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| Former Conservative Rabbi Seymour Rosenbloom performing an intermarriage |
How sad that it’s come to this for American Jewry. We are now talking about a new definition of
Jews that will include intermarried couples. Not just for Reform Judaism where that already exists. But for all non
Orthodox denominations.
How far we have fallen from the tree called Judaism when
rabbis are now calling non Jews – Jews.
But that is what Reform Rabbi, Jeffrey Salkin seems to be saying in his Forward oped. He wants
to change how we Jews are now identified denominationally boiling it down to
two groups: Orthodox and Non Orthodox.
What happened to all of the denominations? Well, they’re
still around. But as Rabbi Salkin freely admits they are shrinking. So he proposes
consolidation. Adding that even the Conservative Movement seems to be heading in
the direction of the Reform movement. Pointing to Conservative rabbis that are coming out of
the closet in support of performing intermarriages.
I don’t think Rabbi Salkin gets it. He thinks the answer to
the shrinkage of American Jewry is to combine forces under a new doctrine. And
what would that be? Fealty to non observance?! You cannot change the definition
of Judaism every time you think there is something wrong with it. I have to wonder
how Conservative rabbis on the right, like Professor Jack Werthemier see a suggestion
like this? If I had to guess – based on many of his past writings, I’d say he
would be laughing it.
You cannot keep changing the rules in the middle of the game
– just to keep yourself in it.
As I’ve said in the past on this subject, none of this
makes me happy. Not the shrinkage of American Jewry and certainly not changing
what it means to be a Jew. There is only one thing that will keep us Jewish
into the future. Halacha. That is what has kept us going for generations ever
since the 2nd Temple era. Without Halacha we would have just blended
into the general populace and become one of them. There would be no Judaism
today because there would be no Jews. Certainly not recognizable ones.
When will the left learn that chasing down values that are
not particularly Jewish – even very
noble ones - is not the way to stay Jewish. The only way to do that is the time
tested way. By being different. Which in the case of Judaism means following Halacha.
It is our differences from the rest of the world that define us. Our similarities
– if it is the only thing focused upon will destroy us.
I therefore also reject his Rabbi Salkin’s groupings. He
separates Charedi Jews from Modern Orthodox Jews. While we do have our
differences, we have the one thing in common that will perpetuate us into the
future: Halacha. We both follow it. Even though there may be some differences in
how we follow some of these Halachos, the majority of them are pretty much the
same for all. That we have different world views does not separate us as much
as observance does from non observance.
Just to be clear. (…and I’ve said this before) being separate
by our observances doesn’t mean we can’t be close. It would be criminal for
observant Jews to abandon non observant Jews. Every Jew is responsible for the
welfare of every other Jew. Both the physical welfare and the spiritual welfare. To that
end every single Jew no whether observant or not is our brother or sister and
we ought to treat them that way.
We are family and this is what family does. We do not
abandon each other over matters of observance. Of course we should try and
convince non observant Jews about the beauty and importance of observance. But
only in the most pleasant of ways and certainly not by force, or intimidating
harangues consisting of fire and brimstone speeches.
And even if they never become observant at all, they are
still family and we should show it. The idea that some Jews think that these Jews
are lost anyway and we should just ignore them and concentrate only on our welfare - is a violation of
the Torah itself: Kol Yisroel Areivim Zeh La’Zeh. Just because we need
improvement in our own lives doesn’t mean we are free from seeing to the
welfare of all of our people. And just because the chances of succeeding in
keeping them and their offspring from intermarrying and assimilating out – does
not free us from our task to try and prevent that.
If on the other hand one adopts the idea of creating yet
another non Halachic and non valid denomination by combining all the current
ones into something new... well, in my book that is already a failure before it
even starts. And eventually history will prove me right. Just as it always has
with past ‘new’ denominations that veered away from Halacha.
