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Why I Write about Jews
When this topic came up for me, I wasn’t sure who my audience would be. Was I writing to clarify my own ideas? Was I writing for the gentile population? Or was I writing for other Jews? The result, I think, emerged as a worthwhile endeavor, at least for me. I hope you find it informative.
First, this is not like some of my other posts about Judaism. It’s not about my personal practice of Judaism, nor is it about anti-Semitism, per se, or Torah study. But I began thinking about how I was drawn back to Judaism, and why it matters.
As a Jew who had left Zen Buddhism after a 20-year practice and returned to Judaism, I discovered a meaning and connection to a history that was bigger than me, and better for me. The teachings, ethos, and practices allowed me to connect with G-d in visceral and poignant ways. For those of you who came to any religion late in life, or returned to your roots, you have a sense of what I experienced.
In spite of my unwillingness to fully immerse myself in Orthodox Judaism, ironically those were the people with whom I most closely identified. It didn’t matter that some of them dressed in special clothing and kept kosher homes; but Judaism was a way of life. In many ways, my Jewish identity is precious to me; I don’t just hold onto it as one label among many. Perhaps most importantly to me, I do not practice as only an ethnic or secular Jew: G-d is at the center of my life.
Why does my connection to G-d matter? I think it’s important, because as an ethnic Jew, my practice quite frankly was superficial. I had heard that Jews were the “chosen people,” but it wasn’t until my return that I realized being chosen implied serious responsibilities, primarily that we were to serve the rest of the world as positive examples of what it meant to be a good person in the world.
As an ethnic Jew, I not only didn’t know much about G-d’s expectations, but I realized for many ethnic and secular Jews, they had conflicted ideas of what those expectations were. Many Jews today have adopted the Left’s agenda, thinking that is the only way to live as a compassionate, generous person. That belief, for example, manifests as providing government entitlements, which have greatly increased over the past year. It means infantilizing people. It means delegitimizing people’s agency. One only needs to know about the part of the Torah that commands the Jews not to completely collect their crops, but to leave some of them on the boundaries of their fields, allowing those who are not as prosperous to work to collect a portion for themselves. Even the poorest Jews are commanded to offer donations of some kind, even if they are poor; they are called to remember that others are also in need, and that they have something to offer them. G-d knows that maintaining our self-worth is a key to living a productive life.
So, those Jews who don’t have G-d and His expectations at the center of their lives are wearing the mantle of Judaism very lightly; sometimes they even forget when they have it on, particularly when it conflicts with another ideology. It’s a spiritual gesture to light Chanukah candles or have a mini-seder; I’ve come to believe that G-d is happy to see us do anything that acknowledges Him.
But I want to remind you that I am also writing this post for gentiles. Historically, Jewish communities that assimilated have been those who were targeted as “other” in the gentile community. Isn’t that odd? Assimilation jeopardizes our very existence, not just as Jews, but as human beings.
I understand very well the desire to be different and yet fit in. For me, that has come to mean being a pretty conventional Conservative, but when the opportunity presents itself, I let people know I’m a Jew. It’s the reason we put up a Chanukiah outside when the rest of the street is blazing with holiday lights. It’s the reason I love to answer people’s questions about Judaism, because they are less likely to reject or criticize that with which they are familiar. (I’m also a teacher at heart.) In most of the gentile communities of which I’m a part, I feel included and embraced.
But I would suggest to my Jewish friends on the Left (and I believe most of you are not Orthodox): take a closer look at your belief systems. Check out whether they are in harmony or in conflict with each. Rather than ignoring the differences, explore them; see what they have to teach you. Ask yourself: am I serving two masters, two G-ds? What does that say about the integrity of my life? Do I want to serve G-d according to my own standards and preferences, or do I want to honor Him through my beliefs, actions, and faith?
These last questions can be addressed by anyone, Jew or gentile? Whom or what do you serve?
The choice for each one of us is ours, and ours alone.
Published in Religion & Philosophy
Beautiful–and interesting.
