 |
| Jewish unity event in Washington DC - November 14, 2023 |
I am often asked why I am so persistent in my quest
for Achdus when I have so often expressed how upset some of
the differences between us make me. And they truly are upsetting. Some more
than others.
Given any one minor thing that upsets me, I would generally
shrug it off or ignore it entirely. But in the aggregate, it is very
distressing. My discussion yesterday about how mainstream Orthodox Judaism has
morphed into a society of extremes that are now becoming the norm is an example
of that.
So, as much as the new and “improved” version of Orthodoxy
has upset me, I refuse to separate myself from those who practice it. I
consider all Jews to be my brothers and sisters, regardless of how they lead
their lives. Which, in recent years, has increasingly meant adopting extremist
customs as the norm.
The fact that I don’t approve of the way they lead their
lives does not mean that I love them any less. I love them just as I did
before. That I lament the change and wish things could go back to the way they
were, when extremes were not the norm, is irrelevant to the love of my fellow
Jews.
I care deeply about the welfare of each and every Jew in the
world, regardless of whether I agree with them or not. We can disagree and
still be family.
This, of course, does not apply only to the Charedi world. I
feel exactly the same way about the left - even the far left of Orthodoxy, with
which I have profound disagreements. At the same time, the fact that I believe
they are mistaken in their views of Orthodoxy does not diminish my love for
them either. They, too, are my brothers.
As are secular and most heterodox Jews, most of whom are not
observant through no fault of their own.
I am not here to judge anyone. My beliefs about the truths
of Judaism notwithstanding, even as I may entirely reject the extreme beliefs
and practices of both the right and the left, we are all part of Am
Yisrael. And in most cases, the extremes by which people live are based on
sincere beliefs that they are doing the will of God.
Nor can I judge people whose lifestyles are based on
same-sex attraction or people who are confused about their gender identity.
Although I reject celebrating such lifestyles, I do not reject their humanity
or their Jewishness.
Are there exceptions? Well, yes…
To continue reading - and/or to comment on this post -
click on this link: substack. You must subscribe to receive new posts. It's
easy and it's free.
