Rabbi Landsberg's Blog

It's been a long time...

It has been a while since I posted to this blog - more than a year, in truth . The reasons I stopped are  shrouded in mystery (otherwise known as preparations for the Chagim (High Holy Days) last year).   I say ashamnu.  I miss this route for contact with Temple Emanu-El folk; my days were often invigorated by a congregant's thoughtful response to a post.  I never cease to be amazed by our congregation's love of learning and the Jewish people.   So today I begin anew.   I have chosen a new design with blooming new flowers to both celebrate the relaunch and to hearten me against the snow outside.     

There is so much going on at Temple Emanu-El, and I  know not everyone can attend it all, given our busy lives.  A few weeks ago we were honoured to have Professor Moshe Halbertal of the Hebrew University, The Hartman Institute and NYU.  Professor Hartman spoke about many things:  forgiveness in Jewish tradition, and State and Religion in modern Israel.   But Professor Halbertal also spoke about the Goldstone Report and what it means for Israel.  His words are bracing and not always easy reading for those of us who hold Israel dear, but I recommend them to every Jew who wishes to posses a morally grounded but not demagogic understanding of the challenges facing the Israel Defense Forces today.   The presentation that Professor Halbertal made was a preview of a much remarked upon article he has since published in The New Republic - read it here. for an alternative view on Goldstone amongst many may I direct you to this view of Professor David Shulman also of the Hebrew university.

the income of Episcopalians and the voting habits of Puerto Ricans ....

For any Jew raised in the U.S., this phrase needs no explanation.  For all others: it refers to the voting habits of US Jews, who refute class based explanations of voting patterns (i.e.,  with above average incomes but wedded to the Democratic party).  Now as the U.S. November elections approach, my attention has returned to developments south of the border.  There have been a spate of articles about how Jews will vote this cycle.  For one example, read this piece about the Democratic primary in Florida: "As Obama Heads to Florida, Many of Its Jews Have doubts"

I have always fought the easy syllogism that says: Jews tend to be politically progressive, therefore Judaism is progressivism.  There is much wrong with that position, not least that it is increasingly untrue for a vocal section of the U.S. [and Canadian] Jewish community.  More importantly, however, the civilization of the Jews is something so expansive it can respectably support almost any political stance.  To reduce the Covenant to politics is a transgression.

That said, I still read about the likely voting intentions of US Jews this November.   M J Rosenberg of the Israel Policy Forum writes:

"American Jews are, for the most part, well-off. But they vote as if they still were poor ghetto dwellers, somehow understanding that their fate is connected to the fate of those who have little or nothing."

For more read here.

Got It? The Canadian Supreme Court and the Get

As I am sure most Canadian readers are aware, last month the boundaries of Canadian multiculturalism were clarified.  The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the state can uphold a civil contract that concerns religious matters--in this case, a prenuptial contract stipulating a get upon civil divorce.  For the particular story, check out this piece from Macleans (from 2006 when the court agreed to hear the case), followed by this recent op-ed piece in The Toronto Star which strongly supports the court's decision.

I am not here to advocate for or against Canada's multicultural settlement, though I do agree with the court's decision in the Canadian context:  the state and religion in Canada are already intertwined (I am recognized as an agent of the state for marriage officiation solely due to my being a rabbi).  Canada could choose to fully separate church and state (such as in France, which does not grant such recognition to religious leaders, instead requiring a separate civil wedding officiated by a secular agent of the secular state).  Barring this, however, it seems a natural corollary that the secular state can enforce what is a "religious" contract ending marriage [get], just as it does the "religious" contract establishing marriage [kiddushin]. 

I know the matter does not end so simply: multiculturalism and the beit din [now no longer officially sanctioned by the state, but formerly recognized within Ontario], multiculturalism and religious school funding [yes, only Catholic schools are state funded in Ontario (and yes, it does need to be reiterated: my preferred solution is one publicly funded secular school system)]...the list goes on.  But these are for other postings...

Yes, I've got a French Thing...

Most of us noted with great interest the funeral rites for the born Jew, Archbishop and Cardinal Aaron Jean-Marie Lustiger, who passed away on the 5th of August.  Though a controversial figure for some Jews, his deep connectedness with the people of his birth was evident and heartfelt, if frustrating. 

