A very happy New Year to you! May it be a year of health, happiness, and peace!
Much controversy has erupted over the recent resolution passed at the recent biennial convention of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ) regarding support for programs intended to raise the standard of living of Israeli Arabs.
In reality, the Reform movement’s action is not new nor is it unprecedented.
Over the past six to eight years, the URJ, the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, the United Jewish Communities, and, in fact, over 80 other American Jewish organizations, have addressed ways to fill the social and educational gaps between Jewish and non-Jewish communities in Israel. (see below my commentary on the controversy)
These organizations and others have begun to address the ideals stated in Israel’s Declaration of Independence. That document asserts that there would be “freedom, justice and peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel” and that there should be “complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex…”
Today the social gaps in Israel are glaring, and most poignantly among the Israeli Arab citizens who make up 20% of Israel’s population. A 2008 report by the Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality in Israel, 50% of Israeli Arabs (and 65.7% of Arab children) live below the poverty line, compared to 15.7% among Jews (and to 31.4% for Jewish children). Other social indicators reveal similar gaps in health care, education, welfare funding, life expectancy, and employment.
Raising all Israelis’ social and educational standards would help to strengthen Israel’s society. Offering and providing assistance in appropriate ways would fortify relationships and increase the level of coexistence that the Zionist founders of Israel sought in their time.
Much of this advocacy work is being conducted by the Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli-Arab Issues. I invite you to learn more about this organization that aspires to “make civic equality in Israel a priority for the Jewish people” (from its mission statement).
This is truly an embodiment of the value of Hillel, to concern ourselves about the lives of others as well as our own.
REGARDING THE CONTROVERSY:
I can only imagine that some donors to these and the other organizations that make up the Inter-Agency Task Force are unhappy with the decision, made eight years ago, to act on this issue. Following the passing of the URJ resolution, the presidents of the Zionist Organization of America and the national Young Israel movement condemned the resolution.
The comments of the Young Israel leader were particularly hurtful, stating that 'Jewish priorities' would dictate serving and supporting Jews and NOT non-Jews.
I think this is a misreading of tradition, which teaches us to help others in addition to ourselves, and at least 37 times in the Torah to help the stranger because 'you were strangers in the land of Egypt.'
I am, as always, interested in hearing your views. Please sign in and share your thoughts.
Friday, January 1, 2010
Saturday, July 25, 2009
The Labors of our Hands
“May the delight of the Eternal our God be upon us, and, indeed, may the work of our hands prosper!”
These words conclude Psalm 90, a biblical call for a life of wisdom and contentment. And this passage refers to the concept of m’lachah, or the labor in which we engage to support ourselves and our families, and which provides us personal dignity and strength.
Sometimes our work defines us. As a Rabbi, I certainly become associated not only with my wonderful synagogue, but also the Jewish tradition that is centuries old.
My task to make this ancient tradition live for all our members.
Sometimes we define our work. People of creativity and flexibility who employ a set of skills or run their own businesses need to make split-second decisions about accomplishing their work.
They may be known for the consistent quality of their work, yet their “product” may be quite different with each and every contract or assignment.
And sometimes we have no creative influence over the work we do: Factory workers, administrative personnel, stay-at-home parents or those who serve others for hourly wages have rigid work assignments that seem to change little or require few creative flourishes.
Yet they feel no less proud of their labor, nor do they refrain from adding originality and quality to their work.
Each of us contributes mightily to the collective labor of the world, something that we declare on Labor Day each year. But as many holidays have become, this annual observance has devolved into a flurry of retail sales and a rush to get in ‘just a bit more summer.’
As we approach Labor Day this coming September 7, let us recall that each one of us contributes significantly to the health of our society through the labors of our hands, and also that God delights in the work we do. Outside the home, or in it; on behalf of many or few: Whatever we do adds to the quality of the world, and we should be content with work well done.
May God, indeed, prosper the work of our hands!
These words conclude Psalm 90, a biblical call for a life of wisdom and contentment. And this passage refers to the concept of m’lachah, or the labor in which we engage to support ourselves and our families, and which provides us personal dignity and strength.
Sometimes our work defines us. As a Rabbi, I certainly become associated not only with my wonderful synagogue, but also the Jewish tradition that is centuries old.
