By Dr. Chaim Y. Botwinick
[Posted as a comment to “Analysis: The GA’s ‘We Need to Talk’ Slogan is a Desperate Plea to Save Israel-U.S. Jewish Ties.”]
The GA’s recent “We Need to Talk” slogan is an important one, anchored in years of political and ideological debate, discourse, divisiveness and disappointment. The need for greater understanding, articulation and respect between Israel and American Jewry has reached a threshold which threatens to destroy the very cohesiveness of our Jewish community. To be sure, the “We Need to Talk” campaign or slogan may be the organized Jewish community’s last ditch desperate effort or attempt to implore a new meaningful relationship between our two communities which has slowly been eroded over the past two decades.
Given the complexity of this challenge and the daunting challenge it presents to the organized Jewish community (read Federations), at the risk of sounding somewhat trite or simplistic, I would like to humbly suggest that American Jewry and the organized Jewish community begin looking inwardly for viable responses and solutions.
Although the challenges may not always be mutually exclusive, maybe, just maybe, “we need to talk” about the state of the American Jewish community before we resolve the divide between our community and Israel. Yes, all politics are local; and, so are the challenges facing our American Jewish communities. To be sure, how can we even begin to attempt a resolution for unity between the Israel and American Jewry, when our own houses are in dire need of repair.
The level of disunity, lack of trust, disharmony and unabashed animosity between members of our Jewish community – whether it be social, political or religious – threatens to destroy the very fabric (let alone unity) of our Jewish community.
Where is the sense of urgency regarding our own internal divisiveness? Where is the organized Jewish community in uniting our communities? Why is it easier, more convenient or “safer” to talk about our relationship to Israel, than it is to address the evolving issues and challenges in our own back-yard?
Support for Israel should be absolutely paramount. We should never ever God forbid disregard the centrality of Israel or critically important relationship between our two communities. Israel is our birthright as clearly referenced in our Torah; and, it will always remain so. However, the challenge is not an either, or. Its about getting our house in order so that we can better position ourselves to respond to the unmet need for support on both sides of the pond.
So, do “we need to talk”? We sure do. As the flight attendant announced. ….. “in the event there is a drop in cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop down for your use. If you have a child or infant, first give yourself the oxygen before the child.”
The rest is commentary.
Dr. Botwinick was the executive vice president of the Center for Jewish Education in Baltimore and senior educational consultant to THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore.
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The Israeli Jewish community also needs to address its deep divisions, as well as the loss of Jewish identity, which is no less in Israel than in the US, but is less immediately apparent. Since the American and Israeli Jewish communities and their issues are related, it makes sense for them to address these issues together.
Chaim,
Thank you for a challenge well stated.
My greatest disappointment is that just as Israeli Jews and American Jews can barely recognize the Jewish beauty in the other, so too American Jews are losing the ability to celebrate and learn from our diversity. Success in pursuit of a healthy Jewish future is not a zero sum game.
Shalom Dr Chaim,
You asked: “…how can we even begin to attempt a resolution for unity between the Israel and American Jewry, when our own houses are in dire need of repair?”
Absolutely correct. And it all begins with the need for North American non Orthodox (NAnO) Jewry and its professional Jews (clergy, educators, movement staff etc…) to define the adjective “Jewish.” And in order to do that, we need the foundation of an accepted NAnO Judaism from which the content of the adjective “Jewish” could/would be derived. Needless to say the Orthodox are readily able to define the adjective “Jewish.” And the rest is commentary. And we’ve done plenty of studying already. It’s time for doing.
Biv’racha,
Jordan Goodman
Wheeling, IL
Eashtov@aol.com
PS Below is a link that refutes Ron’s response just above, while providing much needed perspective. My addition to it would be that Hebrew is a huge component of Jewish identity in Israel, that is all but absent among most of North American Jewry.
https://www.jns.org/opinion/we-need-to-talk-about-the-role-of-the-non-orthodoxy-movements/
Here is my response to the issue, including to the tagline chosen by the JFNA to represent this GA held in Tel Aviv. For many Israelis, this was a slap in the face, as were some comments made at the GA regarding a “parent” and “teenage” relationship My response received a lot of feedback, negative from American Jews and positive from Israelis, especially those who attended the GA.
http://jewishvaluesonline.org/jvoblog/talk?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+JvoBlog+%28JVO+Blog%29
Jordan, thank you for the link. With all due respect to Evelyn Gordon, my experience as a native Israeli who has lived half my adult life in Israel (and not in an Anglo-Saxon bubble) and half in the US (and not in an Israeli bubble) has led me to different conclusions. While I agree with you, Jordan, that Hebrew literacy is essential for authentic Judaism, I have also encountered many native Hebrew speakers who know little about Jewish heritage and in whose life it plays little or no role.
In some ways, Jewish identity is stronger in the US than in Israel — in the US it needs to be actively sought. At the same time, it is harder to maintain. But maintaining Jewish identity in Israel also requires effort.
If we were to agree on a definition of “Jewish”, this would be the first time in Jewish history this has happened. Jewishness is like love: those of us who are in it know it when we see it.
Both in my own Conservative congregation and in Reform congregations I have encountered professionally, I have found fierce dedication to Judaism. Non-Orthodox Judaism is not a “lower” level of observance, but a different approach to Judaism. Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and many other forms of Jewish engagement emphasize different aspects of our shared heritage. We do not need to agree, but we all should respect each other’s approaches as the authentic expressions of Jewish heritage that they are.