It is time to question why so many people raised in Reform Judaism become “anti-Zionists” and why many Reform Jewish spaces tolerate antisemitic rhetoric.
Reform Judaism in America unfortunately is predicated on being a universalistic social justice warrior but little if any ties to traditional Jewish practice It is tragic that so many members of the author’s generation were deprived of their ability to explore Jewish practice observance and texts and the ability to raise a family committed to the same When your sole understanding of Judaism is social justice you will campaign for the cause of the day but you will have no understanding or appreciation of the richness of Jewish tradition
I am a child of the 60’s. Dad was raised in an Orthodox home, Mom in a Jewish home without any observance or religious education. I did not attend religious school; however belonged to our local JCC and some youth groups. The difference for my family and Zionism was that my paternal grandfather’s family aside for his youngest sister, perished during the holocaust. She and her husband were zionists and went to British Mandated Palestine in the 30’s. Where they raised their family.
Being a second generation American on my Dad’s side, with a grandmother who immigrated to the USA in 1906, Israel was always someplace to yearn for and honor.
In our home, aside for vacationing in the Catskills or Florida, there was never a thought of going to Europe, Dad always said “it was the place that murdered his paternal grandparents”.
The only place that my parents spoke of wanting to travel to was Israel. That dream came true in 1980. Subsequently I have been to Israel 5 more times. Meeting my grandfather’s sister, her husband, along with their children and grandchildren,who were my age, was unbelievable. And to think through technology, I am still in contact with my Israeli cousins’.
Although the home i built with my husband is not observant, we have mostly belonged to a conservative shul. Hebrew school was a “must do” for our daughters, in addition they belonged to Jewish youth groups and have been to Israel with youth groups, Birthright and family vacations.
So to me, it’s not about the level of religious observance that matters when it comes to Zionism.. To me is about a homeland for the “Jewish People”. Like Noa Tishby says it’s no different than Italians come from Italy, Irish come from Ireland, Spaniards come from Spain, Jews come from Judah, and as such have the right to self determination and a homeland. Period!
Thank you so much for reading and sharing this beautiful comment! Sounds like you’ve built a beautiful Jewish home and instilled in your kids a love of Israel and Judaism— kol hakavod 💙💙
The only person I’ve stopped talking to after October 7 is a reform Jew who leads a progressive organization. Whose anti-Zionist convert wife is a JVP member. Reform Judaism has set up a little army of antisemitic token Jews.
"Tikun Olam" (Heal the World) has been the Jewish Left's rallying cry for years - preached in Reform temples from New York City to Los Angeles and beyond. But their notion of Tikun Olam has more to do with pandering to a political ideology than respecting our religion or our people. Recommended reading: "To Heal The World? How the Jewish Left Corrupts Judaism and Endangers Israel" by Jonathan Neumann
Hah, I was about to recommend the exact same book!
I was so amazed he spent a chapter questioning Joseph's actions in Egypt with the famine. It had been bothering me for years, and it's one of the first books that addressed it.
I have no idea if there is any link between Reform Jews and anti-Zionism. Personally, I view anti-Zionist Jews of any persuasion as insane, so not at all interesting. I pay no attention to them at all.
Haha I love that energy - this feels like a very Israeli response/wisdom, and I’m here for it.
You are correct, whatever their denomination, they possess a hateful kind of insanity, to the point it almost would not be worth paying any mind to, except for that they are gaining momentum.
I would be fine if they just called themselves Scientologists or make up something for whatever religious dogma it is that they have distorted Judaism to resemble— but alas, here they are #asaJew yelling #notinourname confusing all the other clueless people (including Jews) who don’t understand where we come from or who we are. *sigh*
It is easy for those in the Torah committed communities to condemn the heterodox leadership for it’s misplaced emphasis on Tikun Olam and walking away from traditional values The challenge facing theTorah committed community is to show as Maimonides writes that Torah has a message and values that transcend the society around you and will make you a proud loyal and stubborn member of a community rooted in a common destiny as opposed to a common fate
Thank you Mallory. I cannot overemphasize the value and timing of your writing. It is one of the major elephant(s) in the room(s). Importantly you cover a lot of ground. Generationally we are from opposite ends of life's spectrum. I consider that I am doing the world's slowest teshuvah and I'm in no hurry. Reform Movement historically arose for logical, noted reasons. In this pressure cooker of Time i.e. post-Oct 7, 2023 and the obvious aftermath of heinous activity outside and inside the Jewish world(s) I consider this period thus: Time to each Jewish person to face; A) "The BIG Lesson" which is likely 100s of small person lessons; and, B) to face the broad existentialist question for each of us and collectively "Now What"? As in now what should I do or really focus on? In recent few years I have seen a few 'sermons on the muck'. Pardon my black humor. I have seen a few prominent Reform preachers (yes, ascorbic wit emerging again) given their recorded sermon... and it sure does look like a Political Party shpiel. Pardon my preference... I think a sermon (I don't know the Hebrew word but I think 'sermon' sounds very Xtainized to my ear) .... I think the talk that a Rabbi gives at the bimah should be focused on the Parasha or the current or nearing holiday er Yom Tov. Or specifically it should not be preaching to the converted about politics per se. I saw a healthy online interview/discussion between two Rabbis who are friends and one is modern Orthodox and the other is Reform. The discussion title "What Did We Do Wrong - Peoplehood and The Reform Movement". The host site was "18forty". At about 30 minutes the Reform Rabbi was near to a full confession but couldn't quite label the admittance. So he skirted around it for some minutes. He seems a wonderful person and Rabbi ... but... yes... there is something they did 'wrong' i.e. that time has shown the wrong is past its use-by-date. Not that I know so much, but I'm learning and it seems to me that Reform needs a major reformation and mea culpa. To be blunt - Reform needs to become Refrum. To some degree. I noted and written for several years that a large percentage of Jewish persons absolutely hate, Hate HATE the orthodox. One does not have to be non-Jewish to be 'antisemitic'. Most of my life I refused to utter or write the word 'antisemitism'. I did not write about the holocaust either except for noting it is not the horrors and the six million and gassings etc... to real important part - to my understanding - was a) from 1924-1933 ie the leadup; and, then from 1933 as the legal edicts gradually were put in place. The big lesson about the holocaust is beside the major horrors, is the lead up. We are living in such a lead up right now. From 2006 to 2019 I had a lot of work journeys to Europe and UK. About 40 trips and each one for a minimum of 2 months. Usually 3 times a year. I SAW the jihad and putsch towards a caliphate. But I would never say those words. From Oct 7, 2023... I think the world needs to say those words and take actions to destroy what is already in place in the USA, UK, Europe, Australia. To cut this rave short, I think each and every Jewish person needs to get "The BIG Lesson" and step back Jewish style and that is one's own process of teshuvah and that is not easy and it requires a gradual daily practice and study no matter how brief but each day. It takes effort. Unfortunately the alternative is enmeshed in our so-called "Jewish values" which replaced Torah values. In a way it is quite simple and clear. Thank you for your writing and thoughts and I wish you well in your own processes. Regards.
