In Jewish life, a strong individual (independant even) character and upbringing, a backbone, is a MEANS to a strong community life.

In contrast, the development of a strong personality, which is not brought to participation in a community, is half a job.

Its developing a skill and then not putting it into practise.

Israel is not particularly the primary reference to that. Participation and association in Jewish community (as Jewish, though not necessarily separated from conventional) occurs mostly where one lives.

And there are MANY ways to form that identity. For me, the key instructions in Torah are twofold:

1. You are to be a nation of priests (shamans spiritually and politically – within one's sight though, not remote)

2. "IF" you keep my commandments, I will bring you the rain in its time. (A metaphor for community in a strong comprehensive sense of harmony, not just the rain.)

Not doing those, and instead approaching intellect or politics for the purpose of individual character or stature solely, is being residually Jewish, not currently.

But, the essence of Jewish life, Jewish religion and culture is community, and within sight.

Another thing – please explain this statement: "the U.S. is in a foreign policy crisis, occupying an Arab country, in some measure because of the majority Jewish opinion that Israel doesn't occupy another people's lands."

Huh? Just because some of the neocons are (Zionist) Jews, I don't see how American Jewish attitudes about the occupation caused our invasion of Iraq. Even if the majority of Jews don't agree that Israel is an occupier (and I'd REALLY like to see more about how that question was phrased, because the answer you give makes little sense), certainly they would acknowledge the problems it has caused for Israel.

On one occasion in America someone told me: "It's like being Jewish". I can't remember what he exactly referred to but it was said with some admiration. I think it had to do with unique ethnic cohesion.

"It's like being Jewish" didn't refer to America in general but to some kind of attitude/behavior of non-Jews that my friend considered 'like being Jewish'. My point is, it was said not in a criticizing but rather envious way.

We are more than that.

We are ecological beings, that live as individuals AND in families, and in communities, and in tribes, and in continents.

Individual freedom is critical to participate in a community of one's choice, and fully.

But, its a uniquely urban fetish more consistent with being a mindless consumer (also a binary individual – monolith relationship).

In a corporation, you cannot work for another corp–it is considered disloyal….a conflict of interest….
It is the same with a country even more so….
There is gonna bve a bad recession some day…people are gonna be looking for scapegoats….tragically, Jews are gonna be up there.

Why?

They are the elite or 51% of it.
They seem self absorbed and indifferent to so much of what their industries do too the nation. e.g.

1. academia: promote multi culturalism. knock what the WASP's have done at every point.

2. Wall Street: off shore jobs and destrioy communities under the nonsense of "free" trade.

3. Entertainment industries: dumb down and corrupt the culture with sensuality via Hollywood.

I am posting one of my Blog entries "Why Judaism is Disintegrating" at link to judaismandisrael.blogspot.com
that relates to this article. Please let me know if it is inappropriate to do so.

If you have the time to review some of the posts of my Blog, I would appreciate your considering adding it to the list at the bottom of the right hand column (Blogrollish).

WHY JUDAISM IS DISINTEGRATING

The Nation recently ran an article "Progressive Jews Organize" the assumption being that the Jewish community through its places of worship have not been enough involved in social justice issues.

As we read in Our Yom Kippur Service link to judaismandisrael.blogspot.com
from an article by Tony Karon "In a recent study funded by the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies (an important donor to Jewish communal organizations), Professors Steven M. Cohen and Ari Y. Kelman revealed that their survey data had yielded some extraordinary findings: In order to measure the depth of attachment of American Jews to Israel, the researchers asked whether respondents would consider the destruction of the State of Israel a "personal tragedy." Less than half of those aged under 35 answered "yes" and only 54% percent of those aged 35-50 agreed (compared with 78% of those over 65). The study found that only 54% of those under 35 felt comfortable with the very idea of a Jewish state."

In a September 5, 2007, article in the Forward entitled "Attachment to Israel Declining Among Young American Jews" appears the following: "One finding that Cohen, Kelman and Sasson could all agree upon was the positive influence of a trip to Israel. Cohen and Kelman’s study found that attachment levels increased dramatically, particularly among young Jews, after a trip to Israel. This confirmed previous studies, including one co-authored by Sasson, that had documented the rising sense of Jewish attachment among participants in Birthright Israel’s free trips to Israel."

So the solution for the declining numbers of those who consider themselves Jewish is to send young people to Israel. We have heard that from the "continuity" folks for decades who for decades have funded free trips for Jewish high school students to Israel which they believe will permanently attch them to Israel (Judaism?). It is my understanding that these trips (as well as so-called "missions" for Jewish adults) devote little time to a discussion about the discrimiination of Israeli Arabs and Israeli Bedouins or the treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories. I wonder whether the sponsors of these trips are truly able to shield the participants from the extent of the social injustice actions of the Government of Israel.

