In defense of Jewish pluralism - women at the wall

Controversy around Women of the Wall has sparked debate about non-Orthodox Judaism in Israel, but it goes against Judaism's rich history to claim there is only true way of understanding the Torah

In her recent “Open letter to Naftali Bennett,” Allison Kaplan Sommer made the case for why the national religious public in Israel should embrace non-Orthodox streams of Judaism, in the wake of the ongoing controversy about Women of the Wall. I applaud Kaplan Sommer for her analysis and her contribution, much of which was spot on, but at the same time, parts of her letter made me uneasy. I have little doubt that this was not her intention, but some of the letter seemed predicated on the notion that Orthodox Judaism is authentic Judaism, while the purpose of non-Orthodox Judaism is that it allows people to stay involved in Jewish life.

I can understand why the letter read that way to me; after all, it was addressed to the national religious public, and therefore its underlying assumption was that its audience sees Orthodox Judaism as the only true Judaism. Of course, my experience has shown otherwise, and I know many self-professed Orthodox Jews, living in Israel and abroad, who believe there is validity and truth to non-Orthodox Judaism as well.

That Orthodox approach, which I greatly respect, echoes the description of the disagreements between the schools of Hillel and Shammai as quoted in the Eiruvin tractate of the Talmud: “these (of Hillel) and those (of Shammai) are both the living words of God, but the law is according to Hillel.” Such pluralistic Orthodox Jews are pluralistic in recognizing multiple truths, but orthodox in seeing one practice as the right way.

However, even that approach is not the only one found in our Jewish tradition. The Mishna, the first law code of rabbinic Judaism, is replete with multiple opinions toward the same concept, and the Talmud has many unresolved debates in which the final halacha is not made clear. The schools of Rabbi Ishmael and Rabbi Akiva had completely different understandings of the biblical word "ger," stranger, and the laws they taught reflected those differences. It would indeed be difficult for someone to claim that one of those rabbis practiced authentic Judaism while the other simply created a compromised version that made Judaism more palatable.

Despite the insistence of some, I simply cannot accept the claim that what I call “Orthodox” Judaism is really “true” Judaism, “Torah” Judaism, or some other term that denies the validity of my practice and beliefs. To those who claim that there is only true Judaism, I ask how Rabbeinu Tam and the Rambam, both writing in the 12th century, could have come to opposite conclusions about the permissibility of Jewish business dealings with Christians? If Judaism were always universal and true, why would Karo and Isserles appear side by side in the Shulchan Aruch, offering different legal rulings?

And so, to all those who can accept that Judaism is more complex than a singularly accepted set of practices, I’d like to emphasize that my brand of Judaism, Masorti (Conservative) Judaism, is not a watered-down version of some truer Judaism, but a valid interpretation of Judaism with its own merits. I believe the same is true of the other streams, but I will leave it to their adherents to proclaim their value. For my Judaism is rooted in Jewish law and in Jewish morals, in a Jewish decision-making progress and a Jewish sense of love formy fellow human beings and respect for all humanity.

I am the first to admit that I do not adhere strictly to every aspect of Jewish law as it has been determined by arbiters in previous generations. Yet even in these cases I have firm grounding in our tradition. For example, I will gladly drink wine with a non-Jew at the dinner table. I recognize that the prohibition on non-sacramental non-Jewish wine is a rabbinic one, and as our tradition teaches us, respect for humanity has the power to outweigh a rabbinic prohibition. I respect those who disagree with me and avoid all wine touched by non-Jews, but I believe that my decision is a decidedly Jewish one, rooted both in Jewish values and legal precedent.

I also feel that the validity of our Judaism need not be determined by how learned we are in Jewish texts and how strictly we observe Jewish ritual. I recognize that not all Jews in my movement feel committed to Jewish observance in the way that I do. Yet I firmly believe that it is not my place to determine what ritual behavior is beyond the pale of acceptance. Ethical behavior, though, is a different matter. Somebody who decides to eat pork is making a decision to break with Jewish ritual law, but I would much sooner honor such a person at my synagogue than one who is dishonest in business dealings. Does the fact that I have different priorities—all of which are grounded in Judaism—make my Judaism less authentic?

I understand that there are some who will always see my brand of Judaism as a threat to theirs not only because it looks different than theirs does, but because it accepts multiple interpretations as having validity. I am happy to know that I have partners in this pluralist vision amongst different streams of Judaism who understand that the truth is more complex than just what the previous generations’ poskim (law arbiters) determined was the proper law.

I encourage all people - secular, traditional, and religious - to try to understand the perspectives of those with different practices and beliefs. One need not give up her own truth and practice in order to understand those of others.

Arie Hasit, a student at the rabbinical seminary of Machon Schechter, serves as the spiritual leader for NOAM- the youth wing of the Masorti Movement in Israel. He lives in Jerusalem.

Courtesy - Haaretz - http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/the-jewish-thinker/in-defense-of-jewish-pluralism.premium-1.524892

Hoping for Religious Pluralism in Israel

The Orthodox Jews and Muslims are mirror images of each other. There is not a whole lot of difference between them when it comes to their attitude towards women with the exception of Taliban extremism. I was even shocked to know that a few orthodox Jews spat on women for not covering their hair recently.

