once the damage is done, it is almost impossible to reverse. I think it would be better if people knew that they could never be absolved of their sins and that, in the final accounting, all the good and bad they did over the course of their lives would be weighed. As an agnostic, I do not particularly believe in the concept of a heavenly being judging whether we should go to heaven, hell, or purgatory. However, I think that for those who do believe, their behavior would be better influenced if they felt they could not get off for their sins.
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