L'havdil: France lost another famous son recently, the former Prime Minister Raymond Barre, over whom no one is reciting kaddish.  Read his obituary in Jewcy entitled "Good Riddance."

For Gilad Shalit on His 21st Birthday

From my colleague Kenneth Stern in New York:

BIRTHDAY CARDS FOR GILAD SHALIT

Gilad Shalit will turn 21 August 28th. This will be his second
birthday spent in captivity (unless there is a sudden change in
circumstances).

Gilad's plight and the despair and anguish of his family move me
deeply. I keep putting myself in their shoes, and I weep (my son is
less than 2 years older than Gilad). Last January, I spent one night
in the Shalits' "tzimmer and I have remained in touch with the family.

Recently I broached the idea of trying to send birthday cards to Gilad
to his father Noam, and Noam has approved of the idea.

So, now I ask all of you to enlist your friends and acquaintances in
trying to send greetings to Gilad for his upcoming birthday.

They may be sent to Gilad in care of:

Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations
United Nations
1st Avenue & 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017

Or

International Federation of the Red Cross
800 Second Avenue
New York NY 10017

Or

Gilad Shalit
Gaza Strip
via Israel


Many thanks for your efforts. U'ma'asei yadeinu ko'n'neihu...

Reductio ad Hitlerum, Testimony of a Non-Zionist (and other such stuff)

Shavua tov! Time to start a new week and no better way to do so than by spending some time at Jewcy, currently chock full of interesting pieces.  There is one by Michael Weiss berating historian and journalist Ian Buruma. It is hard to miss it: besides calling Buruma's recent writing "full-tilt stupid," it is entitled, The Decline and Fall of Ian Buruma. 

I do not, in fact, agree with much of Weiss' critique of Buruma, and I question his understanding of the history of Jews within the Austro-Hungarian empire.  He seems quick to deny Jews' affection for Franz Joseph - read this article in the NYRB for a more nuanced view of the Jews' relationship to Franz Joseph (subscription required though if you would like to read it I will have copies available in the office).  In part he bases his view on the support of some Bolshevik Jews for the communist Bela Kun.  Kun certainly had Jewish support, but that is a far cry from proving that all Jews were supporters of Kun.  That is a syllogism.

Further, calling old Jews who had affection for Franz Joseph--who thrice rejected the appointment of the blatantly anti-semitic mayor Karl Lueger--"quislings" is a little strong. Quisling was a Norwegian fascist leader who, through his collaboration with the Nazis, has become a byword for collaborators and traitors. I would be loathe to use this accusation so casually.   

Yet it all makes for interesting read and--as a small treat on top of that--it introduced me to Leo Strauss' concept of reductio ad Hitlerum. 

Also on Jewcy you can read David Klinghoffer's rejection of Zionism in his piece, Why I am not a Zionist (But Christians Should Be).  His words challenge Jews to clarify their stance on Zionism as opposed to a support of Israel based on the reality of so many Jews living there.  Again, read this for yourself and decide; I will simply make a note or two here.  Klinghoffer's particular understanding of tikkun olam, which he ascribes to Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, is one which is dependent upon Jews living amongst the nations, rather than in a state of their own.  He states:

This is the famous idea of tikun olam, repairing the world. In the traditional understanding, tikun olam means acting to lead humanity toward a deeper understanding of God and His laws. Hirsch argued that this is “a God-given destiny which…overshadows the existence of a state.”

The concept is central to Judaism. It is embodied in the famous instruction God gave to the Jews upon their arrival at Mt. Sinai, where they would receive the Ten Commandments: “You shall be to me a kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6). Jews are literally intended to minister to the world as priests, teaching and inspiring humanity. Merely to have a state, to be like other peoples, is not our destiny.

One does not have to be especially Torah-literate to know that "the famous instruction" was given to the Jews together with the command to enter the land and live apart from other peoples.  Therefore, one can reasonably assume that God did not see an inherent contradiction between Jews living apart with national autonomy and being a kingdom of priests.  The question, then, is how one views history, the relationship between Zionism and the messianic promise of return to the land, and the Zionist belief that the authority of the state is necessary for the current well-being of the Jewish people.

Hope you enjoy the read and have a great week. 

Six-Day War roundup

There have been a few articles marking the 40th anniversary of The Six Day War that I want to share, in case you haven't had an opportunity to see them.

