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Sunday Jun 28, 2009
Rosner's Domain: More on Conservative Judaism, Israel and Tikkun OlamPosted by SHMUEL ROSNER
Comments: 7      Follow Rosner's Domain on Twitter!!! Of the many responses to the Q&A with rabbi Samuels on the state of conservative Judaism,, I dug these two that I thought were more interesting than other. First, my friend Seymour of Berkeley: What I found most interesting in Samuel's responses to Shmuel's questions is not a single word about the centrality of the state of Israel in Jewish thinking -- a real life, struggling pluralistic state. We can get so caught up in ideologies of universalism and tikkun olaming we fail to attend to what makes Jews and Judaism uniquely different and set apart and why Israel as a secure Jewish homeland requires our top priority of active attention and support. Second, this sarcastic response: I think everything is fine and dandy in the conservative movement/ Last week I performed burial ceremonies for 10 Jews and in the last 6 months I performed burial ceremonies for 250 Jews. Also in the last year I performed 1 marriage ceremony and 2 yrs ago I attended a bris. So you see everything is going as planned. Just to make sure I'm understood: I do not agree with the second comment, and not sure about the first one. You can read more about American Jews and Israel in my dialogue with Jack Wertheimer, but it isn't dealing specifically with conservative Jews. Here's a paragraph from previous dialogue dealing with conservative Jews. Quite outdated (it's from 2006), but I'm not sure much had changed. Background: the Q&A was on the Conservative movement's decision to "enable homosexuals to serve as rabbis and cantors" and to "allow rabbis to conduct commitment ceremonies of gay couples". Here's rabbi Jerome Epstein: Although some observers of Jewish life have assumed that the recent decisions of the Law Committee were influenced by desires by some to stimulate growth in the Conservative Movement, nothing could be further from the truth. Rather the decision was made in response to the pain of gay and lesbian Jews --- based on interpretations of Jewish sources. Many lesbians and gays are seeking to play a more complete role in Jewish life with heightened commitment. They are inspired by halakha and are seeking a way to live within its framework. Some, within the Conservative movement have found a path to provide that means. Follow Rosner's Domain on Twitter!!!
1 | Randy, New York, Monday Jun 29, 2009
The Jewish state is interested in stealing land from the Palestinians, building settlements for fanatical Jewish settlers on land that doesn't belong to them, and in getting America bogged down in wars for Israel's sake.
No more American blood for Israel. Period.
2 | Mike Feldman, Canada, Monday Jun 29, 2009
Randy-If you look to the header on this blog you will see that it is about your thoughts on the state of Conservative Judaism. The question is not 'Do you think the Jewish state is interested in stealing land from the Palestinians." That's to-days blog on Al-Jazeera.
3 | RKMD, Suffern, NY USA, Monday Jun 29, 2009
Randy: You embarrass yourself with uninformed vitriol. Judea and Samaria are "disputed territories" by international law. The Jewish communities are built predominantly on previously government owned land under the Ottomans, then the British Mandate, and even the illegal occupation by Jordan 1948-1967 which was recognizied only by Britain and Pakistan. The even more numerous Arab communities constructed on these territories doesn't seem to represent an issue for you. How sad for you to be angry and wrong simultaneously.
4 | Tzvi/amerikkka, Monday Jun 29, 2009
the author of the second comment obviously feels that the cons/ref movements are run by 5th column spies that have been tasked with destroying the Jewish people. When you see how these rabbis refuse to do kiruv work refuse to tell their followers to stop using birth control ane be fruitful and multiply and demand their followeres marry fellow jews. I have no choice bu to agree with the sarcastic post
5 | DJStahl, USA, Tuesday Jun 30, 2009
I heard Eliot Dorff cite a Shai Cherry, who said the Torah's prohibition against homosexuality can only apply to bisexuals, who have a choice. Classic psychiatry -- pre-1973 -- similarly saw homosexuality as a stage everyone goes through, in which some get stuck. Current belief tho is that everyone somehow is preordained as straight, bi, or homosexual. Mystical -- no biology to support this belief thus far. This current belief trumps Torah and classic psychiatry, tho with little evidence. So nu -- Torah isn't for homosexuals. Let them become Unitarians. Who says they need to practice Judaism?
6 | pierre, Sunday Jul 05, 2009
I was amazed with R. Samuels emphasis on "commitments" 'particular' to Cons. Jud. - all from the +/- 20yrs at best; blanket 'Egalitarianism' (not recognition of HALACHIC pluralism), Tikkun Olam, etc...reminds me very much of Chesteron's insight from "Orthodoxy"; the image of heaven ever changes for them, so Gradgrinds factory remains the same. Independent spirit as evidenced in the Traditional Cons. kehillot is reviled by her as not abiding by her vaunted quest for totalitarian 'egalitarianism'. Twined cords that made the rope to heaven cut 1by1; evolution trumped by Genetic Modification.
7 | pierre, Sunday Jul 05, 2009
Per my previous comment; the independent spirit of (selectively) Traditional kehillot and their community-selected moreh d'atra is something otherwise celebrated by committed Jews - but not by the establishments made of such Jews! Otherwise hegemonist voices like Samuels would not prevail; Genetic Modification again OTHERWISE reviled and fought vigorously by privileged westerners when it comes to their food...is CELEBRATED when it comes to the mesorah they "pass" to their children. Inches from the Charedim, who also engineer their past/present/future in accord with current reactionary ethics.
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