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| Bachelorette contestant Jeremy Simon |
This is as true now as it ever was. Despite the massive increase of antisemitism. Based on statistics that show an astonishing increase in antisemitic speech one finds on college campuses under the guise of free speech one would think we are living in 1930s Germany all over again. But that is so far from the truth, that it would be laughable if incidences of antisemitic violence hadn’t become so prolific these days.
But that is still not the reality of the vast majority of the American people. Jews are still seen quite favorably. It doesn’t matter which side of the political aisle one is on. Sure – the radical left and radical right is filled with antisemitism. Some of it pretty violent. Deadly even. But they are far from the majority. They are a very tiny but very vocal and active portion of the American people. Not long ago there were several polls taken that indicated the Jews were the most admired people in the country. I don’t think that has changed all that much despite what’s going on in the Middle East. Besides, most Americans don’t care at all what religion you are.
American Jews are so assimilated that you can’t tell they are Jewish. Not by virtue of their appearance nor by virtue of their behavior. Very little opportunity to succeed in any field is denied to us. Be it high political office, business, the arts, or the professions.
And that is exactly what makes our very existence as Jews in this country so precarious. The more we shed out identity, the more accepted we are. The more accepted we are the less need there is to be a separate people – a people apart from the rest.
Those among us that succeed financially and socially are quite happy just being Americans. Being Jewish in any way becomes unimportant. Being Jewish is being different. And who wants to be different? Being different is a burden that many Jews see as the source of all our travails over tthe centuries. Why go back to that? Just be a good person. To the extent that you have any feeling for your Jewish heritage – keep it to yourself. Or at most share it with a close friend or fiancé – who might appreciate your roots if not the Jewish practices that might accompany it
That heterodoxy catered to these feelings – allowing their members to completely abandon all vestiges of Judaism and be as un-Jewish they want to be. Free to abandon the burden of Jewish practice.
Contrast that with shtetel life in Europe of just over 100 years ago. Jews had little freedom then and were confined to living in areas specifically designated for Jews. We were denied entry to certain professions and were pretty much isolated from the rest of the population. Jews were basically forced to be Jews by virtue of antisemitic government decrees.
It was only when the enlightenment took hold in Europe that Jews slowly began to be allowed out of the ghetto and become assimilated. That spiked its own attrition out of Judaism. But the motive to abandon Judaism then was of a different nature. By abandoning their faith and traditions, they abandoned their Jewish identity and thus avoided the accompanying antisemitism. Until Hitler decided he wouldn’t let them do that.
These were my thoughts when I read the story of 29 year old Jeremy Simon. Jeremy is the great-great grandson of ‘Avraham Dov-Ber Kahana Shapiro, the last chief rabbi of Kovno, now Kaunas, Lithuania’. Who was himself a direct descendant of R’ Chaim Volozhner, founder of the modern day Yeshiva Rav Kahana Shapiro died in the Kovno Ghetto during the Holocaust.
That is Jeremy’s legacy. But that is not what he is getting attention for. Jeremy is one of the 4 finalists vying marry Buddhist Jenn Tran, the Bachelorette on the ABC TV show of the same name.
For her part, Tran demonstrates exactly what I was taking about about Jews being fully accepted and even admired in this country. That was indicated by the following comment Tran made when Jeremy told her how important his Jewish heritage is to him,
“would be totally cool to have our kids grow up as Jewish.” and “I’m so excited to meet your mishpocha.”
Jeremy’s response about how he will deal with his marriage to her is yet another indication of the accelerated trend by American Jewry away from Judaism (except for Orthodox Jews). Which may all but disappear in a few short generations:
“Being Jewish culturally is very important to me,” Simon said. “I don’t expect you to convert. I don’t need you to convert. But eventually I do want kids.” And “Honestly the idea of Jewish-Buddhist kids sounds fun. I feel like it would be fun with you.”
Jeremy represents a very sad demographic among secular Jews in America Someone that actually cares about his Jewish heritage (as he understands it) and want’s to transmit it to his children. What he doesn’t understand is that his children will not be Jewish.
Jewish culture is an important feature in our lives, but that is not what defines us. The only way one can be Jewish is if they are born of a Jewish mother or are converted according to Halacha. That he doesn’t care if she converts, and would be happy with Jewish-Buddhist kids is one of the saddest things I have ever heard a Jew say about how to raise his children.
To the best of my knowledge Buddhism is considered idol worship. One is required to give up their lives rather than worship idols. And he thinks he can transmit his Jewish heritage to his children by raising them as Jewish-Buddhists?! He thinks that would be fun?! His great-great grandfather, one of he Gedolim of the pre-Holocaust generation who died less than 80 years ago - is surely rolling over in his grave.
So yes, We Jews have arrived. We are now full fledged assimilated Americans. But are we still Jewish really? Will our children be?