|
|
December 1, 2000/Kislev 10, 5761, Vol. 53, No.10
Our children, ourselves
GARY ROSENBLATT
The Jewish Week
In my job I'm supposed to know and report on the pulse of our Jewish community. But in recent days I have become increasingly aware of the growing gap among American Jews, between those actively involved in matters of religion, politics and personal identity, and those who are not. And it has made me question my ability to understand what the Jewish community thinks and feels.
Take, for example, the recent American Jewish Committee study on Jewish attitudes toward intermarriage. The overall finding was that "the Jewish taboo on mixed marriage has clearly collapsed."
More than half (56 percent) of the 1,000 respondents disagree with the statement, "It would pain me if my child married a gentile." Half of the respondents agree with the statement, "It is racist to oppose Jewish-gentile marriages." And a large majority of those surveyed favored rabbinic officiation at such marriages, even if a Christian cleric is involved in the ceremony.
Aware as I am of growing assimilation, I was taken aback by the statistics and the depth of acceptance of intermarriages in our community. Maybe it's because I live in the New York area, where it seems as if the whole world is Jewish. Maybe it's because I talk to and deal with members of the organized Jewish community on a daily basis. Maybe it's because I am an observant Jew, as are many of my friends.
Most probably it's a combination of all of the above, but whatever the reason, I was of the belief that most Jews were concerned and worried about the growing intermarriage trend. Instead, according to the study, 56 percent of those polled are either neutral about mixed marriages or see such marriages as a "positive good" (16 percent).
Similarly, while just about everyone I know is deeply disturbed over the renewed intifada the last seven weeks, I sense that a growing number of American Jews are distancing themselves from the troubling events in the Mideast. In my circle of close friends and acquaintances, everyone is solidly supportive of Israel, following the news with great interest, has a relative or good friend living in Israel, and has been to Israel often. But that is not typical of American Jewry. And what I worry about is that for many Jews who say they support Israel but are not involved in an organized way, the reaction to the disturbing Mideast news is more of annoyance than encouragement.
"Why can't the Arabs and Jews get their act together already and stop killing each other?" they may well be asking. And as the mini-war grinds on, those feelings may intensify. So even though identification with Israel may be strengthened during this time of crisis, once it dies down, we may find fewer rather than more American Jews defending Israel and its position.
Who are these people who seem not to care? I suspect few of them are avid readers of Jewish newspapers, regular shul-goers, contributors to Jewish causes or members of Jewish organizations. They may be many of the same people who have become accepting of the trend toward more intermarriage in the Jewish community. But it is important for us - for me - not only to keep these people in mind when considering Jewish attitudes on a given subject, but to try to bridge the communication gap between the more involved and the more marginalized Jews.
There are too few of us to write off one segment or another. In some ways this speaks to the ongoing debate within our community over inreach vs. outreach - that is, between spending limited communal funds on programs aimed at people who are least peripherally involved in Jewish life vs. focusing on programs aimed at reaching intermarried couples and families. While this debate has sometimes turned personal, with inreach advocates sometimes being accused of having given up on, and thus alienating intermarrieds, the truth is that communal initiatives should be geared toward reaching people where they are along the spectrum of Jewish identity.
The recent AJCommittee study, and others like it, underscore that we need to do a better job of Jewish education. We need to explain that efforts aimed at Jewish unity and growth are not about racism or exclusivity. They are about fulfilling the mitzvot (commandments) of being part of the Jewish people - with a mandate to make God known to the world - as well as ensuring a common fate and faith through the survival and growth of a nation commanded to being "a light unto the nations."
There was a time, not so long ago, when the notions of encouraging Jews to marry Jews and identify with and support Israel were a given. Not anymore. Rather than bemoan that fact, though, we have to redouble our efforts to help our children and ourselves understand and appreciate the beauty of being part of the Jewish people. It is up to each of us to make it a blessing and not a burden.
Gary Rosenblatt is editor and publisher of The New York Jewish Week. His e-mail address is Gary@jewishweek.org.
|
