The joke goes, Three Jews, four opinions. But only one opinion on Israel. And that’s the tragedy, the enforcement of orthodoxy inside my religious community.
Here is the lineup of a panel at the Israeli President’s conference, in Jerusalem on June 21, about the attitudes of Jews in the Diaspora to Israel. You will see that it’s all rightwingers, with the exception of Peter Beinart, a liberal Zionist. Where is Stephen Cohen who can talk about young Jews’ alienation? Where is Rebecca Vilkomerson of Jewish Voice for Peace? Where is anybody young? Where are the assimilationists? Do they really want to hear from Diaspora Jews?
These folks are afraid. It’s the like the masque of the red death. The plague is inside the party, and it goes from one room to another. Still there is drinking and laughter…
For many years we have been accustomed to the question: What does Israel expect from world Jewry? Many Diaspora Jews chose to avoid voicing an opinion on internal Israeli issues – and few in Israel bothered to take the time to listen to the concerns of their fellow Jews in the Diaspora. However the time has come to reverse the roles and to hear what Diaspora Jewry expects from Israel. What are the Diaspora’s views regarding Israel’s policy decisions; the preservation of the Jewish identity of the State; its expression of support of the Jewish communities in the Diaspora; and the degree of attentiveness Israel gives to the opinions and needs of Jews who live outside Israel?
Moderator:
Mr. Shmuel Rosner, Israel: Political Editor, The Jewish Journal…
Participants:
Professor Peter Beinart, USA…
Mr. Pierre Besnainou, France: Chair, Israel Diaspora Paradigm Committee, Member, Board of Governors, Jewish Agency for Israel…
Mr. Abraham ‘Abe’ Foxman, USA: National Director, Anti-Defamation League. Author: Never Again? The Threat of the New Anti-Semitism (2004), The Deadliest Lies. The Israel Lobby and the Myth of Jewish Control (2007), Jews & Money: The Story of a Stereotype (2010).
Ms. Alana Newhouse, USA: Editor-in-chief, Tablet Magazine; former Arts and Culture Editor, The Forward.
Mr. Leon Wieseltier, USA: Literary Editor, The New Republic; Member, Editorial Board, Jewish Review of Books. Author:Kaddish (2000).
“What are the Diaspora’s views regarding Israel’s policy decisions ?”
What an interesting question. Finkelstein says lunatic. Others say suicidal but presumably most sit on the fence and that is the force that drives Israel .
Israel does nothing good for diaspora Jews…even the term ‘diaspora’ is a archaic repulsive word to me.
It’s a sick relationship, they need to get a divorce.
I avoid using the word. ‘Diaspora’ traditionally implied exile from a state of redemption.
But ‘diaspora’ has since been secularized and co-opted by the State of Israel to shore up its narrative of return from Exile and simultaneously to claim center stage. Per David Ben Gurion: the Jews of the world, are the periphery and the great colony in Zion has claimed the center.
No reason why we should adopt terminology that disrespects us and fosters a false narrative.
Where is anybody young? Where are the assimilationists? Do they really want to hear from Diaspora Jews?
Let’s face facts. The powers that be in Israel don’t consider Diaspora Jews to be Jews at all, unless the happen to be one of the fifth column Zionist, religious bigot, or completely racist varieties.
Try to imagine the Associated Press, New York Times, Washington Post, or Los Angeles Times carrying the typical Orthodox Israeli article expressing virulent hatred for Reform Jews and Christians: See for example “‘Reform rabbis – bridge to Christianity’: Orthodox Rabbis outraged by state’s recognition of reform, conservative rabbis. Wary of funds allocation, religious authority recognition
The orthodox world is storming in face of the recent decision that recognizes rabbis of non-orthodox communities and allow them to receive the same funding as orthodox rabbis who are appointed by the Chief Rabbinate.
The announcement presented by the State Prosecutor’s Office to the High Court with regards to the petition on funding equality for non-orthodox rabbis ended a seven-year long legal struggle and paved the road to state funding.
Kiryat Ono’s Rabbi, Ratzon Arusi, who’s also a Rabbinate member lashed at the decision, blaming the Israeli government for aiding “a fraud with no parallels in history. If I’ll want to create a new judicial movement, will they recognize my people as judges?”
Arusi reiterated that a Rabbi is a traditional role, and it wasn’t invented by orthodox. “You can’t call a fraud ‘rabbi’, the same as judges and doctors. It forges the halacha.” Arusi suggested to call the Reform jews “religious leaders instead. He further emphasized that the decision is directed only to allow funding through the Ministry of Culture, but expressed his concerns that this will bring about halachic recognition of non orthodox Rabbis as well.
Arusi further said that if this trend isn’t stopped, “It will lead to a separation of religion and state, causing a great tear in the people, assimilation and the destruction of Judaism.” Arusi cited the large numbers of assimilation in Europe and the US and called on the MK’s to fight the decision.
Rabbi Haim Drukman too was shocked by the decision. “What Rabbis? This is fraud! There are ways to support them without recognizing them,” he said. Drukman added he was relieved to know that the Reform Jews will not be funded by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, seeing it as a statement regarding their status. “I only hope this will not lead to recognition in their religious authority as well.”