Thank you Ira for these kind and wise words! I absolutely agree with you— I actually wrote about this previously in Future of Jewish, particularly through the lens of “social justice” Seders. We should and must have the space to understand ourselves and our tradition and spirituality without feeling compelled to constantly self-sacrifice or apologize for being who we are. I am relishing making up for lost time! I finally got my own copies of Rashi commentary, and am starting to try to learn and follow, and it feels wonderful— sometimes almost eerily relevant to whatever feelings or things are happening in the world. I genuinely cannot comprehend what a gift and a guide it is; I am trying to savor it and be patient with the time it will take to really learn Hebrew and be able to follow along in the way that I would most like to, with our sacred language filled with the magic of G-d. Hope you have a beautiful day, thanks again for reading and commenting!
Learning and relearning the commentary of Rashi and all of the major classical commentators constantly provide new vistas and insights in how one is expected to live snd think as a Jew
Thanks Mallory for your receptivity, understanding, stick with it i.e. your process(es). It is a remarkable journey and requires persistence - at one's own pace:) If I might share a few more notes? It seems to me one has to find a wedge into the system i.e. a way to grasp Hebrew. That is a different story for everyone. If one imagines astrological signs and/or the 12 Tribes - then there are at least 12 different pathways. Personally, my numerous weak attempts to learn Hebrew show that personally it has been one of the biggest challenges in my life, throughout my life so far. I didn't take well to school generally and when I then had to go to cheder school after regular school well, I'm working through that:) But as Polonius advised Laertes "Those friends thou hast and their adoption tried, grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel". Each word one grasps is a friend. Actually I feel a bit like Polonius writing all this now!! Oh, well. I to and fro between Hebrew and English. Right now my study/davening is an unfinished patchwork quilt. Tehillim (psalms) was VERY illusory!! To my surprise I'm starting to grasp a way in. 4 years later. I finally felt ready to get the standard basic ArtScroll with some few great notes with each psalm. It was so distant for 3+ years that I couldn't bear to struggle i.e. mumble my syllable by syllable by syllable through a single psalm in Hebrew. Two exceptions are during Shachrit i.e. Ashrei #145; and #150 which is classically sung out loud. But each little section of the massive Shachrit is a different learning drama for me. At this stage I'm far from doing the full kit!! It would take me near 2 hours I think. Naturally IF I did the whole every day, that time length with diminish, but most important is Polonius's 'friends though hast... grapple them to they soul'. Words of Hebrew and Torah/Tanach et al are friends indeed. Regards, Ira
The two sessions of that podcast were very interesting The Reform rabbi who was interviewed clearly is asking the right questions as to the absence of Ahavas Yisrael within his movement and it’s substituting the agenda of the Democratic Party for any authentic Jewish values
Some of the most ardent Zionist Jews I know are Reform. There are tens of thousands of Charedi men in Israel right now who refuse to fight for their people and country. How Zionist are they? I know of Jews from Orthodox and Conservative backgrounds who have lied, stolen, cheated, become addicted to drugs,sold drugs had adulterous affairs and worse. I know of Reform Jews who have done the same. My point is that there are good and bad Jews, just like in any other group. There are anti-Zionist Jews of every Jewish sect, from Reform to Satmar. We just hear more about anti-Zionist Reform and secular Jews because they have a louder voice and are more publicity hungry. That doesn’t mean Reform Judaism should be pigeon holed as the reason anti-Zionism exists among Jews.
And where exactly was it “pigeon holed as the reason anti-Zionism exists”? Sounds like someone didn’t read the article 🙃 I literally mentioned Neturei Karta in there as an example.
And refusing to pick up arms (NOT that I agree) is very different than organizing and teaching an entire generation that Israel is a “settler-colonial state” that has “no right to exist” and most absurdly “NO connection to Israel.”
We can talk about trends without needing to get defensive that suddenly that logic must apply to ALL members of that group; we can have discourse about some unsettling trends in Reform without twisting my words to imply that ALL Reform Jews are anti-Zionists or that the Reform movement itself is the sole birthplace and perpetrator of anti-Zionism.
