Jews still want Judaism, but many of us no longer want the institutions and organizations offering it — and that distinction will determine the Jewish future.
Current Jewish leadership (speaking broadly) was created during a time of peace and optimism, where (excepting Israel) the biggest issues involved political alliances, funding streams and the occasional battle against Jew-hating Aryan rednecks who lacked institutional power and were never taken too seriously.
But the current cohort are too old, cossetted and deluded to realize what they're up against and imagine that with a few well-written editorials and election wins, we (Jews and other Americans) can return to the safe and sane 1990s. All these people are far too comfortable (both in thought and social position) and too tolerant and forgiving for our current moment.
Also, I think few of us modern Americans are aware of the totalizing and shape-shifting nature of Jew hate and how it spreads like a wildfire (through single brains, groups and societies) and quickly turns conspiratorial then eliminationist, where all Jews become posited as enemies against some bright, utopian future. I always thought being anti-Jewish was in the same family as other forms of bigotry, but the past 2ish years have proved me very wrong. Ginning up a mob to attack, injure and ostracise Jews seems to get groups to cohere and get their blood flowing like no other hatred or cause. It stands in a class by itself when it comes to mass manias and other forms of mental derangement.
Peacetime leaders rarely make good wartime leaders. The Tikkum Olam consensus needs to be abandoned (you can't revive a corpse) and the New York Times "As A Jew" anti-Israel Jews need to named and shamed. Future Jewish leaders will need to get as angry about professsional Judas goats like Peter Beinart and Masha Gessen and their ilk or Ezra Klein whitewashing both Mahmoud Khalil and Hasan Piker (and never once challenging them) as the older leaders did about Pat Buchanan and Jerry Falwell.
The 20th century consensus is dead. The 21st century will need young, savvy fighters who are immune to all the slanders that will be hurled at them. But Jews and other supporters of Israel will have one important weapon on their side: the truth.
Institutions are tools. And as we are witnessing in the recent decades far too many of them are giving in to the outside pressures to work against their own people.
As I said recently in a critique of one of the preachier posts admonishing Jews for not being religious enough, I come here lately to read Vanessa Berg's great posts, which up to now have been consistently spot on. This one is no exception.
Vanessa, you've pretty much touched on exactly how I feel, although I think I go even further than you. I don't just believe many of our large Jewish organizations are obsolete. I believe some have become counterproductive.
To borrow Trump's language, we've created a Jewish swamp. Closed bureaucracies, impossible to reach, with no individual names or faces attached to accountability. Try finding an actual person to contact and complain to. Good luck. Yet the requests for money never stop. Money, money, money.
I've reached the point where I don't believe we should simply give money to Jewish organizations because they're Jewish organizations. Give to causes. If you want my money, tell me exactly why you want it. What are you going to do with it? What is it earmarked for? Who is responsible for delivering results? And if you fail, who do I hold accountable?
These organizations are terribly outdated and disconnected from the Jews they're supposed to represent. Unfortunately, we continue supporting them simply because that's what Jews have always done. Your article gets to the heart of the problem: Jewish institutions are not entitled to our loyalty or our money. They have to earn both.
Wow .. what a well written and meaningful article. I recently completed an on line survey which I had received from the United Synagogue based in the UK, so this article is most prescient.
@Vanessa, you encapsulate so many valid issues which Judaism faces in 2026. Brilliantly written.
Current Jewish leadership (speaking broadly) was created during a time of peace and optimism, where (excepting Israel) the biggest issues involved political alliances, funding streams and the occasional battle against Jew-hating Aryan rednecks who lacked institutional power and were never taken too seriously.
But the current cohort are too old, cossetted and deluded to realize what they're up against and imagine that with a few well-written editorials and election wins, we (Jews and other Americans) can return to the safe and sane 1990s. All these people are far too comfortable (both in thought and social position) and too tolerant and forgiving for our current moment.
Also, I think few of us modern Americans are aware of the totalizing and shape-shifting nature of Jew hate and how it spreads like a wildfire (through single brains, groups and societies) and quickly turns conspiratorial then eliminationist, where all Jews become posited as enemies against some bright, utopian future. I always thought being anti-Jewish was in the same family as other forms of bigotry, but the past 2ish years have proved me very wrong. Ginning up a mob to attack, injure and ostracise Jews seems to get groups to cohere and get their blood flowing like no other hatred or cause. It stands in a class by itself when it comes to mass manias and other forms of mental derangement.
Peacetime leaders rarely make good wartime leaders. The Tikkum Olam consensus needs to be abandoned (you can't revive a corpse) and the New York Times "As A Jew" anti-Israel Jews need to named and shamed. Future Jewish leaders will need to get as angry about professsional Judas goats like Peter Beinart and Masha Gessen and their ilk or Ezra Klein whitewashing both Mahmoud Khalil and Hasan Piker (and never once challenging them) as the older leaders did about Pat Buchanan and Jerry Falwell.
The 20th century consensus is dead. The 21st century will need young, savvy fighters who are immune to all the slanders that will be hurled at them. But Jews and other supporters of Israel will have one important weapon on their side: the truth.
Institutions are tools. And as we are witnessing in the recent decades far too many of them are giving in to the outside pressures to work against their own people.
As I said recently in a critique of one of the preachier posts admonishing Jews for not being religious enough, I come here lately to read Vanessa Berg's great posts, which up to now have been consistently spot on. This one is no exception.
Vanessa, you've pretty much touched on exactly how I feel, although I think I go even further than you. I don't just believe many of our large Jewish organizations are obsolete. I believe some have become counterproductive.
To borrow Trump's language, we've created a Jewish swamp. Closed bureaucracies, impossible to reach, with no individual names or faces attached to accountability. Try finding an actual person to contact and complain to. Good luck. Yet the requests for money never stop. Money, money, money.
I've reached the point where I don't believe we should simply give money to Jewish organizations because they're Jewish organizations. Give to causes. If you want my money, tell me exactly why you want it. What are you going to do with it? What is it earmarked for? Who is responsible for delivering results? And if you fail, who do I hold accountable?
These organizations are terribly outdated and disconnected from the Jews they're supposed to represent. Unfortunately, we continue supporting them simply because that's what Jews have always done. Your article gets to the heart of the problem: Jewish institutions are not entitled to our loyalty or our money. They have to earn both.
Wow .. what a well written and meaningful article. I recently completed an on line survey which I had received from the United Synagogue based in the UK, so this article is most prescient.
@Vanessa, you encapsulate so many valid issues which Judaism faces in 2026. Brilliantly written.
Cogent and important as usual Vanessa. Thank you! 🙏
BS’D our faith is not changing either. Gut Shabbos!