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| Reform leader, Rabbi Rick Jacobs |
I hate to keep criticizing the Reform Movement.
But if the shoe fits…
It seems that a program called Birthright Israel
has dropped the Reform movement from participation in its program. For those
that don’t know what Birthright is, it is a nonprofit educational organization
that sponsors free ten-day heritage trips to Israel for Jewish young adults aged
18–32.
It was created so that Jews with limited Jewish backgrounds can find out
about their Jewish heritage and connect to their Jewish identity.
Birthright was founded by Michael Steinhardt and Charles
Bronfman, 2 decidedly non Orthodox Jews. They are a breed of non-religious Jew that
seems to be becoming increasingly rare in America. The kind of Jew that cares about their Jewishness and future of their people.
Any Jew that fits the above description can apply
for this trip. But all is not well in ‘Birthright-land’ According to an excerpt
from Ha’aretz in the Forward Orthodox operators are taking over Birthright at
the expense of Reform participants:
“(Because of) aggressive” and often misleading “marketing” of Orthodox trip providers and the popularity of low-cost or free Orthodox extension programs after the ten days. These “growing trends,” Ha’aretz explains, have been boosted by the well-funded Orthodox outreach initiative on campuses of “the Diaspora Affairs Ministry – run by the Orthodox, settler-aligned Habayit Hayehudi party.”
But I agree with Gil Troy the lay-chair of
Birthright and author of the Forward article,. The reason young Reform Jews
aren’t taking advantage of Birthright is because Reform leaders are unsuccessful
in selling it to their young members. Blaming charismatic Orthodox leaders is a
cop-out. As Troy notes:
(T)he Reform Movement’s trip provider, URJ Kesher, again failed to meet its recruiting quota and lost its status as a Birthright Trip Organizer.
This has nothing to do with some sort of nefarious
plan by the Orthodox Jews to take over Birthright. They are merely taking part
in that enterprise in their own legitimate way. Orthodox young people should
not be denied the chance to find out more about their heritage just because
they are Orthodox.
True they have a head start as Orthodox Jews. But
there is still plenty to learn about their heritage via this organization. The
fact that Orthodox providers offer extension programs after the ten day trip is
over – is irrelevant. It has nothing to do with Birthright. Not a penny of Birthright money is used for it.Those extensions are offered entirely
by Orthodox community as their own independent add-on. Which is their right and
can be done by any other trip provider. Whether Conservative or Reform.
That Orthodox providers are infinitely more
successful at this is because young Orthodox Jews have been more Jewishly
inspired from the very beginning. They should not be faulted
for that. They should be praised.
But Reform leader Rabbi Rick Jacobs apparently does
not have the ability to look in the mirror. Instead he blames those ‘crafty
Orthodox Jews’ for abusing the program.
Why is Reform not successful? I think the answer is
obvious. It can be found in the very philosophy that Reform Judaism was founded
upon. A philosophy that glorified complete assimilation. A goal facilitated by
a rejection of any behavior that is identifiably Jewish. Which mostly meant
abandoning all Mitzvah observance.
Sure – they are back-pedaling now and even encourage
Mitzvah observance on a voluntary basis. They realize their mistake They didn’t
think Mitzvah observance was important from a religious perspective. They
believed that one could be a Jew in good
standing without observing a single Mitzvah. That was their creed at first and
actively discouraged Mitzvah observance. But they now embrace it (on a voluntary basis) realizing that it was a big
mistake from a sociological perspective, too.
And all their efforts to instill a little
Judaism in their flock is too little too late. While there is a bit of
culture re-instilled in some Reform Jews that care about it, I believe that
most Reform Jews prefer complete assimilation. Those among them that that want
to practice Judaism and want to perpetuate it in their children - look elsewhere.
Many of them find it in Orthodoxy. But they are a tiny minority of the Reform
community.
The vast majority of Reform Jews are not interested in changing their lives from
the freedom they have as a Reform Jew to the burden of Mitzvah observance that
would drastically change their lives. That makes them pretty much secular - being Jewish in name only. Which is why so many Jews today become unaffiliated and so many intermarry.
This description of reality may be a bit harsh. It may very well be hard for Reform leaders and Jews to hear. But it is the
truth. And if their leaders were honest they would see
just how true this is.
This is the reality of a movement doomed, despite their current status
as the largest segment of American Jewry. Sure – they might be growing. But
that is because they keep moving the goal posts. Every time they see Jews
moving further away from even their form of Judaism, they simply redefine the
concept. Intermarriage is now fully accepted. And conversions do not require
anything more that living a ‘Jewish lifestyle’. As if eating Gefilte Fish and
putting Matzah balls in their soup makes them a Jew.
Yes, Reform Judaism is doomed. If you are a Refrom
Jew reading this and care about a Jewish future for yourself and your children,
I invite you to study what Orthodoxy is all about and then judge for yourself if
that is the right path to take towards that goal. For the rest of Reform Jewry,
if you continue as you are but still want your children and grandchildren to be
Jewish - good luck. You’ll need it.