Seems like you were triggered, which is probably why you needed to read the article. We’re Jews— we should pride ourselves on being able to engage in discourse and uncomfortable conversations that challenge us, even and especially when we disagree. Take care.
You minimized Neturei Karta, ignored Satmar and most of all you ignored the Charedi Jews in Israel who refuse to fight for their country. You implied that Reform Judaism was intrinsically immoral based in part on your experiences. What should I say about Chassidic Jews in who devised elaborate schemes to defraud government agencies? Are they examples that prove the intrinsic immorality of ultra Orthodox Judaism? Of course not! In prewar Europe most ultra Orthodox communities were opposed to the creation of a Jewish state. What in their tradition caused them to be anti-Zionist? At the same time, Stephen Wise, one of the major movers and shakers in Reform Judaism, was an active and ardent Zionist. He was also one of the founders of the American Jewish Congress. And just as an FYI, Tikkun Olam is a nearly 2000 year old precept of Rabbinic Judaism. Also FYI, I am descended from a Hasidic Jewish family. My paternal grandfather was an advisor to the Radomsker Rebbe and my great uncle was a noted Talmud Chacham (Google Reb Yosef Engel). I was educated in the Jewish day school system.
“implied” 💩🤡 something I never said based on your extrapolating the notion that SECULAR experiences of immorality in REFORM religious spaces are construed as… immoral! Not meaning that all reform spaces are de facto immoral, but that the spaces WHERE THE LINE IS BLURRED easily allows those things to FEEL conflated.
When the IDF demonstrates that it will fully accommodate the religious needs of. Haredim and is interested in them serving as opposed to using them as a political football to avoid its massive pre 10/7 strategic mistakes and breaks down the glass ceiling that prevents Religious Zionist raised officers from reaching the highest ranks then a serious discussion can take place Satmar clearly is different than Neturei Karta and yes one can argue about who can should serve but please argue based on facts not rhetoric
There are already entire units made up of charedi soldiers. There are already accommodations for charedi soldiers, from Glatt Kosher foods to not having contact with women, to allowing time for tefilla, Torah study and strict Shabbat observance. There have been Religious Zionist general officers in the IDF for decades. Major General Eliezer Stern was head of the IDF Manpower division 20 years ago. Those are the facts. The government pays for them to learn, they can return the favor by helping to protect the country’s yeshivas and killers.
Why is it that we receive so many appeals for boots, clothing AC units protective body gear, boots and helmets from soldiers? Perhaps, the IDF brass never relaized how important it was to have such materiel in stock.
Why was General Opher Winter cashiered out of the IDF? Because he offended the corportate culture of the IDF by insoiring his troops to fight harder by citing Biblical verses-There has been a glass ceiling against Religious Zionist Hesder trained officers as high brass for decades and Hesder students also complain wish they had more time to study daven and gender separated units. When the IDF offers more than one brigade for Charedim with full accomodation including shiurim by Gdolim and Admorim then it can talk about fully accomodating the needs of Charedim. I would note that alsmost
3, 000 Charedim volunteeres for the IDF but that the IDF washed out many leaving less than 800 who were enlisted In the meantime. we await the IDF doing what the US military did after Pearl Harbor-recognizing and admitting that it ignored the facts on the ground that Hamas was planning an invasion and selling the entire country that a smaller and smarter IDF that relied on static defense and high tech was the way of the future ala a 21st Century Maginot Line that could not imagine a blitzkrieg through the Ardenne Forest in 1940.
Absolutely they should. One difference is that Satmar aren't antisemitic, while token Jews infesting the reform movement are supporting the destruction of Israel, the genocide and ethnic cleansing of 7 million Israeli Jews. Satmar doesn't have any influence in academia, journalism, government, and the anti-Israel token cosplay Jews within the Reform movement do. I agree that most Reform Jews are zionists, but its their burden to purge the antizionist scum out of their institutions.
Because someone approaches Judaism differently than you do, doesn’t make them “token Jews”. Neither does it make them antisemitic. You talk as if the members of. groups like Jewish Voice for Peace are members in good standing of the Reform movement. They’re not. Those rabbis that are members of anti-Zionist Jewish groups mostly do not have congregations. The congregations they do have are mostly made up of other group members. These congregations are not part of the Reform movement. They are not welcome by the Reform movement. Most of these people grew up outside organized religion. Blaming Reform Jews for the actions of self hating Jews is inaccurate to say the least.
People who wish to risk the lives of the biggest group of Jews in the world, living in the only Jewish country in the world are absolutely antisemitic, and they tend to be proud token Jews of the anti-Jewish racists of the academic left cult. Don’t need your apologia on this very clear reality.
Like I stated, I agree with you that most Reform Jews are Zionists, but the movement has chosen to give a home to antisemitic sociopaths, and it’s on them to purge those people from their congregations. They live in the shade of Reform Judaism.
Satmar despite its anti Zionist philosophy never dermonstrates against the State of Israel especially during wartime unlike Netuirei Karta. Satmar deserves much credit if not the patent for really revolutionizing the Mitzvah of Bikur Cholim at NYC metropolitan area hospitals and revitalizing adherence to a mitzvah known as Shatnez. We used to go to lots of weddings from our neighborhood in NYC in Williamsburg- The Chasidic community bustles wiith activity -all of which revolves around serving God , and observing His commandments and transmitting that heritage to the next generation. You may disagree with their lifestyle and values but in many ways they challenge all of us on the much discussed subject of Jewish continuity
Satmar takes advantage of Israel’s welfare system. If you benefit from the state then you should be prepared to defend it. As far as antisemitism on their part. Many Satmar Chasidim don’t consider other Jews to be “real Jews”. I’ve been told that by Satmar Chasids. The demonstrations taking place in Israel are to pressure the government to expedite the return of hostages. Whether you agree with them or not, put yourself in their place. I know a relative of the Bibas family. I wouldn’t want to experience their pain.
