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Last update - 18:49 28/11/2008
JEWISH WORLD / What American Jews don't get about Israelis
By Anshel Pfeffer
Tags: Israel News, Diaspora 

I am very sorry. I didn't attend last week's General Assembly of the United Jewish Communities, the annual jamboree of North American Jewish federations and organizations. But I have an excuse. My current duties in London meant that I had to cover President Shimon Peres' visit to Britain. No matter, this newspaper was well represented at the GA
even without me. Not good enough apparently for many GA delegates. My colleague at the Jerusalem Post, Haviv Rettig, published last Friday an excoriating account of how the leaders of American Jewry were hurt and indignant at the way the Hebrew-speaking media (including the Hebrew edition of Haaretz) appeared to ignore their gathering, which was
actually taking place in Jerusalem.
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According to Rettig, and I have no reason to disbelieve him, the Americans were so angry that they "lashed out at the Israeli media and society for failing to notice - and learn from [them]." Rettig gathered the responses of the Jewish world reporters on Israel's main newspapers and also called me as an occasional writer on the Israel-Diaspora divide, but I was too busy catching my breath from trying to keep up with Peres'
frenetic pace to answer.

Let me therefore use this opportunity to disassociate myself from the disparaging remarks of those reporters who did find the time to answer. Unlike them, I think Israel's media should be extensively covering the affairs of the Jewish world in its many locations and certainly that of the largest Jewish community on earth. (I find the demographers who claim that there are more Jews in the United States more credible than
those who say that Israel has more, but that is stuff for another column.)

But I would also have said that this is not just the media's fault, but simply a reflection of a much wider gulf existing between Israeli society and the Jews of the world. And though they shoulder a significant portion of the blame, Israelis are not the only ones to have widened this divide. As if to answer the charges, just two days later, Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel's most popular tabloid, carried an interview with one of the grandest grandees of the American community, dedicating a full double spread to the fulminations of Edgar Bronfman. Bronfman has just published a book in which he explores the question of Jewish identity in the 21st century and was using the interview to have a go at the religious establishment for their rejection of those who are not halakhically Jewish and who call for the inclusion of anyone calling themselves Jews
into the tribe.

I'm not sure Bronfman is the best person to carry this particular torch but I don't want to get in to that right now, nor ask why, in his 30 years as President of the World Jewish Congress, he didn't see fit to address this issue. I am bringing up the interview simply because it illustrates exactly what is it that American Jews don't get about Israelis.

Bronfman justified his stance by saying that "Judaism belongs to every Jew. There is no need to belong to any religious stream. No need for belief in God or ceremonies and prayers." All very conventional, but here he had to make this dig: "Many Israelis who describe themselves as secular are effectively cut off from their people's tradition."

Ironically, Bronfman's complaint against secular Israelis is identical to that made by those very rabbis he so vehemently attacked in his interview; they also believe that the secular Jews are ignorant and have separated themselves from tradition.

A similar view is expressed by some of those interviewed for the report in the Jerusalem Post on indifference to the GA. What is it about secular Israelis that so aggravates these American Jews, many themselves irreligious?

I think deep down it's jealousy. While the Jews in America and other communities have been grappling for decades with the question of how to define a Jewish identity that is not tied down only to religion, secular Israelis simply don't have that problem. Sure, many of them lack a lot of Jewish knowledge and they certainly are not very aware of the Jewish world outside Israel. But they're not very bothered about it, because for them every moment in Israel is passed within a Hebrew speaking Jewish environment.

And that's also why, as some of those interviewed by Rettig said, when secular Israelis go off to the United States, they are not usually very interested in getting to know the local Jewish community. They have lived all their lives among Jews; once they get out of Israel they are looking for something different.

Israel, the Zionist project, was founded exactly for that reason, to serve as a secular Jewish alternative to life in the Diaspora. And while it's far from perfect, for most Israelis, it is still a credible option. They are not blind to its shortcomings, but they are still content with living their Jewish lives here.

