[This essay is from The Peoplehood Papers, volume 10 – Peoplehood in the Age of Pluralism – published by the Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education.]

Maintaining a sense of peoplehood in an environment of diversity means to develop an active concern for and commitment to those who have beliefs and lifestyles which are often contradictory to one’s own.

by Michal Muszkat-Barkan

I grew up in Israel and studied in a public Orthodox high school. The first time the Reform and Conservative movements were introduced to us during our studies was in history class, when a single lesson was devoted to Jewish responses to modernity. The life of Diaspora Jewry was taught in the context of different waves of Jewish immigration, usually in relation to Jewish persecution. Looking back at my high school studies, they did not give me any actual knowledge regarding the ways in which Jews really live their lives all over the world.

There are also similar examples of curricular lacunae in liberal and secular Jewish education. Both systems often ignore Orthodoxy, treat it as obsolete, or teach about traditional observance in an idealistic or romantic way with no real exposure. Just as important as the question of who is included in our Jewish narratives is the question of who is excluded from our stories.

Studying the Jewish people and Jewish culture as multifaceted entities is not only the reflection of an abstract ideal of Jewish existence. Rather it reflects a challenging reality: in the 2011 New York Study[1] the authors noted that “diversity in the Jewish population is not only large, it is growing”. In light of this situation I want to suggest that pluralism and Jewish peoplehood are increasingly significant concepts.

Examining the pluralistic worldview and the concept of peoplehood raises a potential contradiction: while the notion of peoplehood is based on emphasizing shared fate and destiny, the pluralistic approach values variety, including differences and disagreements. For this reason pluralism may be perceived as a threat to a desired Jewish peoplehood.

Maintaining a sense of peoplehood in an environment of diversity means to develop an active concern for and commitment to those who have beliefs and lifestyles which are often contradictory to one’s own.

The teachers at my Orthodox high school in Israel who were deeply committed to Jewish education and to Jewish continuity were busy protecting us – their students. They were concerned that a presentation of Jewish diversity, including liberal streams as legitimate options, might hurt students’ faith and observance.

In response to threats of diversity, various reactions have been described[2]. These include deletion (or avoidance) and disrespect towards other Jewish streams, both of which were common in my Orthodox education. Caring for the entire Jewish people, “Klal Israel”, was taught as a precious value, but paradoxically the curriculum did not provide actual knowledge regarding the ways in which many Jews live their lives.

Pluralism stems from the context of the open market, where the individual’s striving towards the truth may be manifested in various ways and sometimes through opposing arguments. Being a pluralist means recognizing and valuing a world of ideas and practices which are different from one’s own, but at the same time holding an opinion and identifying with an ideal or a community. A pluralist not only accepts the variety but is in dialogue with these other approaches as sources of wisdom and insight. Pluralism requires a highly individualistic process of search for one’s own way through a series of experiences and choices. Nevertheless, this search is deeply dependent on a dialogue with others: “If authenticity is being true to ourselves… then perhaps we can only achieve it integrally if we recognize that this sentiment connects us to a wider whole”[3].

In a forthcoming book on pluralism and Jewish education[4] the central role of the community in understanding and implementing pluralism is emphasized. Pluralism is always played out within a community. This is where one can negotiate and clarify ideas, norms and boundaries within a specific context.

Thus, pluralism can also act to strengthen the sense of Jewish peoplehood. It can become the guiding principle in developing a sense of belonging and commitment to diverse Jewish collectivities. Introducing the Jewish narrative will then include exposure to the shared history and ethnicity of the Jewish people as well as to various current concepts of living a Jewish life.

As a graduate of a public Orthodox high school, my studies did not prepare me or my schoolmates for future encounters with Jewish diversity. This diversity is growing, and is increasingly challenging the sense of belonging to one collective. Unplanned exposure of an unprepared graduate to the Jewish diversity may be confusing and may undermine the aims of the educational system itself. Thus, Jewish education should include a process aimed to expose students to the diversity of Jewish life and belief. This should not be seen as unavoidable, but as an important educational opportunity. The qualities of such a process should be not only intellectual but should also include social and experiential components. It should explicitly emphasize the values of the specific educational system to which the school is affiliated, with empathy and humility towards various other Jewish streams.

Such an educational framework can guide the way in which we expose our students to components of Jewish culture, including those with which we ourselves do not feel comfortable. Enhancing the sense of peoplehood in a world of diverse Jewish identities is one of the greatest challenges to educators from all Jewish streams. Reframing the aims of Jewish education to enhance a pluralistic approach to Jewish identity can lead to a richer and more realistic sense of Jewish peoplehood and contribute to the renewal and deepening of our covenant and Jewish solidarity.

Michal Muszkat-Barkan Ph.D Is the director of the department of Education and Professional Development at Hebrew Union College, Jerusalem.

1  Cohen; Ukeles and Miller (2012) Jewish Diversity and Its Implications for Jewish Peoplehood:Obstacle or Opportunity Ravid [ed] The Peoplehood Papers 9 p.24-27
2 See for example Nisan … in Gillis, Muszkat-Barkan and Pomsom [ed] Speaking in the Plural: Pluralism and Jewish Education (Magness) in press
3 Charles Taylor (1992) The Ethics of Authenticity, Harvard University Press, Page 91
4  Gillis, Muszkat-Barkan & Pomson, Speaking in the Plural: Pluralism and Jewish Education (Magness) in press

This essay is from The Peoplehood Papers, volume 10 – Peoplehood in the Age of Pluralism – published by the Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education.