My task to make this ancient tradition live for all our members.
Sometimes we define our work. People of creativity and flexibility who employ a set of skills or run their own businesses need to make split-second decisions about accomplishing their work.
They may be known for the consistent quality of their work, yet their “product” may be quite different with each and every contract or assignment.
And sometimes we have no creative influence over the work we do: Factory workers, administrative personnel, stay-at-home parents or those who serve others for hourly wages have rigid work assignments that seem to change little or require few creative flourishes.
Yet they feel no less proud of their labor, nor do they refrain from adding originality and quality to their work.
Each of us contributes mightily to the collective labor of the world, something that we declare on Labor Day each year. But as many holidays have become, this annual observance has devolved into a flurry of retail sales and a rush to get in ‘just a bit more summer.’
As we approach Labor Day this coming September 7, let us recall that each one of us contributes significantly to the health of our society through the labors of our hands, and also that God delights in the work we do. Outside the home, or in it; on behalf of many or few: Whatever we do adds to the quality of the world, and we should be content with work well done.
May God, indeed, prosper the work of our hands!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
A Debate About Pro-Israel Christians
Greetings to you, dear reader. I have been absent from this blog for a while, with busy winter and spring seasons. But I return here to update you on an ongoing interest of mine, the subject of whether we Reform Jews should be engaging with pro-Israel evangelical and fundamentalists, of the ilk of Christians United for Israel.
In the recent edition (Summer 2009) of Reform Judaism Magazine, my friend and colleague Norman Cohen and I undertake to present, in 300 words or less, a spirited dialogue on this question, with Rabbi Cohen saying “yes” and my saying “no.” Below are the two columns, which I commend to you. And what follows are some responses that I have received as a result of Reform Jews – and others – reading these columns and being moved one way or another to answer back to me.
But first, the two columns, pro and con:
Debatable: Should Reform Jews Engage with Pro-Israel Fundamentalists? (Copyright 2009, Reform Judaism Magazine, www.reformjudaismmag.org)
YES by Norman Cohen
There are many good reasons to have a relationship with fundamentalist Christians who consistently advocate pro-Israel positions in the political sphere.
Our Jewish tradition teaches us to say “thank you” and reciprocate with a positive gesture of our own—certainly not to turn our backs on those who extend a hand in friendship.
When our youngsters are bombarded on college campuses with anti-Israel rhetoric and demonstrations, who comes to their defense? Christians who share their love for the State of Israel. And when Israelis are killed and wounded in terrorist attacks, which organizations raise thousands of dollars to provide needed assistance and relief for the victims? Organizations such as Christians United for Israel.
Keep in mind, too, that not all fundamentalist pro-Israel Christian groups try to convert Jews or claim that Jews have been replaced by Christians as God’s chosen people. Christian United for Israel, for example, has denounced such proselytizing philosophies as inappropriately triumphalist.
In maintaining a relationship with Christian fundamentalists, we also have the opportunity for dialogue and influence—to persuade them of Israel’s need to compromise for peace, to make them aware that the Jewish community is not monolithic about politics or social issues, and to offer them new Jewish connections with us.
Reform Jews need to face head-on the bigotry and prejudice many of us have against conservative Christians. We need to publicly acknowledge that they have been among the strongest supporters of Israel at a time when some of our liberal Christian allies on social justice issues have led the charge against Israel through their divestment resolutions and repeatedly fail to condemn Arab terrorism. It is time we give thanks to Christians United for Israel and similar groups who help preserve the safety and the future of the Jewish state.
Rabbi Norman M. Cohen is spiritual leader at Bet Shalom Congregation in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
NO by Jonathan Biatch
Before we engage in alliances with pro-Israel Christian fundamentalists, we must ask: Do their actions help Israel?
Regrettably, the dominant Christian-Zionist organizations advocate policies that undermine Israel’s security and the chances for a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
For example, Christian Friends of Israeli Communities (CFOIC) actively supports Jewish settlements in the occupied territories as part of “God’s plan for the Jewish nation.” Such encouragement provokes conflict among settlers and Palestinians, impeding progress toward a two-state solution, a policy goal explicitly advocated by the Union for Reform Judaism.