I think I would be unable to explain to my grandmother the "state" of relations between Jew themselves. Existing was fraught with so many difficulties (some even very dangerous) for Jews ... that the usual obligatory support would be understood to be there. I feel that this has become more painful than even the incredible rise of antisemitism. A book was written several years ago (about the Holocaust and aptly named) "A Hole in the Heart of the World" ....this latest challenge for the Jewish people could provide a sequel.
I also invite folks to read the longer unedited version I posted on my Substack— please note that it contains graphic descriptions of sexual abuse and harassment of minors. If you have the ability to stomach that, I think it’s worth reading.
Wow! You really stirred up a hornets nest, Mallory. As a Jew-by-Choice for the past 46 years, the mother of two Jews who married Jews and now parent my six Jewish grandchildren, I have been active in, and remain emotionally connected to Reform congregations in Toronto, Highland Park (IL), Vancouver and Gainesville, plus unaffiliated, only-shul-in-town congregations in rural Ohio and Indiana. I have experienced some of what you describe, but I have also watched over the years three of my Reform congregations grow very close to Torah and very supportive of Israel. More recently, to use Joshua’s phrase, many of us "Liberal Jews" have ‘updated our beliefs’ since October 7th. You do a disservice to the Reform movement to ‘tar us all with the same brush’. Below is the beautiful prayer for Israel that my current congregation’s Klei Kodesh wrote, and which we recite every Shabbat. I struggle with the penultimate sentence, but can get behind the rest wholeheartedly.
"Sovereign of All the World -
Shield Israel beneath Your protective presence. May all the inhabitants of Israel know physical safety. May they find the comfort of community as they grieve together. May they experience a renewed love for their country and its people.
Guide Israel's leaders as they balance the necessity of safety and security with the suffering of the innocent. May they act wisely, with determination and deliberation. Implant within Israel's citizens compassion, strength, and resolve. May they be nourished by our love and support.
Our prayers are linked with the prayers of countless others as we remember Your ancient promise from the book of Second Samuel, "I will establish a home for my people Israel and will plant them firm so that they shall dwell secure and shall tremble no more... I will give you safety from your enemies." (II Samuel 7:10-11) At this time of danger and grief, may we have the audacity to pray for peace, just as our ancestors have done each time they were threatened and terrorized.
תשרץםלובא ֹּּׁ נֶַָָָָָ
We pray that the people of Israel find wholeness and know tranquility. We pray for innocent people in Gaza and across the region who are suffering. We pray for shalom in the land we love. “
This prayer may not resonate with you or all of your readers, but please rest assured that Vancouver’s Jewish community, including its Reform Jews, is more united than fractured since October 7th, united in prayers for the hostages, in support of Israel, and in defense of our own community and of world Jewry. We have bad actors, anti-Zionist outliers and university encampments, but there are also those who stand up to them. With each other, we work to remain united. I encourage you and your readers to do the same.
Very beautiful and powerful prayer. While I was reading it, I wondered what would happen if all Jews everywhere even for once, Shabbat prayed this prayer. I agree with you about hesitation and I would leave out the penultimate sentence.
Reform Judaism from its inception has always led from behind. It has taken ideas from the outside culture and declared them to be Jewish. German liberalism and nationalism in the early 19th century? Design for houses of worship copied from Lutheran churches? Sure, let's make that part of our agenda. We'll find some philosophic justification for it later.
Skip to our times - what is at the top of the agenda - kashrut, Shabbat, marrying within the fold? Learning to pray in Hebrew, learning Jewish history? No, it's LGBT rights (you may find that offensive, Mallory, but it is NOT primarily a Jewish issue) and Black Lives Matter; even, in some cases, fighting Islamophobia. In other words, for the sake of Tikkun Olam, caring for those other than Jews, and adopting the humanist, liberal agenda, and, somehow, claiming it is Jewish.
Perhaps, instructively, the source of the term Tikkun Olam has been totally ignored. It is from the Aleinu prayer, recited three times a day, and it reads, "letakein olam bemalchut shad-dai," to repair (or perfect) the world UNDER THE KINGSHIP OF THE AL-MIGHTY. The Reform movement has taken the religious aspect out entirely and made merely a form of social work.
The Reform and Reconstructionist movements have many Jewish members, but their religion is not Judaism - in the past it was Liberalism; today it is wokeism.
Lmao the only thing I find offensive is that you read this entire article I wrote and still cast me into that group of “contemporary western social justice IS Judaism” and assumed I would be offended by something that was literally the thesis of what I wrote. Did you actually read it, or were you so bothered that I am queer that you forgot everything else I wrote?
Reform Judaism in America unfortunately is predicated on being a universalistic social justice warrior but little if any ties to traditional Jewish practice It is tragic that so many members of the author’s generation were deprived of their ability to explore Jewish practice observance and texts and the ability to raise a family committed to the same When your sole understanding of Judaism is social justice you will campaign for the cause of the day but you will have no understanding or appreciation of the richness of Jewish tradition
Thank you Mallory! Wonderful article.
I am a child of the 60’s. Dad was raised in an Orthodox home, Mom in a Jewish home without any observance or religious education. I did not attend religious school; however belonged to our local JCC and some youth groups. The difference for my family and Zionism was that my paternal grandfather’s family aside for his youngest sister, perished during the holocaust. She and her husband were zionists and went to British Mandated Palestine in the 30’s. Where they raised their family.