I have spend an inordinate amount of time learning about different religions, indeed, I have done two workshops on Judaism with a Rabbi, and 25 hours of Radio Show on Judaism – we did that on all religions including Atheism.

It is a shame on those uncouth Jewish men who threw garbage, stink bombs etc at the women at the wall, sounds like the Talibans to me. The only difference is Israel follows the rule of law to a greater degree than Afghanistan Tribals.

When I was at the wall, no one questioned me and I am amazed that Jewish women are harassed about it.  Indeed, I placed a prayer paper in the wall, my sister in India was not feeling well, and I said, what the heck. Prayer is prayer!

Mike Ghouse

Hoping for Religious Pluralism in Israel

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-robyn-fryer-bodzin/hoping-for-religious-pluralism-in-israel_b_3255116.html

 

Sometimes, being in the right place at the right time, whether by coincidence or not, can lead to macro change. I learned that a few days ago.

This past February, I traveled to Kiev and then Israel as a delegate of the Jewish Federations of North America's Rabbinic Cabinet mission. On Rosh Chodesh Adar, I joined 200 other women at the Western Wall for the monthly Women of the Wall service in Jerusalem. My colleagues and I arrived in the Old City at 7 a.m., for spiritual nourishment before a day of meetings with dignitaries, diplomats and legislators.
Unfortunately, my morning did not go as planned. Immediately before the Torah service began, a police officer took my passport away and led me to the police station, where I was joined by nine other women. The police officers took our statements, our fingerprints and our mug shots. Our crimes that morning were violating the regulations of Holy Places (based on a 1967 law) and behaving in a way that may violate public safety. 

Many coincidences happened that morning. At the same time that I was being processed in the police station, my rabbinic colleagues were meeting with the Chairman of the Jewish Agency Natan Sharansky. Chairman Sharansky had been instructed by Prime Minister Netanyahu to find a solution to the ongoing tension and conflict at the Western Wall. It was Chairman Sharansky who ensured that we would not go in front of judge. Instead, I signed a surety document stating I would not come to the Western Wall for 15 days. This 15 day removal is the maximum penalty the police can give without going before a judge. Of course, I only learned about all of this after the fact. 

As far as I know, many of the 10 women that were detained that morning were chosen at random. I don't think the police knew that they had selected two American rabbis and the sister of an American comedienne when they took us away. But they did. And so while we were waiting to be interrogated, we were on the phone, or updating Twitter and Facebook and texting both the media and representative of our professional guilds. This painful experience of Jewish women being detained because we prayed in a sacred site, in our homeland that we love, dressed in ritual garb that brings us closer to our Creator, garnered headlines. But more than that, both Israelis and Diaspora Jews reacted. 

While Women of the Wall are approaching their 25th anniversary, so many small victories have taken place since the infamous morning of our detainment. Since February, it seems like every day the dream of religious pluralism in Israel becomes more and more of a reality. In March, female Members of Knesset joined the Women of the Wall in their morning prayers, donning prayer shawls. In April, Chairman Sharansky met with leaders of the American Jewish community to share his vision, which includes a space for egalitarian prayer at he Western Wall. Also in April, five women were once again detained, and this time brought in front of a judge. However, the judge ruled in favor of the Women of the Wall. In a subsequent appeal, Women of the Wall and all of us who hope for a pluralistic Jerusalem were victorious again. Specifically, the judge ruled that when Women of the Wall gather, they do not violate the 1967 Holy Places law.

And so, I stayed up late on Thursday night, waiting in anticipation to read about what would happen when Women of the Wall met in Jerusalem for Rosh Chodesh Sivan. The law was on their side now. What could happen? 

The women and their supporters prayed freely, without fear of arrest or detainment. There was a definite increased police presence this morning. But the officers had a new role. This morning, the police protected 400 Women of the Wall from the threat of violence by ultra-Orthodox men. Unfortunately, not everyone values religious pluralism in Israel. The same police officers, who for month and years interrogated women for wearing prayer shawls, protected them this morning. 

From the videos and photos I saw online, police held back thousands of angry men who threw chairs, garbage bags, water bottles and stink bombs at the women. A man was arrested for provocation, while every woman who set out to peacefully pray and sing was able to do so. 

I don't know what is going to happen at the Western Wall in the future, but the times they are a-changing. It is not good for the chaos that occurred last week to repeat itself each month. I hope Chairman Sharanksy's plan gets passed, speedily, and in our day.

In the meantime, I will continue to be an advocate for Women of the Wall and religious pluralism in Israel. As long as solidarity prayer services are held in New York, like the one I attended a few days ago, I will participate in them. The reason is simple: My support and love for the state of Israel is stronger than ever.
In February, I was at the right place at the right time. Even though I had to spend some time in the company of Jerusalem's finest, my time in custody was productive for others. I am grateful to be an agent of change.
Rabbi Robyn Fryer Bodzin is the spiritual leader of Israel Center of Conservative Judaism in Queens, N.Y.

 

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