Astonishing. A J Street event is cancelled by a Reform Newton synagogue due to fierce opposition by a small group inside the congregation. And they have money. This is why Barney Frank has said that he can’t come out against settlements. In the most “liberal” district in the country. Because neoconservatism is deeply embedded in American Jewish life out of concern for Israel’s security.
Again this shows how you cannot reform these militant ethnocentric attitudes inside Jewish life. Universalist Jews must make coalitions with Palestinians, realists, non-Jews, anyone who cares about human rights– to take on the intolerant attitudes within Jewish life.Note the Ben-Ami money quote. Lisa Wangsness:
Rabbi Keith Stern, who has led Temple Beth Avodah for more than 13 years, said a “small, influential group’’ within the congregation voiced strong opposition to hosting the event. Synagogue leaders decided to cancel after “an agonizing process,’’ he said, because they felt the controversy would “threaten the fabric of the congregation.’’
“The understanding was that it was going to be what I considered to be an honest and open conversation with a liberal Jewish organization, but I clearly did not understand how deep the antipathy is among a group within the Jewish community toward J Street and toward Jeremy Ben-Ami,’’ he said….
[Ben-Ami] “My reaction is really one of sadness that this is the state of the conversation in some parts of the Jewish community,’’ he said. “That a small handful of zealous donors to an institution can prevent a larger community from an open and honest conversation is a real shame.’’
(Thanks to commenter bijou.)