Being a second generation American on my Dad’s side, with a grandmother who immigrated to the USA in 1906, Israel was always someplace to yearn for and honor.
In our home, aside for vacationing in the Catskills or Florida, there was never a thought of going to Europe, Dad always said “it was the place that murdered his paternal grandparents”.
The only place that my parents spoke of wanting to travel to was Israel. That dream came true in 1980. Subsequently I have been to Israel 5 more times. Meeting my grandfather’s sister, her husband, along with their children and grandchildren,who were my age, was unbelievable. And to think through technology, I am still in contact with my Israeli cousins’.
Although the home i built with my husband is not observant, we have mostly belonged to a conservative shul. Hebrew school was a “must do” for our daughters, in addition they belonged to Jewish youth groups and have been to Israel with youth groups, Birthright and family vacations.
So to me, it’s not about the level of religious observance that matters when it comes to Zionism.. To me is about a homeland for the “Jewish People”. Like Noa Tishby says it’s no different than Italians come from Italy, Irish come from Ireland, Spaniards come from Spain, Jews come from Judah, and as such have the right to self determination and a homeland. Period!
Wherever we stand, we stand with Israel.
Am Yisrael Chai.
Thank you so much for reading and sharing this beautiful comment! Sounds like you’ve built a beautiful Jewish home and instilled in your kids a love of Israel and Judaism— kol hakavod 💙💙
The only person I’ve stopped talking to after October 7 is a reform Jew who leads a progressive organization. Whose anti-Zionist convert wife is a JVP member. Reform Judaism has set up a little army of antisemitic token Jews.
"Tikun Olam" (Heal the World) has been the Jewish Left's rallying cry for years - preached in Reform temples from New York City to Los Angeles and beyond. But their notion of Tikun Olam has more to do with pandering to a political ideology than respecting our religion or our people. Recommended reading: "To Heal The World? How the Jewish Left Corrupts Judaism and Endangers Israel" by Jonathan Neumann
There is also "The Wicked Son: Anti-Semitism, Self-hatred, and the Jews" by David Mamet
Hah, I was about to recommend the exact same book!
I was so amazed he spent a chapter questioning Joseph's actions in Egypt with the famine. It had been bothering me for years, and it's one of the first books that addressed it.
Jack Wertheimer’s American Judaism is also a must read on this issue
To Heal The World is must reading on this issue
I have no idea if there is any link between Reform Jews and anti-Zionism. Personally, I view anti-Zionist Jews of any persuasion as insane, so not at all interesting. I pay no attention to them at all.
Haha I love that energy - this feels like a very Israeli response/wisdom, and I’m here for it.
You are correct, whatever their denomination, they possess a hateful kind of insanity, to the point it almost would not be worth paying any mind to, except for that they are gaining momentum.
I would be fine if they just called themselves Scientologists or make up something for whatever religious dogma it is that they have distorted Judaism to resemble— but alas, here they are #asaJew yelling #notinourname confusing all the other clueless people (including Jews) who don’t understand where we come from or who we are. *sigh*
It is easy for those in the Torah committed communities to condemn the heterodox leadership for it’s misplaced emphasis on Tikun Olam and walking away from traditional values The challenge facing theTorah committed community is to show as Maimonides writes that Torah has a message and values that transcend the society around you and will make you a proud loyal and stubborn member of a community rooted in a common destiny as opposed to a common fate
We call them “the ceasefire synagogue crowd “. Cannot and will not talk to them.
Thank you Mallory. I cannot overemphasize the value and timing of your writing. It is one of the major elephant(s) in the room(s). Importantly you cover a lot of ground. Generationally we are from opposite ends of life's spectrum. I consider that I am doing the world's slowest teshuvah and I'm in no hurry. Reform Movement historically arose for logical, noted reasons. In this pressure cooker of Time i.e. post-Oct 7, 2023 and the obvious aftermath of heinous activity outside and inside the Jewish world(s) I consider this period thus: Time to each Jewish person to face; A) "The BIG Lesson" which is likely 100s of small person lessons; and, B) to face the broad existentialist question for each of us and collectively "Now What"? As in now what should I do or really focus on? In recent few years I have seen a few 'sermons on the muck'. Pardon my black humor. I have seen a few prominent Reform preachers (yes, ascorbic wit emerging again) given their recorded sermon... and it sure does look like a Political Party shpiel. Pardon my preference... I think a sermon (I don't know the Hebrew word but I think 'sermon' sounds very Xtainized to my ear) .... I think the talk that a Rabbi gives at the bimah should be focused on the Parasha or the current or nearing holiday er Yom Tov. Or specifically it should not be preaching to the converted about politics per se. I saw a healthy online interview/discussion between two Rabbis who are friends and one is modern Orthodox and the other is Reform. The discussion title "What Did We Do Wrong - Peoplehood and The Reform Movement". The host site was "18forty". At about 30 minutes the Reform Rabbi was near to a full confession but couldn't quite label the admittance. So he skirted around it for some minutes. He seems a wonderful person and Rabbi ... but... yes... there is something they did 'wrong' i.e. that time has shown the wrong is past its use-by-date. Not that I know so much, but I'm learning and it seems to me that Reform needs a major reformation and mea culpa. To be blunt - Reform needs to become Refrum. To some degree. I noted and written for several years that a large percentage of Jewish persons absolutely hate, Hate HATE the orthodox. One does not have to be non-Jewish to be 'antisemitic'. Most of my life I refused to utter or write the word 'antisemitism'. I did not write about the holocaust either except for noting it is not the horrors and the six million and gassings etc... to real important part - to my understanding - was a) from 1924-1933 ie the leadup; and, then from 1933 as the legal edicts gradually were put in place. The big lesson about the holocaust is beside the major horrors, is the lead up. We are living in such a lead up right now. From 2006 to 2019 I had a lot of work journeys to Europe and UK. About 40 trips and each one for a minimum of 2 months. Usually 3 times a year. I SAW the jihad and putsch towards a caliphate. But I would never say those words. From Oct 7, 2023... I think the world needs to say those words and take actions to destroy what is already in place in the USA, UK, Europe, Australia. To cut this rave short, I think each and every Jewish person needs to get "The BIG Lesson" and step back Jewish style and that is one's own process of teshuvah and that is not easy and it requires a gradual daily practice and study no matter how brief but each day. It takes effort. Unfortunately the alternative is enmeshed in our so-called "Jewish values" which replaced Torah values. In a way it is quite simple and clear. Thank you for your writing and thoughts and I wish you well in your own processes. Regards.
