Perpetuating Judaism in Israel

Which was an exciting but somewhat terrifying experience. Terrifying - unless going down several rocky mountain roads in a jeep at an almost 90 degree angle doesn’t faze you. (I was later told by another jeep driver than my driver once turned over his vehicle when he took a turn too sharply on one of those roads.) But I digress. Back to Teveria.

At about 1 PM we stopped for lunch at a beach located on the shores of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and barbecued some hot dogs and hamburgers   My grandson, Shimon, had built a portable Sukkah which he set up there. As we were eating a secular Israeli passed by and made some admiring comments about that Sukkah. 

While marveling at its construction and portability, he was invited to join us in the Sukkah. He turned us down. But he then said he wouldn’t mind doing the Mitzvah of the Daled Minim (Lulav and Esrog etc) there.  He then walked away. But... he came back a short while later with a friend carrying the Daled Minim and a Siddur.  They entered the Sukkah made the Bracha, did the customary Nanuim (6 direction  waves) - and then they recited Hallel.

This fellow was clearly not Orthodox and had no interest in becoming Orthodox. But he did have a sense of what being a Jew is all about. Which is why he had a set of Daled Minim.

Contrast that with the typical secular Jew in America. Most aren’t even aware that we are in the midst of the Sukkos Holiday. And even if they are, most do not eat in Sukkos and many don’t even know what the Daled Minim are.

American non Orthodox Judaism is almost entirely about Tikun Olam which they define as working for social justice causes. And that’s only if they care enough about Judaism to think of their pursuit of social justice as a Jewish value! In most cases for those that have any feeling for Judaism at all Tikun Olam characterizes the sum and substance of non Orthodox American Jewry. (Sadly most don’t care about their Judaism enough to perpetuate it to their offspring - as Pew has discovered.)

But again - that is clearly not the case with their Israeli non Orthodox counterparts. As our guests clearly indicated Israelis know that there is such a thing as Mitzvos Bein Adam L’Makom – rituals that are directly related to God with no relevance to the physical welfare of others. I saw 2 secular Jews having as much Kavanah (devotion to God) in doing a Mitzvah as would any Orthodox Jew. Probably even more than most! They thanked us and then left.

Now I will admit that these this particular fellow and his friend might not be typical. But what is typical is the realization that being a Jew means something. It is not enough to just ‘Judaize’ social Justice.  

In Israel, the spirit of Sukkos is in the air. Every Jew knows it’s Sukkos now. There are actual Sukkos everywhere. You cannot miss them. Sukkos is a national holiday. A lot of people are even on vacation because of it. 

There is nothing like it in the US. If you are not observant, you could not care less about Sukkos even if you know about it. Sukkos has absolutely no bearing on your life.

That is what the State of Israel is all about. It is a Jewish state. And everyone knows they are Jewish. The majority of Jews in this country care about tradition, even if they are not fully observant or even Shomer Shabbos. They saw it in their parents’ home and define themselves that way. That’s why a secular Jew can be found to own a set of Daled Minim and care about about doing that Mitzvah.

I have read some stories where intermarriage is happening in Israel too. I’m sure that’s true. It might even be increasing! It is also true there are some Israelis that don’t care about their Judaism either – referring to themselves only as Israelis. Never as Jews. Some of those are even anti-religious!  But I have to believe that it is a very small minority of secular Israelis that do that. The vast majority do care. One is far more likely to find a secular Jew in Israel involved in some ritual practices than you will be to find one in America. Most could not care less about it.

Point here is that sad as the impending extinction of non Orthodox American Jewry - that looms in our not too distant future - is, there is hope in Israel. If there was any reason for the existence of a Jewish State - this is it.

This is also why in my humble opinion Conservative Jewry wants legitimization by the State of Israel. Which currently recognizes only  the Israel Chief Rabbinate (which is Orthodox) as legitimate.  (One can quibble about the serious legitimate issues involving the Rabbinate. But that is beyond the scope of this post.) Their failure to ‘conserve’ Judaism in the over 100 years since their founding is now a reality. They are looking for new vistas. 

Traditional Israelis are the perfect target for them. They want to be the spiritual leaders of non Orthodox traditional Jews. It is their natural constituency. And they are trying mightily to do that.

I have been told that Conservative Jews in Israel are far more observant than their American counterparts. I’m sure that’s true – for the very reasons I mentioned above. But that is all the more reason that we must never agree to legitimizing a Judaism that has broken with acceptable Halachic norms – even if it was in the context of ‘conserving’ Judaism. 

That is what they did in America. Which did not work out too well for them. It would not auger well for the continuity of Judaism in the Jewish state if what happened to American Jews – happened to Israeli Jews. 

It would be a far better thing we do to assure the perpetuation of Judaism in Israel among secular but traditional Jews to keep the ‘Shul they do not attend’ Orthodox only.  And not legitimize a Shul that is not legitimate. Because that would send the message. Which is that one need not be observant at all and to be a Jew in good standing. That message has accelerated the assimilation of most American  Jews out of Judaism. We must never allow that to happen in Israel.