I forwarded this one to my daughter, who is Head of School for Vancouver’s largest Jewish day school. You make so many points that come up in our conversations, both the things that concern us and the amazing things going on at the school about which we kvell. Kudos to you and kudos to those who support and those who provide Jewish education, including those parents who scrape together the funds to enable their children to receive it.
Raising Jewish families with dads moms children and grandchildren who are all committed to a positive view of living aJewishly committed life and who are literate in classical Jewish texts produces proud Jews .
Some, but certainly not all, of the blame for this fragility rests with synagogues (especially Reform) and Jewish organizations, both which assumed assimilation and joining progressive causes would insulate them against antisemitism. I see it in how the Hillel at my daughter’s school reacts to protests and the encampments. Hillel provides a safe space but doesn’t teach the Jewish students how to fight back or mount a response. Jews and Jewish organizations need a new, more aggressive strategy for fighting antisemitism, and this starts with raising and teaching young Jews to be proudly Jewish and Zionists.
Just being Jewish by, and in itself is a dangerous enterprise, as blaming Jews for everything, without cause, is the largest intellectual sport for intellectually and morally lazy, and bankrupt morons, which seems to comprise the majority of humanity!
It is not a dirty secret that Jewish continuity in the form of living a Jewishly committed life and being literate in classical Jewish texts requires far more hard work and a daily 24/7 commitment than rallying against anti Semitism and supporting Israel
Books like ‘Saving Israel’ by Boaz Dvri, which tell of the extremely young heroes who flew death trap planes in the first wars against Israel…some volunteers were not even Jewish but did it because it was right…history of men like Rabbi Kahane…Jewish kids have to know. No one reads anymore by candle light…
I don't think its fair to say that 'fragility' is the main reason many people are having trouble showing pride and identifying with Israel and Jewish identity post Oct. 7th. In the face of relentless hatred, accusations, and blame, it's genuinely difficult.
So much to consider here. I will definitely be rereading and taking notes, love all the quotes. I have been preoccupied with the question of Jewishness since Oct 7. I found Rabbi Simon Jacobson on YouTube, he’s a great teacher! I’m guilty of taking the awful lies about Israel and “Zionists” personally (working on this). Favourite quote I’ll be saving is by Inbal Arieli “the Chutzpah Power" - determined, courageous, and optimistic that anything can be achieved. This is exactly what I need to carry me forward in every aspect of my life, especially in my Jewishness as the foundation of who I am. There’s so much more I could say in response to this essay! Thank you ☺️
Jewish Culture, adherence to the value of the written word as Law and the life of The Mind, which the religious amongst us say is G-d given, is a hard value to communicate to young people. This is why there is difficulty instilling this to children. But in fact whole of the human species now relies on this Eastern Mediterranean cultural project (which includes the Ancient Philosophers who are also absolutely Foundational to Logic and Reason and the Axiomatic Method, and the Rational and Mathematical Methods of The West; Pythagoras/Socrates/ Plato/Aristotle). Jews and Jewish traders, and their legal values, and the richness of the Societies and Economies we and the other peoples of the Middle East created because of these practices, were central to these Civilizations. So there is plenty for young Jews to be proud of: The Intellectual Tradition stretching back 4000 years, and kept alive for all Humanity to use here in Modern times.
I forwarded this one to my daughter, who is Head of School for Vancouver’s largest Jewish day school. You make so many points that come up in our conversations, both the things that concern us and the amazing things going on at the school about which we kvell. Kudos to you and kudos to those who support and those who provide Jewish education, including those parents who scrape together the funds to enable their children to receive it.
Raising Jewish families with dads moms children and grandchildren who are all committed to a positive view of living aJewishly committed life and who are literate in classical Jewish texts produces proud Jews .
Some, but certainly not all, of the blame for this fragility rests with synagogues (especially Reform) and Jewish organizations, both which assumed assimilation and joining progressive causes would insulate them against antisemitism. I see it in how the Hillel at my daughter’s school reacts to protests and the encampments. Hillel provides a safe space but doesn’t teach the Jewish students how to fight back or mount a response. Jews and Jewish organizations need a new, more aggressive strategy for fighting antisemitism, and this starts with raising and teaching young Jews to be proudly Jewish and Zionists.
Just being Jewish by, and in itself is a dangerous enterprise, as blaming Jews for everything, without cause, is the largest intellectual sport for intellectually and morally lazy, and bankrupt morons, which seems to comprise the majority of humanity!
Amen to that.
It is not a dirty secret that Jewish continuity in the form of living a Jewishly committed life and being literate in classical Jewish texts requires far more hard work and a daily 24/7 commitment than rallying against anti Semitism and supporting Israel
Books like ‘Saving Israel’ by Boaz Dvri, which tell of the extremely young heroes who flew death trap planes in the first wars against Israel…some volunteers were not even Jewish but did it because it was right…history of men like Rabbi Kahane…Jewish kids have to know. No one reads anymore by candle light…
Thanks for the book suggestion. Bought it.
I am not sure what point one really entails? If being Jewish has no definition, then what does being Jewish even mean?
And I say this as a reform convert, who attends a Chabad shul that does not consider me Jewish.
Loved reading and chewing on this essay.
Sorry, I meant God, not Good.
I don't think its fair to say that 'fragility' is the main reason many people are having trouble showing pride and identifying with Israel and Jewish identity post Oct. 7th. In the face of relentless hatred, accusations, and blame, it's genuinely difficult.
So much to consider here. I will definitely be rereading and taking notes, love all the quotes. I have been preoccupied with the question of Jewishness since Oct 7. I found Rabbi Simon Jacobson on YouTube, he’s a great teacher! I’m guilty of taking the awful lies about Israel and “Zionists” personally (working on this). Favourite quote I’ll be saving is by Inbal Arieli “the Chutzpah Power" - determined, courageous, and optimistic that anything can be achieved. This is exactly what I need to carry me forward in every aspect of my life, especially in my Jewishness as the foundation of who I am. There’s so much more I could say in response to this essay! Thank you ☺️
Jewish Culture, adherence to the value of the written word as Law and the life of The Mind, which the religious amongst us say is G-d given, is a hard value to communicate to young people. This is why there is difficulty instilling this to children. But in fact whole of the human species now relies on this Eastern Mediterranean cultural project (which includes the Ancient Philosophers who are also absolutely Foundational to Logic and Reason and the Axiomatic Method, and the Rational and Mathematical Methods of The West; Pythagoras/Socrates/ Plato/Aristotle). Jews and Jewish traders, and their legal values, and the richness of the Societies and Economies we and the other peoples of the Middle East created because of these practices, were central to these Civilizations. So there is plenty for young Jews to be proud of: The Intellectual Tradition stretching back 4000 years, and kept alive for all Humanity to use here in Modern times.
Where does Good come into it?