Thank you Ira for these kind and wise words! I absolutely agree with you— I actually wrote about this previously in Future of Jewish, particularly through the lens of “social justice” Seders. We should and must have the space to understand ourselves and our tradition and spirituality without feeling compelled to constantly self-sacrifice or apologize for being who we are. I am relishing making up for lost time! I finally got my own copies of Rashi commentary, and am starting to try to learn and follow, and it feels wonderful— sometimes almost eerily relevant to whatever feelings or things are happening in the world. I genuinely cannot comprehend what a gift and a guide it is; I am trying to savor it and be patient with the time it will take to really learn Hebrew and be able to follow along in the way that I would most like to, with our sacred language filled with the magic of G-d. Hope you have a beautiful day, thanks again for reading and commenting!
https://open.substack.com/pub/futureofjewish/p/social-justice-passover-seders?r=2rotpz&utm_medium=ios
Learning and relearning the commentary of Rashi and all of the major classical commentators constantly provide new vistas and insights in how one is expected to live snd think as a Jew
Thanks Mallory for your receptivity, understanding, stick with it i.e. your process(es). It is a remarkable journey and requires persistence - at one's own pace:) If I might share a few more notes? It seems to me one has to find a wedge into the system i.e. a way to grasp Hebrew. That is a different story for everyone. If one imagines astrological signs and/or the 12 Tribes - then there are at least 12 different pathways. Personally, my numerous weak attempts to learn Hebrew show that personally it has been one of the biggest challenges in my life, throughout my life so far. I didn't take well to school generally and when I then had to go to cheder school after regular school well, I'm working through that:) But as Polonius advised Laertes "Those friends thou hast and their adoption tried, grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel". Each word one grasps is a friend. Actually I feel a bit like Polonius writing all this now!! Oh, well. I to and fro between Hebrew and English. Right now my study/davening is an unfinished patchwork quilt. Tehillim (psalms) was VERY illusory!! To my surprise I'm starting to grasp a way in. 4 years later. I finally felt ready to get the standard basic ArtScroll with some few great notes with each psalm. It was so distant for 3+ years that I couldn't bear to struggle i.e. mumble my syllable by syllable by syllable through a single psalm in Hebrew. Two exceptions are during Shachrit i.e. Ashrei #145; and #150 which is classically sung out loud. But each little section of the massive Shachrit is a different learning drama for me. At this stage I'm far from doing the full kit!! It would take me near 2 hours I think. Naturally IF I did the whole every day, that time length with diminish, but most important is Polonius's 'friends though hast... grapple them to they soul'. Words of Hebrew and Torah/Tanach et al are friends indeed. Regards, Ira
The two sessions of that podcast were very interesting The Reform rabbi who was interviewed clearly is asking the right questions as to the absence of Ahavas Yisrael within his movement and it’s substituting the agenda of the Democratic Party for any authentic Jewish values
Some of the most ardent Zionist Jews I know are Reform. There are tens of thousands of Charedi men in Israel right now who refuse to fight for their people and country. How Zionist are they? I know of Jews from Orthodox and Conservative backgrounds who have lied, stolen, cheated, become addicted to drugs,sold drugs had adulterous affairs and worse. I know of Reform Jews who have done the same. My point is that there are good and bad Jews, just like in any other group. There are anti-Zionist Jews of every Jewish sect, from Reform to Satmar. We just hear more about anti-Zionist Reform and secular Jews because they have a louder voice and are more publicity hungry. That doesn’t mean Reform Judaism should be pigeon holed as the reason anti-Zionism exists among Jews.
And where exactly was it “pigeon holed as the reason anti-Zionism exists”? Sounds like someone didn’t read the article 🙃 I literally mentioned Neturei Karta in there as an example.
And refusing to pick up arms (NOT that I agree) is very different than organizing and teaching an entire generation that Israel is a “settler-colonial state” that has “no right to exist” and most absurdly “NO connection to Israel.”
We can talk about trends without needing to get defensive that suddenly that logic must apply to ALL members of that group; we can have discourse about some unsettling trends in Reform without twisting my words to imply that ALL Reform Jews are anti-Zionists or that the Reform movement itself is the sole birthplace and perpetrator of anti-Zionism.
Seems like you were triggered, which is probably why you needed to read the article. We’re Jews— we should pride ourselves on being able to engage in discourse and uncomfortable conversations that challenge us, even and especially when we disagree. Take care.