By the way, considering that the "solution" for the last few decades is to send young people to Israel and there is a decline in those who consider themselves Jewish and since less than half of those under 35 would consider the destruction of the State of Israel as a personal tragedy,

as the young people say, "How's that working out?"

As I have stated frequently directly or indirectly in many previous posts, I believe that the Government of Israel has for at least 40 years violated not only international law but the core values of Judaism especially the one that demands that we pursue justice.

As I have not as often stated here, but firmly believe, the Jewish community, through its places of worship in the United States for the last 50 years, has defaulted in dealing with any issue that is important in the lives of Jewish people.

"More issues arose during the last three decades – women began to question their roles in society, divorces became rampant, decent safe and sanitary housing became les available, drug and alcohol abuse increased dramatically, the high cost and unavailability of healthcare services became a scandal, divorced people and the elderly began to be isolated, the public school systems started to fail, jobs were lost as downsizing became a reality, and serious questions began to be raised about the quality of our air and water. Those growing up Jewish looked for leadership and guidance on these issues – advice that might mean the difference between a life of dissatisfaction and one of meaning. In many communities Jewish institutions (Federations, Temples and JCC’s) represented by their Boards issued no public statement of concern or passed resolutions directed at any of these issues (although some Rabbis individually became involved)." For more on this read this article.

Maybe it would make sense to recognize that the disintegration of Judaism has been caused by two factors: its irrelevance as practiced in the US to issues that are important to Jewish people (not to speak of the "curse" placed by most rabbis on the love of a Jewish individual for someone who is not Jewish when they refuse to perform or bless their marriage); and the attempt to try to foster support for the State of Israel when what many have read and understood over the last 25 years is that the Government of Israel has been an occupier, oppressor and killer of Palestinians.

When will there be an awakening in the Jewish community in this country that if we want Judaism to survive we should have more Y2US (Youth to the United States) programs where we provide funds so that Israeli young people can come to the United States and participate in some of the social justice programs being organized by progressive Jews.

Let them learn what Judaism is and what it stands for.

I identify strongly with my Arab side, but of course I am at core an American (with ancestors via my mom going back to 1649 ing Virginia).

So we get married (under a chuppa – my choice – the tent of Abraham includes ALL of his descendants) and we have two kids.

Several years ago we started taking our two toddlers to an indoor play event at a local Jewish temple. It's conservative and at least 80 years old, but newly revived because of the rapid gentrification of the area. Every ethnicity/religion attends the toddler play group, natch, but of course temple members are a big presence there.

One morning my husband and I had a nice chat with one couple as our tots played together. The husband began asking us – are you Jewish? David said "I am." –
"Oh great, you should really come to temple, this is a fabulous place, so many wonderful people, such community."
"Thank you so much," I said. "But I'm not myself Jewish."
"Oh, that's fine," he hastened to say. "We have lots of interfaith couples here. But I'm surprised. I could have sworn you were Jewish." *Everybody* thinks I'm Jewish, not only for my looks, but for my intense East coast "vibe" which translates as Jewish out here in the Bay Area. Lubavitcher Chasidic rabbis have asked me "Are you *sure* you aren't Jewish?"

"My tribe claims I'm a descendant of Abraham," I said. "But not of Sarah." The guy looked really puzzled. I let him think about it. Who was the child of Abraham but not Sarah? When he didn't seem to get it, I continued. "We're cousins. I'm an Arab."
The guy's face fell. He said "Oh," and he turned on his heel and walked off.

I found the exchange amusing (although I was a little disappointed in the guy – many tolerant Bay area Jews get all gushy and nice when they find out I'm an Arab – I prefer this reaction). My husband, however, got really pissed off. This sealed it for him. He didn't mention it again until several years later, but this guy's reaction solidified for him why he, my husband, is not going to join a temple and try to "be Jewish." He goes to high holy days with our friends at a very progressive temple where they talk about the Palestinian nakba on Israel day. But he's not interested in joining a religion that would exclude his wife for being an Arab.

Ah, the perils of assimilation. You might end up married to an ARab, and then Israel will bomb the shit out of your spouse's hometown, killing children by the score and leaving cluster bombs in the orchards to kill more children for years after. Then what are you going to do? Dance the hora on Celebrate Israel day? Not too likely…

It's like me going to Passover dinner the day after a suicide bomber blew himself up at a hotel in Israel… you won't see me wearing a keffiyeh in solidarity with The STruggle. Not on a day like that…