Thanks, Jake. Some of my “service” to G-d is kind of hit or miss. But I try!
I think when one engages more deeply with faith one becomes less fearful; we demonstrate love better to those around us once we realize that our personal foundation of faith is not threatened by their differences. A growing confidence, if you will.
I should have written that some of my favorite people on Ricochet are my Christian friends: you are always generous with your observations, understanding of my nascent practice and encouraging, too. You are very special to me. And of course, so are my Jewish and other gentile friends. (Sheesh, I’m going to get myself in trouble!)
A fascinating observation, Jake, that I hadn’t thought about. But now I will!
Whom do you serve is the central question of life:
https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/hero-holocaust-polish-housekeeper-saved-12-jews-rcna12833
she is part of the dontbeabystander social media campaign :
https://dontbeabystander.org/rescuers/irene-gut-opdyke/
I’ve heard her amazing and selfless story, MiMac. It reminds us how just one person can make a huge impact, and the effect each of us can have on the lives of others. Thanks.
Honored; beyond words, thank you!
What she was willing to endure & risk is amazing. I was most impressed by her hiding the fact that she was sleeping with the Major to protect the Jews b/c they would have been unwilling to accept her aide in that case.
It seems I am always rewarded when reading posts from the Jewish brothers and sisters here with a better understanding of the foundations of my beliefs. But your observations today also reflect how deeply ingrained the Judeo/Christian ethic is for those who would try to live in Liberty, both the fulfillments and the responsibilities. It is a reminder of how central that ethic is to a full life with both order and purpose.
Supporting government action as a substitute for personal compassion is a counterfeit. Added to it is the coercion involved in making your fellow citizens part with money to fund your preferences and deny their preferences.
Thanks, Ole. I appreciate learning about Christianity, too.
I’ve been avoiding them.
My experience is seeing disagreement, however mild, quickly morph into implications and vague charges of anti-semitism. It’s in your thread involving AZ patriot.
But I enjoy many of your posts, Susan.
As a Catholic, my perspective is formed upon the writings of Saint Pope John Paul (the Great). Pope John Paul II worked to improve relations between the Roman Catholic Church and Judaism. He built solid ties with the Jewish community in the hope of promoting Christian–Jewish reconciliation. [link]
My favorite saying of his that he used to describe those of the Jewish faith … “Our elder brothers in the Faith“. [link]
The Jewish Faith and the Christian faith share the same legacy and family tree back to Father Abraham. And when Yahweh returns, the only difference is that you believe it will be for the first time.
That’s a great way to describe our relationship, Columbo!
One thing I love seeing is that hair growing back! Keep changing your avatar pic as it does, please!
Getting it back to where it was before will be your victory trophy . . .
I’d like to think many come full circle back to their origins, after grow up during wild and crazy decades where everything and anything unconventional was an attraction. It seems as we get older, we re-think if that served us well, or there was something to the wisdom of our elders, and faith was the right thing after all? That’s what I found.
“Assimilation jeopardizes our very existence, not just as Jews, but as human beings.” Past history has been terrible for Jews, but for Christians too and still is. The Judeo-Christian worldview is being snuffed out (they think) and replaced by a secular-God-less or “universal one size fits all empty” spiritualism. This doesn’t work for Christians either.
“Ask yourself: am I serving two masters, two G-ds?” I feel like many Jews lost their first love a long time ago and it is so much worse today. Trump stated “I thought the Jews wanted peace at any cost, but I was wrong”. Every president tries to fix an unfixable problem. There is no real desire for assimilation in my opinion in that region by anyone, but I believe it comes down to fully trusting God. I feel like many Jews are not trusting God, but believe that tight reins of rigid control is the only way to survive. It’s never worked for Christians either. I feel like it will backfire in a very terrible way.
“Many Jews today have adopted the Left’s agenda, thinking that is the only way to live as a compassionate, generous person.” Is that not describing Jews’ vision of assimilation? What agenda? Because the Left is not compassionate or generous, at least nowadays.