A second such group, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), also opposes territorial compromise. At its 2007 conference, CUFI board member Gary Bauer disparaged the notion of a two-state solution, stating, “We are praying that they [the settlers] never give up…even one centimeter of territory.” Further, CUFI founder and chairman Pastor John Hagee has called for pre-emptive military strikes against Iran that “would trigger nuclear conflict and devastating war and destruction between the Jewish people, God’s chosen people, and the Islamic world.” Such an “end of days” bloodbath is hardly in the interest of Israel or any nation.
Moreover, how can we overlook Hagee’s vehement attacks on the dignity of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, his derision of American Muslims as unpatriotic, and his explicit condemnation of liberal Jews as “poisoned” and “spiritually blind” (see www.jewsonfirst.org)?
Common interests and goals, such as support for Israel, can certainly unify people with otherwise divergent views. But when the values of potential political bedfellows clash so fundamentally with our own, we must reject their advances. CFOIC and CUFI are two such unwelcome suitors.
Rabbi Jonathan Biatch is spiritual leader of Temple Beth El in Madison, Wisconsin.
(Copyright 2009, Reform Judaism Magazine, www.reformjudaismmag.org)
Now here is a sample of some comments that I have received. By the way, overall, seven of them have been positive, and three have been negative.
From a former congregant:
I wanted to thank you for your letter in the Reform Judaism magazine. I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian home, escaped and was a strong atheist when I met Joanne. I agreed to raise the girls in Judaism and have, over the years, come to the point where I value my connection to Judaism as one of the most positive aspects of my life.
I know firsthand the anti-Jewish attacks of Christian fundamentalists and their total lack of respect for Jews (and many other groups, but I won't try to list them all - I don't have all day). They may say in public that Jews are the chosen people, but in private, my mother told my daughter (her own granddaughter) that she was going to hell. While I have become less cynical over the years, I remain 100% suspicious of love from a hate group. Your comments were completely on target.
In case you get responses that are not positive, I wanted you to know how much I appreciate your comments.
From a current congregant:
I read your recent News/views article in the recent Reform Judaism and cannot agree with you more. After our visit in March to Israel many of the Israeli Jews that we talked with agree as well. I have great difficulty understanding the other side of this argument which in my prejudice feel 'money talks' and because they give to Israel they should be looked at differently. Thank you for representing us so well and sharing your views with other Reform Jews.
From a current congregant:
I just read your column in the Summer issue of Reform Judaism. I agree with you 100%. As you say, many of Israel's most vocal Christian Fundamentalist defenders undermine the ideals and the culture that make Israel a shining promise for humanity. In the Middle East and elsewhere, short-sighted political alliances of convenience often cause grave long-term problems. I fear that Israel is confronting that exact reality, as is the United States.
Thank you for your considered words, your courageous statement, and your wise leadership on this issue. I hope you will continue to speak out about controversial matters. I believe that is the appropriate and necessary role for a valued community leader.
From a total stranger who seems to like to throw stones from a distance:
Your argument against an alliance with pro-Israel fundamentalist Christian is flawed. You state that their political values clash with ours. They don't, they clash with yours. You may not meet many conservative Jews in Madison, but you are insulated from the real world if you think we don't exist. You denigrate the idea of a preemptive strike against. Iran. It would not cause anywhere near the blood bath that a nuclear armed Iran would. You assume a two state solution is the only way to go, when even the so called "moderate" Abbas refuses to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. You accuse the fundamentalists of being bigots, when you are bigoted against them. But I forget, among secular progressives it is acceptable to be biased against fundamentalists, Catholics, and Zionists. Your friends on the left are at the forefront of the anti Zionist movement, yet you refuse to consider any alliance with our natural allies because you disagree with them politically. How astoundingly short sighted.