You minimized Neturei Karta, ignored Satmar and most of all you ignored the Charedi Jews in Israel who refuse to fight for their country. You implied that Reform Judaism was intrinsically immoral based in part on your experiences. What should I say about Chassidic Jews in who devised elaborate schemes to defraud government agencies? Are they examples that prove the intrinsic immorality of ultra Orthodox Judaism? Of course not! In prewar Europe most ultra Orthodox communities were opposed to the creation of a Jewish state. What in their tradition caused them to be anti-Zionist? At the same time, Stephen Wise, one of the major movers and shakers in Reform Judaism, was an active and ardent Zionist. He was also one of the founders of the American Jewish Congress. And just as an FYI, Tikkun Olam is a nearly 2000 year old precept of Rabbinic Judaism. Also FYI, I am descended from a Hasidic Jewish family. My paternal grandfather was an advisor to the Radomsker Rebbe and my great uncle was a noted Talmud Chacham (Google Reb Yosef Engel). I was educated in the Jewish day school system.
“implied” 💩🤡 something I never said based on your extrapolating the notion that SECULAR experiences of immorality in REFORM religious spaces are construed as… immoral! Not meaning that all reform spaces are de facto immoral, but that the spaces WHERE THE LINE IS BLURRED easily allows those things to FEEL conflated.
Fragile and triggered 🥲 go cry about it
So you consider Orthodox Jews running scams to defraud the government moral. The line there isn’t blurred, it’s definitely crossed. Hypocrite much?
R Yosef Engel was one of the outstanding Talmudic scholars of his generations and whose writings are very helpful for anyone learning Talmud
R. Yosef Engel was my great uncle.
When the IDF demonstrates that it will fully accommodate the religious needs of. Haredim and is interested in them serving as opposed to using them as a political football to avoid its massive pre 10/7 strategic mistakes and breaks down the glass ceiling that prevents Religious Zionist raised officers from reaching the highest ranks then a serious discussion can take place Satmar clearly is different than Neturei Karta and yes one can argue about who can should serve but please argue based on facts not rhetoric
There are already entire units made up of charedi soldiers. There are already accommodations for charedi soldiers, from Glatt Kosher foods to not having contact with women, to allowing time for tefilla, Torah study and strict Shabbat observance. There have been Religious Zionist general officers in the IDF for decades. Major General Eliezer Stern was head of the IDF Manpower division 20 years ago. Those are the facts. The government pays for them to learn, they can return the favor by helping to protect the country’s yeshivas and killers.
Why is it that we receive so many appeals for boots, clothing AC units protective body gear, boots and helmets from soldiers? Perhaps, the IDF brass never relaized how important it was to have such materiel in stock.
That should be “kollels” not killers.
Why was General Opher Winter cashiered out of the IDF? Because he offended the corportate culture of the IDF by insoiring his troops to fight harder by citing Biblical verses-There has been a glass ceiling against Religious Zionist Hesder trained officers as high brass for decades and Hesder students also complain wish they had more time to study daven and gender separated units. When the IDF offers more than one brigade for Charedim with full accomodation including shiurim by Gdolim and Admorim then it can talk about fully accomodating the needs of Charedim. I would note that alsmost
3, 000 Charedim volunteeres for the IDF but that the IDF washed out many leaving less than 800 who were enlisted In the meantime. we await the IDF doing what the US military did after Pearl Harbor-recognizing and admitting that it ignored the facts on the ground that Hamas was planning an invasion and selling the entire country that a smaller and smarter IDF that relied on static defense and high tech was the way of the future ala a 21st Century Maginot Line that could not imagine a blitzkrieg through the Ardenne Forest in 1940.
When Reform Judaism chooses to not purge itself of antisemitic anti-Zionists it becomes their problem.
Should Chassidic Judaism purge itself of the Satmar movement because it is anti-Zionist?
Absolutely they should. One difference is that Satmar aren't antisemitic, while token Jews infesting the reform movement are supporting the destruction of Israel, the genocide and ethnic cleansing of 7 million Israeli Jews. Satmar doesn't have any influence in academia, journalism, government, and the anti-Israel token cosplay Jews within the Reform movement do. I agree that most Reform Jews are zionists, but its their burden to purge the antizionist scum out of their institutions.
Because someone approaches Judaism differently than you do, doesn’t make them “token Jews”. Neither does it make them antisemitic. You talk as if the members of. groups like Jewish Voice for Peace are members in good standing of the Reform movement. They’re not. Those rabbis that are members of anti-Zionist Jewish groups mostly do not have congregations. The congregations they do have are mostly made up of other group members. These congregations are not part of the Reform movement. They are not welcome by the Reform movement. Most of these people grew up outside organized religion. Blaming Reform Jews for the actions of self hating Jews is inaccurate to say the least.
People who wish to risk the lives of the biggest group of Jews in the world, living in the only Jewish country in the world are absolutely antisemitic, and they tend to be proud token Jews of the anti-Jewish racists of the academic left cult. Don’t need your apologia on this very clear reality.
Like I stated, I agree with you that most Reform Jews are Zionists, but the movement has chosen to give a home to antisemitic sociopaths, and it’s on them to purge those people from their congregations. They live in the shade of Reform Judaism.
What makes you think that self hating Jews have any connection with organized Reform Judaism?
