robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison) (05/21/84)
References: I expect that Mr. Martillo's note on the "malevolence" of reform Jews will stir up a hornet's nest of debate. I would like everyone to consider, as they reach for their terminals, that you can prove anything using modern informal reasoning -- we have no tightly controlled logical procedures here. I will respond by discussing a genuine situation (rather than assertions about past history) that is causing me great anguish, and gives me a feeling that I am living among thousands of Jews who in fact are failing to experience their Judaism sufficently deeply. I will not charge any Jew with malevolence, but I fear a dangerous casual disregard. FIRST, here's the situation: For the second year in a row, my daughter's school has scheduled a major event on Shavuot. Last year it was the only performance of the play of Anne Frank (how's that for irony). She was a member of the cast, and the performance date was selected only after two months of rehearsals. Very delicate negotiations with the school resulted in an additional performance given before Shavuoth; my daughter was not able to attend the second performance, nor the cast party. This year, the school announced, on short notice, its trip for 8th-grade music students to NYC to hear a symphonic concert conducted by Mehta, which also conflicts with the end of Shavuoth. My daughter is heavily involved in the music program and will miss a major social and musical event. Delicate negotiations with the school have produced nothing so far, although there is still a little hope. The school has a Jewish calendar every year. I have not been able to get a clear picture of the reasoning that leads to these conflicts, but it is clear that concern for conflicts with Jewish holidays is very low on the school administration's priorities. NOW, the anguish: In dealing with this situation, I became aware as never before how isolated I am among the Jewish community of my suburban area. Virtually no other students were inconvenienced by these scheduling conflicts, despite the fact that the local population is at least 20% Jewish, and Shavuoth is traditionally the time of Confirmation ceremonies by children whose siblings might well be in our public school. Had twenty families, even ten, complained, our situation with the school would have been different. However we were nearly alone in asking the school to avoid scheduling events against Shavuoth or Sukkoth, which, I have discovered, many Jews view as unimportant or no-longer-significant holidays. The local town Rabbi suggested that my main priority should be to get my children into a private Jewish school. There is much to say for this point of view, but we want our children to have a public school education for many valid reasons. NJ Bnai Brith feels that little can be done with the schools on this issue. FINALLY, the conclusion: I cannot believe that people in general who assert their Jewishness, and attempt to practice their religion in a meaningful way, can nearly ignore Shavuoth and Sukkoth. I do not believe that they can routinely leave their children in school to pursue normal activities on the no-work days of the Three Festivals. The only explanation I can accept for my isolation on this issue is that the great majority of conservative and reform Jews are concentrating upon a few facts of their religion and satisfied with that. If this is true, they are taking a great risk, since historically Judaism has only survived where many Jews took a more global view of what it meant to practice the religion. I will not charge any Jew with malevolence, but I fear a dangerous casual disregard. - Toby Robison (not Robinson!) allegra!eosp1!robison decvax!ittvax!eosp1!robison princeton!eosp1!robison
martillo@ihuxt.UUCP (Yehoyaqim Martillo) (05/26/84)
I am not sure I understand Toby Robison's use of jewishness. I think of jewishness as being equivalent to Hebrew Yahadut, Judeo-Spanish Judezmo or Judeo-Arabic al-Yahud. These terms all simultaneous refer to the Jewish world, Jewish practice, Jewry and the quality of being a Jew. The reform specifically deny the existence of a separate Jewish nation. The objective of the JTS was to develop a specifically American form of Jewish observance. This objective ignored that Jewry existed for thousands of years before there was a USA and Jewry will exist long after there is no longer a USA. The reform denies Jewishness and the JTS subordinates Jewishness to Americanism, lack of Jewish assertiveness by the non-observant is hardly surprising.