From the Israel-based director of the Christian Friends of Israeli Communities (read: settlements), who makes plenty of assumptions from my article:
...While you clearly have no tolerance for the settlement movement and the ideology that we represent, I wonder how you have the chutzpah to denigrate an organization that builds such wonderful relationships between Christians and Jews just because it supports a political or religious position that you disagree with. Is your support of Israel conditioned upon who is the prime minister? Will you withdraw your support of Israel if our country refuses to adopt the "two-state solution?" Perhaps you are not aware of the fact that the recent national elections in Israel sent a very clear message that the people of Israel no longer have confidence in the various peace processes that have been experimented with over the years. The recent campaign of the IDF in Gaza received overwhelming support among Israeli citizens. And perhaps you are not aware of the fact that it is young men who have grown up in the so-called settlements who, today, make up a significant percentage of the officers and soldiers of the IDF. Will you withdraw your support of Israel because the values of these soldiers and officers so clearly clash with your own?...
Back to Rabbi Jonathan:
Although one can say that it’s self-serving to offer the positive comments, I will let them speak for themselves.
The comments of the last writer, the director of the Christian Friends of Israeli Communities, make a great many assumptions. But the statement that I find most surprising is this: “I wonder how you have the chutzpah to denigrate an organization that builds such wonderful relationships between Christians and Jews just because it supports a political or religious position that you disagree with.”
My response:
I think that if one were to read my article again, one would find solid rationale for wanting to distance myself from this organization: Not that I disagree with their political position (though I do) but rather because they act in a political realm and hope for US governmental policy to change according to their view. When this organization, or the Christians United for Israel, expresses its belief, that is their right and privilege. But when they seek to influence United States or Israeli government policy because of their beliefs, I must stand up and forcefully disagree.
This debate will not soon disappear, and I look forward to further discussions on this issue.
Be well.
In the recent edition (Summer 2009) of Reform Judaism Magazine, my friend and colleague Norman Cohen and I undertake to present, in 300 words or less, a spirited dialogue on this question, with Rabbi Cohen saying “yes” and my saying “no.” Below are the two columns, which I commend to you. And what follows are some responses that I have received as a result of Reform Jews – and others – reading these columns and being moved one way or another to answer back to me.
But first, the two columns, pro and con:
Debatable: Should Reform Jews Engage with Pro-Israel Fundamentalists? (Copyright 2009, Reform Judaism Magazine, www.reformjudaismmag.org)
YES by Norman Cohen
There are many good reasons to have a relationship with fundamentalist Christians who consistently advocate pro-Israel positions in the political sphere.
Our Jewish tradition teaches us to say “thank you” and reciprocate with a positive gesture of our own—certainly not to turn our backs on those who extend a hand in friendship.
When our youngsters are bombarded on college campuses with anti-Israel rhetoric and demonstrations, who comes to their defense? Christians who share their love for the State of Israel. And when Israelis are killed and wounded in terrorist attacks, which organizations raise thousands of dollars to provide needed assistance and relief for the victims? Organizations such as Christians United for Israel.
Keep in mind, too, that not all fundamentalist pro-Israel Christian groups try to convert Jews or claim that Jews have been replaced by Christians as God’s chosen people. Christian United for Israel, for example, has denounced such proselytizing philosophies as inappropriately triumphalist.
In maintaining a relationship with Christian fundamentalists, we also have the opportunity for dialogue and influence—to persuade them of Israel’s need to compromise for peace, to make them aware that the Jewish community is not monolithic about politics or social issues, and to offer them new Jewish connections with us.
Reform Jews need to face head-on the bigotry and prejudice many of us have against conservative Christians. We need to publicly acknowledge that they have been among the strongest supporters of Israel at a time when some of our liberal Christian allies on social justice issues have led the charge against Israel through their divestment resolutions and repeatedly fail to condemn Arab terrorism. It is time we give thanks to Christians United for Israel and similar groups who help preserve the safety and the future of the Jewish state.
Rabbi Norman M. Cohen is spiritual leader at Bet Shalom Congregation in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
NO by Jonathan Biatch
Before we engage in alliances with pro-Israel Christian fundamentalists, we must ask: Do their actions help Israel?
Regrettably, the dominant Christian-Zionist organizations advocate policies that undermine Israel’s security and the chances for a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
For example, Christian Friends of Israeli Communities (CFOIC) actively supports Jewish settlements in the occupied territories as part of “God’s plan for the Jewish nation.” Such encouragement provokes conflict among settlers and Palestinians, impeding progress toward a two-state solution, a policy goal explicitly advocated by the Union for Reform Judaism.