Satmar despite its anti Zionist philosophy never dermonstrates against the State of Israel especially during wartime unlike Netuirei Karta. Satmar deserves much credit if not the patent for really revolutionizing the Mitzvah of Bikur Cholim at NYC metropolitan area hospitals and revitalizing adherence to a mitzvah known as Shatnez. We used to go to lots of weddings from our neighborhood in NYC in Williamsburg- The Chasidic community bustles wiith activity -all of which revolves around serving God , and observing His commandments and transmitting that heritage to the next generation. You may disagree with their lifestyle and values but in many ways they challenge all of us on the much discussed subject of Jewish continuity
Satmar takes advantage of Israel’s welfare system. If you benefit from the state then you should be prepared to defend it. As far as antisemitism on their part. Many Satmar Chasidim don’t consider other Jews to be “real Jews”. I’ve been told that by Satmar Chasids. The demonstrations taking place in Israel are to pressure the government to expedite the return of hostages. Whether you agree with them or not, put yourself in their place. I know a relative of the Bibas family. I wouldn’t want to experience their pain.
Thank you for this. Nice to hear a voice of sanity amidst the finger-pointing and cannibalism.
Thank you for sharing this, it all makes sense now as to the anti Zionist positions of reform Jews that I’ve known.
They think they’re gonna thank them when they takeover just like the other deluded fools! 🤣🤣🤣
I think I would be unable to explain to my grandmother the "state" of relations between Jew themselves. Existing was fraught with so many difficulties (some even very dangerous) for Jews ... that the usual obligatory support would be understood to be there. I feel that this has become more painful than even the incredible rise of antisemitism. A book was written several years ago (about the Holocaust and aptly named) "A Hole in the Heart of the World" ....this latest challenge for the Jewish people could provide a sequel.
I also invite folks to read the longer unedited version I posted on my Substack— please note that it contains graphic descriptions of sexual abuse and harassment of minors. If you have the ability to stomach that, I think it’s worth reading.
Wow! You really stirred up a hornets nest, Mallory. As a Jew-by-Choice for the past 46 years, the mother of two Jews who married Jews and now parent my six Jewish grandchildren, I have been active in, and remain emotionally connected to Reform congregations in Toronto, Highland Park (IL), Vancouver and Gainesville, plus unaffiliated, only-shul-in-town congregations in rural Ohio and Indiana. I have experienced some of what you describe, but I have also watched over the years three of my Reform congregations grow very close to Torah and very supportive of Israel. More recently, to use Joshua’s phrase, many of us "Liberal Jews" have ‘updated our beliefs’ since October 7th. You do a disservice to the Reform movement to ‘tar us all with the same brush’. Below is the beautiful prayer for Israel that my current congregation’s Klei Kodesh wrote, and which we recite every Shabbat. I struggle with the penultimate sentence, but can get behind the rest wholeheartedly.
"Sovereign of All the World -
Shield Israel beneath Your protective presence. May all the inhabitants of Israel know physical safety. May they find the comfort of community as they grieve together. May they experience a renewed love for their country and its people.
Guide Israel's leaders as they balance the necessity of safety and security with the suffering of the innocent. May they act wisely, with determination and deliberation. Implant within Israel's citizens compassion, strength, and resolve. May they be nourished by our love and support.
Our prayers are linked with the prayers of countless others as we remember Your ancient promise from the book of Second Samuel, "I will establish a home for my people Israel and will plant them firm so that they shall dwell secure and shall tremble no more... I will give you safety from your enemies." (II Samuel 7:10-11) At this time of danger and grief, may we have the audacity to pray for peace, just as our ancestors have done each time they were threatened and terrorized.
תשרץםלובא ֹּּׁ נֶַָָָָָ
We pray that the people of Israel find wholeness and know tranquility. We pray for innocent people in Gaza and across the region who are suffering. We pray for shalom in the land we love. “
This prayer may not resonate with you or all of your readers, but please rest assured that Vancouver’s Jewish community, including its Reform Jews, is more united than fractured since October 7th, united in prayers for the hostages, in support of Israel, and in defense of our own community and of world Jewry. We have bad actors, anti-Zionist outliers and university encampments, but there are also those who stand up to them. With each other, we work to remain united. I encourage you and your readers to do the same.
Very beautiful and powerful prayer. While I was reading it, I wondered what would happen if all Jews everywhere even for once, Shabbat prayed this prayer. I agree with you about hesitation and I would leave out the penultimate sentence.
Reform Judaism from its inception has always led from behind. It has taken ideas from the outside culture and declared them to be Jewish. German liberalism and nationalism in the early 19th century? Design for houses of worship copied from Lutheran churches? Sure, let's make that part of our agenda. We'll find some philosophic justification for it later.
Skip to our times - what is at the top of the agenda - kashrut, Shabbat, marrying within the fold? Learning to pray in Hebrew, learning Jewish history? No, it's LGBT rights (you may find that offensive, Mallory, but it is NOT primarily a Jewish issue) and Black Lives Matter; even, in some cases, fighting Islamophobia. In other words, for the sake of Tikkun Olam, caring for those other than Jews, and adopting the humanist, liberal agenda, and, somehow, claiming it is Jewish.
Perhaps, instructively, the source of the term Tikkun Olam has been totally ignored. It is from the Aleinu prayer, recited three times a day, and it reads, "letakein olam bemalchut shad-dai," to repair (or perfect) the world UNDER THE KINGSHIP OF THE AL-MIGHTY. The Reform movement has taken the religious aspect out entirely and made merely a form of social work.
The Reform and Reconstructionist movements have many Jewish members, but their religion is not Judaism - in the past it was Liberalism; today it is wokeism.
Lmao the only thing I find offensive is that you read this entire article I wrote and still cast me into that group of “contemporary western social justice IS Judaism” and assumed I would be offended by something that was literally the thesis of what I wrote. Did you actually read it, or were you so bothered that I am queer that you forgot everything else I wrote?
“Boston Jews say: we don’t know what the hell we’re talking about.”
There, fixed it for ‘em.