Descent from Whithering Heights and the boundary lines of American Jewish Identity
Right in the middle of the Omer (sheave gathering and of course, grain gleaning), Ruth arrives in Bethlehem, and oddly enough, becomes the perfect candidate for a Second Passover.
Pesach Sheni or Second Passover: פסח שני, occurs every year on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar. This is exactly one month after the 14th of Nisan, the day before Passover — a day that was originally prescribed for bringing the “Paschal offering” — some might say that the Second Passover makes room for a day of “Second Chances” . . . a phenomenon not unfamiliar to the readers of Ruth in ancient times, nor to us, as a community, in our own time.
And yes, while there are boundaries, there are also crossings . . .
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While warfare against Jews continues to rage in many places around the world — perhaps it has become a time for us to lay our older conflicts to rest . . . not simply to declare a truce, but to move beyond these tired old skirmishes and their belabored boundaries and begin to see the Jewish community in a different light . . . . here’s a little insight:
What Kind of Jew Are You?
Internecine struggles between movements should no longer be the current battleground of American Judaism — in moving forward, we might come to understand the need for each other, not simply to survive, but to thrive — *this* especially in an era in which both of these are at stake . . .
link: https://18forty.org/articles/what-jewish-denominations-mean-to-me/
Writing in 18Forty, David Bashevkin considers the utility of Jewish denominations. “For the past half-century, and even more so in the last two decades, different forms of Jewish life and practice are rarely introduced to those who haven’t grown up with it, and the ideology behind each of these movements is rarely discussed in any sort of serious historical or theological way. For the most part, we take the Jewish world that we grew up in for granted… Everyone has essentially three different levels of Jewish identity: individual, familial, and institutional… On an individual level, we are all Reform, on the familial level we are all Conservative, and on the institutional/communal level, we are all Orthodox… I think there is something to learn from each denomination, their histories, and their struggle. And I think, especially in this moment, where so many are searching and reflecting on their Jewish identity, it is important to understand that our individual, familial, and institutional identities will never perfectly align even though we need all three to nourish our Judaism. We need to discover the individual identity of our deepest beliefs, family life that allows others to discover their own, and communal institutions that provide spiritual nourishment in ways that individuals can’t do on their own.” [18Forty]
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In light of Bashevkin’s article above, re Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox movements, it might be worthwhile to peer beyond the curtain of a lesser-known movement’s leadership and their ‘rabbinic’ cadre as they now ‘move in a different direction,’ — a direction that very well could be understood as ‘beyond the pale . . .’
Anti-Zionism forced us to withdraw from Reconstructionist Rabbinical College
RRC fosters a culture of intimidation that dissuades students from expressing any positive connection to Israel
Link: https://forward.com/opinion/614347/anti-zionism-reconstructionist-rrc-rabbis
Be careful how you read this article . . . it is framed as an opinion piece, it is not journalism. That said, it does go to the heart of sectarian boundary issues that now plague the Jewish community writ large.
Article Excerpt: “We believed upon entering RRC that our rabbinical school would teach us to serve the Jewish people, emphasizing the centrality of Jewish peoplehood and support for our survival and self-determination. Instead, we came to find that RRC is, de facto, a training ground for anti-Zionist rabbis. Because of RRC’s rabbinical program, protests led by Jewish Voice for Peace and other anti-Israel organizations will count increasing numbers of rabbis among their ranks, training the next generations to oppose Israel and the safety of Israelis — our own people.”