A second such group, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), also opposes territorial compromise. At its 2007 conference, CUFI board member Gary Bauer disparaged the notion of a two-state solution, stating, “We are praying that they [the settlers] never give up…even one centimeter of territory.” Further, CUFI founder and chairman Pastor John Hagee has called for pre-emptive military strikes against Iran that “would trigger nuclear conflict and devastating war and destruction between the Jewish people, God’s chosen people, and the Islamic world.” Such an “end of days” bloodbath is hardly in the interest of Israel or any nation.
Moreover, how can we overlook Hagee’s vehement attacks on the dignity of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, his derision of American Muslims as unpatriotic, and his explicit condemnation of liberal Jews as “poisoned” and “spiritually blind” (see www.jewsonfirst.org)?
Common interests and goals, such as support for Israel, can certainly unify people with otherwise divergent views. But when the values of potential political bedfellows clash so fundamentally with our own, we must reject their advances. CFOIC and CUFI are two such unwelcome suitors.
Rabbi Jonathan Biatch is spiritual leader of Temple Beth El in Madison, Wisconsin.
(Copyright 2009, Reform Judaism Magazine, www.reformjudaismmag.org)
Now here is a sample of some comments that I have received. By the way, overall, seven of them have been positive, and three have been negative.
From a former congregant:
I wanted to thank you for your letter in the Reform Judaism magazine. I grew up in a fundamentalist Christian home, escaped and was a strong atheist when I met Joanne. I agreed to raise the girls in Judaism and have, over the years, come to the point where I value my connection to Judaism as one of the most positive aspects of my life.
I know firsthand the anti-Jewish attacks of Christian fundamentalists and their total lack of respect for Jews (and many other groups, but I won't try to list them all - I don't have all day). They may say in public that Jews are the chosen people, but in private, my mother told my daughter (her own granddaughter) that she was going to hell. While I have become less cynical over the years, I remain 100% suspicious of love from a hate group. Your comments were completely on target.
In case you get responses that are not positive, I wanted you to know how much I appreciate your comments.
From a current congregant:
I read your recent News/views article in the recent Reform Judaism and cannot agree with you more. After our visit in March to Israel many of the Israeli Jews that we talked with agree as well. I have great difficulty understanding the other side of this argument which in my prejudice feel 'money talks' and because they give to Israel they should be looked at differently. Thank you for representing us so well and sharing your views with other Reform Jews.
From a current congregant:
I just read your column in the Summer issue of Reform Judaism. I agree with you 100%. As you say, many of Israel's most vocal Christian Fundamentalist defenders undermine the ideals and the culture that make Israel a shining promise for humanity. In the Middle East and elsewhere, short-sighted political alliances of convenience often cause grave long-term problems. I fear that Israel is confronting that exact reality, as is the United States.
Thank you for your considered words, your courageous statement, and your wise leadership on this issue. I hope you will continue to speak out about controversial matters. I believe that is the appropriate and necessary role for a valued community leader.
From a total stranger who seems to like to throw stones from a distance:
Your argument against an alliance with pro-Israel fundamentalist Christian is flawed. You state that their political values clash with ours. They don't, they clash with yours. You may not meet many conservative Jews in Madison, but you are insulated from the real world if you think we don't exist. You denigrate the idea of a preemptive strike against. Iran. It would not cause anywhere near the blood bath that a nuclear armed Iran would. You assume a two state solution is the only way to go, when even the so called "moderate" Abbas refuses to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. You accuse the fundamentalists of being bigots, when you are bigoted against them. But I forget, among secular progressives it is acceptable to be biased against fundamentalists, Catholics, and Zionists. Your friends on the left are at the forefront of the anti Zionist movement, yet you refuse to consider any alliance with our natural allies because you disagree with them politically. How astoundingly short sighted.
