BROOKLINE — Several years ago, the clergy of Temple Israel, the state’s largest Reform congregation, began to notice something unsettling. Israel could be a contentious topic in the synagogue — when people paid attention to it at all.
Some congregants hesitated to bring it up. Others knew little about Israel’s complex political situation, or felt frustrated by it, so they avoided the subject. This self-perpetuating cycle of disconnection concerned the rabbis most.
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The photo attached to this article says it all- virtually no faces in the crowd under the age of 65- this is a conversation American Jews should have been having between themselves 20 years ago, sadly, it is now too late. Young jewish American perspectives of Israel are completely different from the dreamy, idealistic views of Israel I believe most of the people in photo had of Israel in their youth.
This situation has complex roots but a major one is that for several generations Reform Judaism was a pathway to secular liberalism. Is it any wonder that so many young Jews have lost their identity? Why be a Jew when one's primary allegiance is to the Sierra Club or NARAL? In fact, there are good reasons to be Jewish: an incredibly rich history in Israel and in the Diaspora, a deep respect for scholarship and creativity, a religious tradition that emphasizes moral reasoning and not simply ritual, etc. More to the point of the article, many American Jews have been pulled away from Israel by reading the NY Times. As a new monograph published by CAMERA demonstrates, the publishers and editors of the NYT have been hostile to Israel since its inception. It follows that this antipathy has nothing to do with building apartments for Jewish families in Jerusalem.
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How good it is to be reminded of the specific ways in which people can create space to listen to others.
The diversity of opinion among American Jews (or anyone, for that matter) may be conceived of as "left, right, and center," or it can focus on religious belief, or it can look at how individuals and groups change their opinions over time...in fact, there's a diversity of opinion on how to best represent the diversity of opinion!
The best models of the diversity, in my opinion, are those that value civility and recognize that individuals can be simultaneously passionate and empathetic, engaged and respectful. When we begin with this openness and good intention, we can really hear what someone else is saying. Then we can be each other's allies in creating a better world.