mls@wxlvax.UUCP (Michael Schneider) (05/29/84)
There is a difference between the belief of Orthodox Jews and the rest. Orthodox Jews believe that the Torah was given to Moshe Rabanau on Mount Sini. The rest have stated that the Torah was written by man with divine inspiration. What does mean? If, as the Orthodox believe, it was G_d who wrote the Torah, then it can not be changed; nothing can be added, modified or removed. On the other hand, if man wrote it, then man can change it. We have seen this view applied by Reform, Conservative, and the others in the way they have formulated their "laws." In most cases, they have weakened the laws to make the religion fit into today's world. Although many of their changes only effect the individual who does not perform a Mitzva, three items effect the unity of the Jewish people: conversion, divorce, and who is a Jew (other than the problems related to conversion). In addition, the modifications to who is a valid witness and who can be counted as part of a minyon further separate them from Orthodox Jews. The question arose as to the word "fraudulent." The change from a Torah written by G_d to one written by man is major. Since the Torah was given to Moshe Rabanau by G_d, it can't be changed, no matter what people want to do. Either there is one law given to the Jewish people, or there isn't. Thus, any group that suggests that the law can be changed can be considered "fraudulent." It should be noted that the above comments only apply to changes to the law and not to interpretations. The Conservative movement has stated that many of their modifications were not changes, but interpretations. Yet, in some of their modifications, the Talmud Department at JTS has publicly stated that they changed the law, not interpreted it. However, non-Orthodox Jews (if they meet the legal criteria) are still Jews, no matter what they do or believe. M.L. Schneider .
trb@masscomp.UUCP (Andy Tannenbaum) (06/02/84)
M.L. Schneider mls@wxlvax.UUCP states: >There is a difference between the belief of Orthodox Jews and the rest. >Orthodox Jews believe that the Torah was given to Moshe Rabanau on Mount >Sini. The rest have stated that the Torah was written by man with divine >inspiration. Whoa Nellie! I am here to invalidate the statement above. I am not an Orthodox Jew, I do not pretend to be nor would anyone mistake me for one. What kind of Jew am I? I am a Jew Jew. Just a Jew, thank you. I DO NOT state that the Torah was written by man with divine inspiration. Well, let me be quite explicit. Judaism teaches that God gave (taught) Moses the Torah when Moses went up Mount Sinai for 50 days. God dictated, Moses recorded. If that's what you meant by "written by man," then you sure said it in a misleading way. Anybody who claims that Judaism dictates another belief, is misled and misleading. I am driven to disgust by such misleading statements as the one proffered above by M.L. Schneider. I will refrain from spewing vulgarity here, but consider it done. Note that I am not defending the absolute truth of the fact that Moses received the Torah from God on Mount Sinai, I am informing you that this is Jewish belief, this is a tenet of the Jewish *Faith*, as are the commandments in the Torah, which are accepted without question. I have NEVER heard it proffered as a tenet of Jewish faith that the Torah was written by man with divine inspiration (except as I explained above). This isn't proof that it isn't, it's just strong evidence that the idea can't be terribly widespread. (I grew up in New York City, which has a large community of Jews, and went to a yeshiva grade school, so I wasn't isolated from popular Jewish ideas.) Andy Tannenbaum Masscomp Inc Westford MA (617) 692-6200 x274
axm9839@acf4.UUCP (Asher Meth) (06/05/84)
Yom sheini leparshas beha-alosecha, 4 SIVAN 5744, 48 days in the Omer. Andy Tannenbaum writes : >Well, let me be quite explicit. Judaism teaches that God gave >>>(taught) Moses the Torah when Moses went up Mount Sinai for 50 days.<<< >God dictated, Moses recorded. If that's what you meant by "written by >man," then you sure said it in a misleading way. Andy !! I'm surprised at you. You should NOT have made that mistake !!! That 50 should be 40 days and 40 nights. The number 50 is one off of 49, which is the number of days we count between Pesach and Shavous - the period of time between leaving Mitzrayim (Egypt) and its enslavement, and our receiving of the Torah at Har Sinai (Mount Sinai). A Gutten Yom-Tov to one and all. May we all be zocheh to the geulah sheleimah, bimheirah beyameinu amein. Asher Meth allegra!cmcl2!acf4!axm9839