And at least on a sub-conscious level, this contentment is galling to many Jews in America and elsewhere, especially those who are struggling to come up with an alternative Jewish life of their own that will be sufficiently attractive to a disinterested young Jewish generation
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  1.   Secular Israel is going down the tubes 06:21  |  David 28/11/08
  2.   Hebrew language does not necessarily make for a decent human bein 06:51  |  Naftali Lavie 28/11/08
  3.   It`s not about jealosy 07:43  |  Reluctant Hawk 28/11/08
  4.   You can take your Jewishness 08:09  |  Robert Haymond 28/11/08
  5.   to the other david - Miami Vice 08:26  |  david 28/11/08
  6.   #1 Religious Judaism was devised to keep the people together 08:49  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 28/11/08
  7.   What `some` Israelis don`t get about... 08:52  |  P Galasso 28/11/08
  8.   Analysis? 08:57  |  Mike 28/11/08
  9.   Israelis in America 09:16  |  Dr.NechamaBen-Eliahu 28/11/08
  10.   Why bother 09:30  |  Vernon 28/11/08
  11.   Say it the way it is! 09:34  |  Sara 28/11/08
  12.   The Jew vs. Israeli argument is a non-starter 09:43  |  MichaelN 28/11/08
  13.   Unity 09:48  |  Friend Of Margie 28/11/08
  14.   Comparing apples with pears 10:10  |  Benjamina 28/11/08
  15.   Bronfman is defending secular Jews everywhere 10:24  |  Ms. Gold 28/11/08
  16.   MICHAELN, MARGIE 10:36  |  HM 28/11/08
  17.   New Jews 11:02  |  sWeis Melbourne 28/11/08
  18.   Friend of Margie 11:07  |  Walid 28/11/08
  19.   Continuity of Jews 11:15  |  Harvey 28/11/08
  20.   What American Jews don`t get about Israelis 11:49  |  Jack Kay 28/11/08
  21.   Most so-called seculars in Israel are traditional 12:20  |  Ilan 28/11/08
  22.   ALL Jews are Jews Mr MichaelN #12 and Mr Anshel Pfeffer! 13:22  |  S 28/11/08
  23.   Purpose of being a jew 13:47  |  Shlomo 28/11/08
  24.   n.2 13:54  |  John and the Truth 28/11/08
  25.   IIt`s Mediterean, stupid! 14:32  |  Zev Davis 28/11/08
  26.   Hebrew Language of Israel is American 14:39  |  ARTH 28/11/08
  27.   Envy of Israelis? 14:42  |  Dov 28/11/08
  28.   I Dunno 14:46  |  Yosemite 28/11/08
  29.   U r wrong,MichealN (#12) 14:56  |  Jewish Israeli 28/11/08
  30.   What strangers don`t get about Jews 14:58  |  Mike P. 28/11/08
  31.   HM 15:00  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 28/11/08
  32.   secular jews in diaspora are assimilated 15:16  |  si 28/11/08
  33.   Of course Israelis grapple with Jewish identity! 15:19  |  Mirqa 28/11/08
  34.   What Jews in America? 15:25  |  DR 28/11/08
  35.   What American Jews don`t get about Israelis 15:36  |  Johnny Cahn 28/11/08
  36.   The over examined navel 15:59  |  Mark Lincoln 28/11/08
  37.   A Jew I like 16:20  |  lady from USA 28/11/08
  38.   to # 16 16:32  |  G. Ron 28/11/08
  39.   #25 Johnny Cahn 16:35  |  Boycott 28/11/08
  40.   From Beirut To Jerusalem 16:37  |  jb 28/11/08
  41.   The Israeli Way 16:43  |  Martin Halpern 28/11/08
  42.   Christmas in Israel 16:53  |  Eduardo Ferder 28/11/08
  43.   Unity 17:00  |  Ron 28/11/08
  44.   you play mind games with us Haaretz. 17:29  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 28/11/08
  45.   Here is why 17:31  |  Danite 28/11/08
  46.   JEWISH WORLD / What American Jews don`t get about Israelis 17:41  |  Annette Bode 28/11/08
  47.   what american jews dont get 17:49  |  elliot 28/11/08
  48.   Zionism is the religion of Israel 17:56  |  Leslie Udwin 28/11/08
  49.   With Pro-Arab leaders like Livni, Israelis also indentity issue 18:34  |  HENRY MANN 28/11/08
  50.   #25 Johnny Cahn 18:34  |  Nathaniel 28/11/08
  51.   Israelis in the diaspora like 18th century maskilim 18:46  |  Jon 28/11/08
  52.   P.S. 18:51  |  Jon 28/11/08
  53.   Give me an American Jew anyday. They are civil. 18:59  |  Lou Medel 28/11/08