One-way bridge to Christianity
A senior ultra-orthodox city Rabbi called the decision “beyond ridiculous”. “The Reform Jews are not Jewish, Christian or Muslim – this is a new religious that has nothing to do with the bible. They don’t maintain the mitzvahs, so how can they be called Rabbis and receive state funding?
“These rabbis allow mix marriages world wide, and responsible for building a one-way bridge to Christianity. It is known that Reform Jews have no third or even second generations. Their children contribute to churches, not Synagogues,” said the Rabbi. — link to ynetnews.com
“They don’t maintain the mitzvahs”
what is the point of anyone doing a mitzvah in Israel when hunger strikers are dying ? People are going to have to choose between mitzvot and human rights abuses. Currently they appear to want it all.
“They don’t maintain the mitzvahs” . . . People are going to have to choose between mitzvot and human rights abuses.
That begs the central question. In order to credit the views of the rabbinate on keeping the mitzvahs with any authority whatsoever, you have to accept the proposition that it was written in the Torah at Mount Sinai, “After the majority must one incline”. See Baba Mezi’a 59b link to halakhah.com
However the Judaica Press renders the mitzvah contained in Exodus 23:2 as “You shall not follow the majority for evil”. The Israeli rabbinate frequently expound a version of the mitzvahs that destroys the law and human rights in the process.
Rashi’s commentary notes: “You shall not follow the majority for evil: There are [halachic] interpretations for this verse given by the Sages of Israel, but the language of the verse does not fit its context according to them.”
Rashi is as bad as Reform Judaism. The ultra-Orthodox of the 11th century would have condemned Rashi for starting a new religion. In his lengthy gloss on this verse, Rashi rejects all the ancient interpretations and presents his own, entirely on his own authority.
The ultra-Orthodox of the 11th century would have condemned Rashi for starting a new religion.
Perhaps he did. His commentary on the Torah was the first Hebrew book ever printed, and virtually every Hebrew Bible since has included a copy of it.
Would someone be kind enough to explain how Rashi and Chabad are linked and what branch of Orthodox Judaism follows the Rashi interpretations of the Torah ?
Rashi is universally accepted by all branches of Judaism. His commentary is respected as the foremost traditional commentary of the Torah. The source of his authority is his encyclopedic command of Talmud and other ancient Rabbinic interpretations of the Bible, which he incorporates with great succinctness into his gloss on the Torah. His brevity and comprehensive coverage of the entire Torah made him the essential commentary of scripture for the last 1,000 years.
What is striking about the selection of Rashi that Hostage quoted is unusual length combined with Rashi’s bold and uncharacteristic rejection of the Talmudic interpretation of the verse.
The Orthodox cultivate an attitude that nothing ever changes. They speak with the authority of authenticity. Per the Orthodox, they are the authentic traditionalists.
It was an overstatement to say that Rashi was the medieval equivalent of today’s Reform, but it’s refreshing to see him reject all that came before him just because it didn’t make sense to him – even if it’s only the interpretation of a single verse.
It was an overstatement to say that Rashi was the medieval equivalent of today’s Reform
I understood exactly what you meant to say;-) I’ve always been fascinated by the subject of the history of religion and evolutionary trends in Judaism. I’m a big fan of the various symposia on the Dead Sea Scrolls, Josephus, and Philo of Alexandria, e.g.
*Orion Center Symposia on the Dead Sea Scrolls link to orion.mscc.huji.ac.il
*The PACE Project link to pace.mcmaster.ca
Thanks Elliott. Jewish history is very interesting.
I don’t know whether there is any substance in this, to me surprising, idea that Reform Jewish families become Christian? In my gang, the Church of England, the late Bishop Montefiore of Birmingham represented a distinguished, but surely Orthodox not Reform, Jewish family.
It’s nonsense. In late 19th century U.S., Orthodox and Conservative Judaism were founded as a rebellion against the standard Judaism of the day, i.e. Reform Judaism. The Orthodox raison d’etre was this false narrative presented here. The opposite is true. Reform Judaism was founded as a way back from general, Christian society.
Today, Reform Judaism is the gateway for many Christian spouses of Jews to become part of the Jewish community – some through conversion, and others through semi-official affiliation and the parenting of Jewish children.
Q: a liberal Zionist
R: There’s no such thing.
I think we should get all the leaders of all the Jewish organization,and ask Have these leaders failed Jews in the last 40yrs I personally think they have failed, on every level,and should be called out for it! jew4palestine
Presenting..
THE HONORABLE ‘ABE’ FOXMAN, ADL, ETC…
THE RESPECTED AUTHOR AND EDITOR LEON WIESELTIER
oh, and peter beinart mumble mumble mumble……
Can I ask how you’re defining a rightwinger, Phil? Neither Foxman nor Newhouse are rightwingers. They’re both center-left supporters of the two state solution.
LMAO. There’s nothing “center-left” about saying, as Foxman essentially did in reponse to the Park51 controversy, that it’s okay if we strip from Muslims the freedom to practice their religion in the US as they wish, if bigots like Pam Geller make enough noise.