You are sending a strong message for Jews to wake up. I hope they do, but unless they trust God and not themselves, like the Golden Calf, it’s going to get much worse.
I am afraid to write, since @olesummers and @columbo have said what I feel better than I would. No matter your faith, it seems worthwhile to see how someone of good will works through living their faith. I also get a great deal out of the essays that you and others have done which have such a close examination of the Torah.
I am a Christian and like @columbo, I feel that my faith is built upon the Jewish faith (the New Testament often goes out of its way to emphasize this), so any further understanding there helps me understand my faith.
Thanks
Well, with the caveat that the “person” named by Columbo is not one that Jews believe ever has or ever will walk the earth. Columbo is perhaps meaning to say Messiah (or Moshiach), who is very definitely meant to be a human.
Thank you, Willow Spring. It’s our dedication to learning that will help us learn and grow.
Have no clue what you mean by that comment.
FSC, would you clarify what you mean here, in the places I put into bold font? I’m not sure what you mean, particularly, by “assimilation…in that region” and “tight reins…” Do you mean the Middle East? And rigid controls of what (or whom)? Are you talking about Israelis or Jews here? If so, here, at least the two are not interchangeable. Israel’s survival is a political (and military and some would say faith) issue.
I agree with you whole-heartedly about the emptiness of secularism or free-floating “spirituality.” It is indeed dangerous to all people who hold traditional religious convictions and especially so to their children.
I think she’s saying that the Messiah is to be a human being; Christianity says that he is G-d. There is nothing in the Jewish bible that says it will be any part of, or related to, G-d.
Actually the Christian view is that Jesus the Messiah is fully man.
And the son of G-d. Let’s not forget the trinity. I believe you say he is both G-d and man, don’t you?
Yes, fully man. Both fully God and fully man. This is reasonable as man was created in His image. God stepped into the mirror image so to speak, and brought life to a man creating a human soul. It’s not as clear to me as 2 plus 2 equals 4, but there’s nothing contradictory in it either.
I’ll try to clarify – “Are you talking about Israelis or Jews here? If so, here, at least the two are not interchangeable. Israel’s survival is a political (and military and some would say faith) issue.” Not interchangeable – just a political issue? That is a shocking statement to me Caryn. Jews and Israel in my mind are linked. The history is in Israel, the Wall is in Israel, the entire Bible, including the Old Testament (the history of the Jews and all the prophets) talk about Israel specifically, Jerusalem specifically, the Center of Judaism is there and the return of the Jews was even prophesied. God doesn’t care about politics. He cares about Israel. How do I know? Because both the Old and New Testament says so.
“FSC, would you clarify what you mean here, in the places I put into bold font? I’m not sure what you mean, particularly, by “assimilation…in that region” and “tight reins…” Do you mean the Middle East? And rigid controls of what (or whom)? Are you talking about Israelis or Jews here?” I am talking about any Jew, including those that live and run Israel. Trusting their own abilities to protect themselves and not God (meaning God’s laws and all they know about their faith), putting 100% in survival and setting aside what they know to be right will backfire. God is in control – like Susan said – you cannot serve two masters. I don’t mean roll over and not protect yourself. But you have to trust faith in God over what you think is the right direction because the strong delusion is sent by God to those who reject Him.
I think we understand what the other is saying, Flicker, so I think it’s unwise to pursue a theological discussion; neither of us will be persuaded by the other, and those pursuits often don’t end well. I value our relationship too much to go down that road.
I’m not stepping in for Caryn but stating my own point of view. Many Jews outside of Israel don’t feel connected to the Israelis or the region. They are a sovereign nation and are not subject to U.S. law. And in fact many Israelis don’t necessarily feel connected to the Jews elsewhere in the world; many Israelis are not religious.
I think trying to understand how Israelis feel about G-d and their country from a different religion and country is very difficult to do. Israelis are diverse as all of us in this country. I think they know best how to survive and how invested to be in their military. It would be nearly impossible to understand their mindset from here, or second-guess them,since our very existence is not threatened.