From the Israel-based director of the Christian Friends of Israeli Communities (read: settlements), who makes plenty of assumptions from my article:
...While you clearly have no tolerance for the settlement movement and the ideology that we represent, I wonder how you have the chutzpah to denigrate an organization that builds such wonderful relationships between Christians and Jews just because it supports a political or religious position that you disagree with. Is your support of Israel conditioned upon who is the prime minister? Will you withdraw your support of Israel if our country refuses to adopt the "two-state solution?" Perhaps you are not aware of the fact that the recent national elections in Israel sent a very clear message that the people of Israel no longer have confidence in the various peace processes that have been experimented with over the years. The recent campaign of the IDF in Gaza received overwhelming support among Israeli citizens. And perhaps you are not aware of the fact that it is young men who have grown up in the so-called settlements who, today, make up a significant percentage of the officers and soldiers of the IDF. Will you withdraw your support of Israel because the values of these soldiers and officers so clearly clash with your own?...
Back to Rabbi Jonathan:
Although one can say that it’s self-serving to offer the positive comments, I will let them speak for themselves.
The comments of the last writer, the director of the Christian Friends of Israeli Communities, make a great many assumptions. But the statement that I find most surprising is this: “I wonder how you have the chutzpah to denigrate an organization that builds such wonderful relationships between Christians and Jews just because it supports a political or religious position that you disagree with.”
My response:
I think that if one were to read my article again, one would find solid rationale for wanting to distance myself from this organization: Not that I disagree with their political position (though I do) but rather because they act in a political realm and hope for US governmental policy to change according to their view. When this organization, or the Christians United for Israel, expresses its belief, that is their right and privilege. But when they seek to influence United States or Israeli government policy because of their beliefs, I must stand up and forcefully disagree.
This debate will not soon disappear, and I look forward to further discussions on this issue.
Be well.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
'Women of the Wall' and Other Miracles
Twenty years ago last week, a unique Israeli revolution began. This was a revolt against a stubborn Jewish religious establishment that had denied basic religious rights to women. And last week, on the first day of the Jewish month of Adar, Israeli women celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the beginning of this uprising: in prayer, song, and disobedience to religious authority.
Last Wednesday, February 25, was the twentieth anniversary of the founding of “Women of the Wall”, an Israeli group dedicated to securing the rights of women to pray in loud and joyous voices at the Western Wall, the remnant of the Jerusalem Temple that Rome destroyed in 70 CE.
The Western Wall, prior to 1967, was a place of yearning and desire. Beginning from the time of Rome’s destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in the year 70 CE, many Jews had viewed this ground as truly sacred. Even though this wall had been merely the retaining wall that surrounded the precinct of the Holy Jerusalem Temple at the time of Herod (circa 5 BCE), because it remained standing after the destruction, it fired the imagination of Jews who dreamed for two millennia of a return to being able to fulfill the sacrificial rites as dictated by God in Torah. Here is a photo of the Western Wall and its sacred plaza:
In the years since the 1967 reunification of Jerusalem, the Western Wall has become a place venerated by Jews of all kinds. However, early on in the Wall’s liberated history the Chief Rabbinate of Israel created a men’s and women’s side, which has led to the following dilemmas:
The Orthodox Rabbinate directed that men and women pray separately if they wish to approach the Wall; for Progressive Jews, this in itself was a painful situation. But a further consequence was to silence the voice of women in worship: To our Orthodox cousins, hearing women’s voices during a time of worship is understood as obscene or vulgar. Consequently, women are prohibited from praying aloud, singing, publicly reading from a Torah scroll, or otherwise engaging in public acts of worship in the Western Wall plaza.
Twenty years ago, Israeli women of different movements decided that enough had been enough, and they began to deal with this issue by worshiping together, and in loud voices. Over the years, women and men in this struggle have been detained or arrested for disturbing the peace; women have organized for regaining their civil rights; the “Women of the Wall” filed suit after suit in the High Court of Justice; and a special Tallit was designed and marketed for fundraising purposes. (I own one, as does my wife. Let me know if you wish to examine it.)
At this point in time, the Rabbinate has been the winner in the many court cases brought by the Women of the Wall, the last one declaring that the women should respect the decisions of the Orthodox Rabbinate. But their determination to wade through the court system and to wait out more positive results is strong, and they anticipate an eventual success.
