We need better marketing. The Reform movement that is. Well, Temple Emanuel, too, but this Shabbat,
I’m concerned about the broader umbrella of Progresive Judaism.
You may have heard that Jews
throughout the world have been called together this Shabbat (Shabbat Noach) to
participate in The Shabbos Project. This Shabbos
Project is being marketed as an “international movement to unite all Jews
through keeping one Shabbos together.” Sounds like a lovely idea, doesn’t it? Though,
isn’t that what we do week after week- observe Shabbat with Jews throughout the
world? It was the Israeli writer and
philosopher Ahad Ha-am who first reminded us, “More than Israel has kept
Shabbat, has Shabbat kept Israel.” The international construct,
if you will, that keeps Jews “together” is already present. It’s called Shabbat, and it has the potential to unite us. Indeed, Jews worldwide observe it.
While not so obvious on the Shabbos Project flyers posted throughout
our community in places like Starbucks, or in the materials advertising the
Baltimore Challah bake that occurred at the JCC as part of the project, this Shabbos Project is far from a
pluralistic effort at uniting world Jewry.
It has been organized by a South African outreach organization called
Kiruv. Kiruv’s mission is one of
unifying the Jewish people. Their
website states, “Our united efforts, with HaShem’s help, will be the seeds to infuse
light, love, and inspiration to all of Am
Yisrael.” What becomes clear when
digging a bit deeper specifically into the directions for the Shabbos Project’s hosts, however,
is that the goal of unifying the Jewish people is only about unifying us
according to one narrow definition of what it means to be an observant
Jew.
Hosts are encouraged to “share the
beauty of Shabbos by inviting a less-affiliated Jew into your home.” I’m not sure what they mean by
“less-affliated,” but I have a sense they are referring to folks just like
me. Non-Orthodox Jews. It is striking that nowhere in the marketing
materials are denominational terms used, just “Jewish” and “less affiliated.” There are guidelines, of course, on how to
handle “halachik mistakes” made by guests.
Encourage Torah observance, but don’t judge. Tell your kids not to make any comments
regarding lack of knowledge about basic Jewish concepts. Remind them, your kids that is, that your visitors
have never had the privilege of a Yeshiva education. Oh, and my favorite suggestion, “when
bringing female guests to shul, make
sure there is a user friendly mechitza”…If
the women’s section isn’t inviting, it is “better to encourage them to stay
home with the women of the home. This is
particularly important for beginners.” The website manual states.
I could share more about the
instructions for those serving as hosts for this worldwide Shabbos effort, but
you get the idea. It is less about
Shabbat ideals, and far more about promulgating a Halachicly narrow, Orthodox
definition of Shabbat observance. It is
not at all about true unity, or making the world a better place, or even providing that taste of redemption. It's about forwarding one idea about how to keep the Sabbath.
As I said, we need better marketing.
How do we – Reform Jews who do
observe Shabbat, who live full Jewish lives, even if not halachikly bound ones
– how do we respond to this divisive message that their “keeping Shabbat” is
better than ours, that their way is God’s preference? First and foremost, we must never be
apologetic regarding the Reform movement’s stance on ritual, our understanding
of history or Torah, or our personal level of Jewish observance. Whether we tear toilet paper or not or use a
light switch on Shabbat, should not be held up as a defining measures of our Jewishness,
our connection to God, let alone our moral character. Moreover, we should speak proudly about how
we do express our Jewish observance. We
must always speak in the positive: affirm what choices are made and provide
explanations that extend beyond mere convenience.
Despite the concerns I have regarding
Kiruv’s Shabbos Project, I hope it motivates us in one very important direction.
Each of us, regarding of our level of observance should take time to consider what
makes us Jewish. Is it simply a matter
of our biology? Or, is it our commitment to social justice, the values of tikun olam? Is it a matter of a faith in a singular
God? Or, is your Judaism defined
primarily through historical and cultural connections to the past? For so many generations, Jewish identity was
assigned to us as much by external forces as by individual choice. That is no longer the case today. In our modern, some argue post-modern,
world, we are not identified as Jewish unless we choose to be. And, I’d argue, it behooves us to do so, to each be a
Jew by choice. I firmly believe that we
must each consciously and proactively identify as Jewish – we must choose it. In that sense the Shabbos
Project has it right: we must choose to opt-in if we expect Jewish life to
thrive into the decades and centuries ahead.
My hope – a hope that is at least as
passionate as, if not more so, than the one behind Kiruv’s Shabbos Project—is that Progressive, Reform Judaism remains a
vibrant, accessible, intellectually engaging, aesthetically beautiful and welcoming place
for all Jews to opt-in.
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