In no particular order is the Economist's briefing on 40 years since Israel's astonishing victory. You can read it here -  It's a succinct but painful read. For a contrary view to the Economist read Steve Plocker of Yediot Ahronoth (Ynetnews) on how The Economist is wrong.  In The New Yorker, David Reminck reviews Tom Segev's latest book "1967" and explains "Why the Six-Day War is still being fought". The article is as much a meditation on Israeli revisionist historians and is fascinating.  To wrap up, in case you haven't had your fill, read this op-ed by Tom Segev in the New York Times here.

There is so much more to say, and we should/shall discuss it.  But it is approaching Shabbat, so I will simply close by inviting you to join us on Thursday June 21st for a meeting of Po'alei Tzion, Emanu-El's Israel Task Force at Temple Emanu-El.  However we asses Israel's current state of affairs (I trust by now my perspective is clear), let no one doubt, whatever the challenges, that the future of the Jews and Judaism runs through Israel.

Pencils Down!

An addendum to yesterday's post:  inject some humor into what is a deeply serious debate and take Slate magazine's quiz:  Are You a Liberal Anti-Semite?  Overlook the America-centrism and enjoy.

Open Forum or Den of Lions?

Tony Judt, the outspoken, sometimes outstanding professor at NYU and controversial advocate of a one state solution for the Israeli /Palestinian conflict (see his article Israel:The Alternative), is again in the news.  You may recall the hoopla several months ago when an invitation for Judt to speak had been revoked--perhaps, as Judt maintained, due to the strong arm tactics of Abe Foxman of the ADL (though this New York Times magazine piece suggests otherwise here). Judt stated that his Constitutional freedom of speech had been transgressed. 100 leading thinkers and writers signed a petition supporting Judt, though both Christopher Hitchens (read here) and Leon Wieseltier (read here) shared some choice words about Judt's claims. 

Judt railed against the alleged silencing of liberals and dissenting voices within the Jewish community.  And now, the parameters of conversation within the Jewish universe are again being discussed.  A recent article, "'Progressive' Jewish Thought and the New Anti-Semitism", published by the American Jewish Committee posits that some Jews are feeding the current anti-semitism.  Immediately, the controversy exploded.  The New York Times' Patricia Cohen summed up the furor in an article on the matter, quoting Judt among others. 

This is a conversation that is fraught and is one that many are already engaged in [given the number of congregants who have forwarded articles on this recent debate to me]. I have little taste for Tony Judt's seeming embarrassment and vitriol. I place Jewish nationhood as one of the pivots of my Judaism, so I am obviously not in Judt's company. Those Jews who feel or think otherwise are in a different place from myself--but in fairness, they are not a historical aberration in the Reform Movement.   

It is important to recognize that the era of any easy assumption of consensus between Jews is over and--even more disturbing--that the fissures appearing between intellectual academia Jews and synagogue Jews are only the beginning.   

Extra! Extra!

The Economist has discovered the Jews!  Not that this venerable magazine [yes, the one brought into my life and home by my husband Adam] hadn't heard of Jews before--the editor of Haaretz, David Landau was the Israel Economist correspondent during the 90s and still often writes their pieces on Israel--but now the Jews are the subject of a special Economist report.  Last week's edition carries two major pieces on "The State of the Jews" which focuses on the widening chasm between diaspora Jewish identity and Israel.  Important stuff and a good overview.  You can access Israel and the Jews here, but need a subscription for the second.

I am not going to comment much here, except to say that I think that it is an observant, well-taken piece and I do endorse its sentiments nearly entirely.  I am happy to comment at length, if you do.  Post your thoughts and let's talk. 

Otherwise I want to point out two other pieces that focus on particular Jews:  one a New York Times Magazine profile of Abe Foxman the National Director of the ADL, called Does Abe Foxman Have an Anti-Anti-Semite Problem, written by James Traub. My responses to this piece are colored by my having just finished The Economist article. The point that echoes in my mind is the radical disconnect between younger Jews (let's say under 40) and their parents, whose worldview was shaped in a different mental land.

The last piece I want to bring to you is a Haaretz profile of Tamar Ross, an Orthodox feminist theologian.   Her life and thoughts might be surprising and eye-opening for you.  Read it here.