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March 1, 2002/Adar 17, 5762, Vol. 54, No. 24
Inroads for Jewish pluralism
BARRY COHEN
Editor
During my first year of rabbinical school in Israel during the summer of 1992, I had my first and only flirtation with making aliyah. It ended when I faced a hard, cold fact: I could not be the rabbi I wanted to be under the legal, political conditions present in Israel.
The Chief Rabbinate would effectively handcuff me, preventing me from officiating at the life-cycle events I was trained to perform: baby namings, conversions, marriages, funerals.
Incredible how much can change in a decade.
The Israeli High Court recently ruled that the Interior Ministry must register as Jews local residents who convert to Judaism under Reform or Conservative supervision, in Israel or abroad. The decision places non-Orthodox converts on par with the Orthodox converts.
In his decision, High Court President Aharon Barak argued that Judaism is pluralistic. He stated: "In Judaism, there are many streams operating in Israel and abroad. Each stream acts in accordance with its beliefs."
I could not agree more. A continuum of Jewish identities exists. At one end is a theocracy, defined in black-and-white terms with a single clear authority; violating that authority brings absolute consequences.
At the other end is a gray-shaded multitude of authorities. The only absolute is that violating any single authority brings about absolutely unpredictable consequences.
In general terms, a typical Israeli would not understand this concept of a continuum of Jewish identity. They're inclined to view themselves as either dati (religious) or hiloni (secular).
In 1992, Israeli society was too close to the theocracy envisioned by the chief rabbinate for my comfort level and my professional aspirations.
The high court ruling demonstrates that Israel now has moved further along the continuum. Granted, the ruling has a serious disclaimer: the High Court did not rule on whether people who claim to be Jews are actually Jews.
In addition, the decision does not obligate the chief rabbi to recognize claimants as Jews for purposes of marriage or burial, nor does it have any affect on the chief rabbi's refusal to allow non-Orthodox rabbis to officiate at weddings and burials in Israel.
At issue is whether the ruling will lead to greater unity or division between the Israeli and Diaspora Jewish communities.
Israeli Chief Rabbi Yisrael Lau condemned the court's ruling as creating two types of converts: those accepted by Halacha and those by the high court.
What a contrast. In the United States, the bulk of the Jewish community works to maintain political separation between religion and state. In Israel, the chief rabbi condemns efforts to define a division between religion and state.
The question of "Who is a Jew?" remains. Religious pluralists have won the current round of the fight to define Judaism. The next round will continue the struggle over the ongoing definition, evolution and development of the Jewish people.
Such words as tradition, Halacha and covenant will be argued in unpredictable, unforeseeable contexts.
Who will win the next round? I can't wait to see.
Contact the writer at barry_cohen@jewishaz.com.
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