I don’t believe that I, as a male, had ever experienced life on the ‘disallowed’ side of the mehitzah, the divider that institutions of Orthodox Jewry use to separate men from women during worship. Last week, however, the roles of male and female worshipers were reversed, as the men in our group stood behind a separation fence to witness the Women of the Wall engaged in disobedient prayer. Here is a photo of what my view was like on that day while trying to worship with the women at the Western Wall:
If you could look clearly through this divider and peer into the midst of serious worship, it would look like this:
This male worshiper was quite loud in his objections to the women singing. He tried to prevent the singing and stop the “atrocities” against God:
Here he is engaged with one of the males in our group who insisted that he lower his voice so that the women could worship:
The struggles for religious equality, as well as those struggles for Israeli societal equalities of minorities of all kinds, are at the heart of Israeli society today. As the nation strives toward a peaceful resolution with its Arab neighbors, it begins to turn inward and address its internal problems. The religious inequality of males and females, Orthodox and Progressive Jews, Israeli Jews and Arabs, will be those efforts that will occupy our people over the next fifty years. And I invite you to come to Temple Beth El next Friday, March 13, as I report on my recent trip to Israel and to describe some of the struggles that I witnessed during my visit.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
‘It’s Hard to Be the Pope’
About the recent scandal regarding the reinstatement of a bishop who has denied the Holocaust, the Pope asked that his clergy and his faithful “support the very delicate and weighty mission of the successor of the Apostle Peter, who is custodian of the unity of the church.”
I guess it’s hard to be the Pope।
“There were certainly management errors on the part of the curia, I want to be clear about that,” said Cardinal Walter Kasper, director of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and liaison for Vatican-Jewish relations. He underscored that he was not consulted before the pope’s decision was announced.
Fifteen months ago, at a meeting at the Vatican, I met Cardinal Kasper along with other Catholics and Jews who toil at strengthening Catholic-Jewish relationships.
At that time, Pope Benedict XVI had ascended to his position, and the influential United States bishops who appreciate and take part in Catholic-Jewish dialogue were able to convince Kasper to arrange for us to visit the Vatican, explore the thorny issues that have an impact on Catholic-Jewish relationships, and sit on the ‘bimah’ when the Pope held his weekly audience. We were all on a very optimistic trajectory.
In the last few weeks, however, the rich potential for broadening Catholic-Jewish relationships was almost destroyed by Benedict’s action to repair a breech within the Catholic church. The unintended consequences of rehabilitating Bishop Richard Williamson brought embarrassment to an institution already beset with many other problems.
The Pope had not anticipated affecting the sensibilities of the world-wide Jewish community. Yet he learned that the ‘private’ opinions of a bishop, even an excommunicated one, matter. And the fact that Benedict has instructed Bishop Williamson to recant his Holocaust denial is already going a long way to maintain the integrity of his office and his Holy Self.
It may be difficult to be the Pope, but even more difficult may be admitting to and moving beyond mistakes that we make as human beings. And in that, Pope Benedict XVI succeeded.
I guess it’s hard to be the Pope।
“There were certainly management errors on the part of the curia, I want to be clear about that,” said Cardinal Walter Kasper, director of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and liaison for Vatican-Jewish relations. He underscored that he was not consulted before the pope’s decision was announced.
Fifteen months ago, at a meeting at the Vatican, I met Cardinal Kasper along with other Catholics and Jews who toil at strengthening Catholic-Jewish relationships.
At that time, Pope Benedict XVI had ascended to his position, and the influential United States bishops who appreciate and take part in Catholic-Jewish dialogue were able to convince Kasper to arrange for us to visit the Vatican, explore the thorny issues that have an impact on Catholic-Jewish relationships, and sit on the ‘bimah’ when the Pope held his weekly audience. We were all on a very optimistic trajectory.
In the last few weeks, however, the rich potential for broadening Catholic-Jewish relationships was almost destroyed by Benedict’s action to repair a breech within the Catholic church. The unintended consequences of rehabilitating Bishop Richard Williamson brought embarrassment to an institution already beset with many other problems.
The Pope had not anticipated affecting the sensibilities of the world-wide Jewish community. Yet he learned that the ‘private’ opinions of a bishop, even an excommunicated one, matter. And the fact that Benedict has instructed Bishop Williamson to recant his Holocaust denial is already going a long way to maintain the integrity of his office and his Holy Self.
It may be difficult to be the Pope, but even more difficult may be admitting to and moving beyond mistakes that we make as human beings. And in that, Pope Benedict XVI succeeded.
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