  54.   Spot on! 19:01  |  Nathaniel 28/11/08
  55.   The problem IS Israels Zionist-secular identity. 1 19:11  |  David Turner 28/11/08
  56.   The problem IS Israels Zionist-secular identity. 2 19:11  |  David Turner 28/11/08
  57.   #36 Nathaniel 19:25  |  Johnny Cahn 28/11/08
  58.   American Jews and Israeli Jews - Differences. 20:19  |  Dennis MI VI 28/11/08
  59.   REal Jewishness 20:28  |  Danielle Tate 28/11/08
  60.   And let us all say... 20:28  |  Heather 28/11/08
  61.   American Reform Jews 20:52  |  jerome Stoll 28/11/08
  62.   What an Israeli Journalist doesn`t get about the diaspora 20:55  |  Walter Poleau 28/11/08
  63.   #12 MichalN re: Margie 21:10  |  Boycott 28/11/08
  64.   #25 Johnny Cahn 21:17  |  Boycott 28/11/08
  65.   #45 Danielle Tate 21:20  |  Boycott 28/11/08
  66.   American Jews 21:30  |  Jason Alster 28/11/08
  67.   Wrestling with identity 21:31  |  Aaron Levitt 28/11/08
  68.   Terminology 21:36  |  FRED 28/11/08
  69.   Walid what makes you think... 22:32  |  danite 28/11/08
  70.   Secular Israelis are a disappointment in the US 22:53  |  John 28/11/08
  71.   re: Naftali Lavie 23:55  |  UsedToPostHere 28/11/08
  72.   What American Jews don`t get about Israelis 23:56  |  Niles Fleischer 28/11/08
  73.   #44 Johnny Cahn 00:58  |  Nathaniel 29/11/08
  74.   What some American Jews don t get about America 02:53  |  American in NY 29/11/08
  75.   Boycott: It Might To Help To Understand... 02:57  |  Tex 29/11/08
  76.   What some understand about the future 04:04  |  allang 29/11/08
  77.   Attention All Jews who lived between 06:04  |  Mark Lincoln 29/11/08
  78.   This is a great Article 07:35  |  D. 29/11/08
  79.   #29 the `Jewish Israeli` landsman 09:50  |  MichaelN 29/11/08
  80.   Danite 11:44  |  Walid 29/11/08
  81.   "Contentment"? Another foolish Haaretz author (2nd try) 12:28  |  David Teich 29/11/08
  82.   74: American in NY is back and ranting nonsense 12:31  |  David Teich 29/11/08
  83.   ARE YOU OK ABRAHAM? 13:01  |  indrajaya 29/11/08
  84.   MichaelN #29 Now you have made it even worse! 13:25  |  S 29/11/08
  85.   Margie in Tel Aviv 13:30  |  Walid 29/11/08
  86.   Americans and Israelis 13:48  |  bobby 29/11/08
  87.   Walid as Danite said you don`t understand the Jews 14:09  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 29/11/08
  88.   Differing experiences 14:35  |  x-ray 29/11/08
  89.   #88 x-ray 15:21  |  Boycott 29/11/08
  90.   Israel and American Jewish divide 15:42  |  Jason Alster 29/11/08
  91.   # 74 Bologna 15:52  |  Petra 29/11/08
  92.   wrong again, MichaelN 16:05  |  Jewish Israeli 29/11/08
  93.   Very nice bobby #86 - Simple, true, and to the point. 18:46  |  S 29/11/08
  94.   Mark Lincoln needs to live in Israel for a year 19:01  |  Afikoman 29/11/08
  95.   BRONFMAN IS WRONG 20:01  |  Ruven 29/11/08
  96.   MichaelN unnecessary fantasy 20:02  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 29/11/08
  97.   Margie in TA#96 re:phantasy 07:05  |  Michael N 30/11/08
  98.   So why all the prejudice and hatred of religious people by Jews 07:54  |  Bart 30/11/08
  99.   WRONG, bobby 09:20  |  Jewish Israeli 30/11/08
  100.   Margie: Walid`s shown that he doesn`t understand Islam 13:45  |  David Teich 30/11/08
  101.   Answer to #2 15:41  |  richi 30/11/08
  102.   To Margie in TA (#6) 22:15  |  Morris Valentine 30/11/08
  103.   What Israelis Refuse to Accept About Their 22:56  |  ARTH 30/11/08
  104.   New Yorker ranting nonsense 00:04  |  Ian 01/12/08
  105.   What American Jews don`t get about Israelis 00:21  |  a2burns 01/12/08
  106.   No connection between Americams and Israelis 00:09  |  Israeli at the US 02/12/08
  107.   Lack of interest doesn`t mean you are . . . 09:46  |  Zev Davis 03/12/08
  108.   Lac,k on interest doesn`t mean . . . 10:01  |  Zev Davis 03/12/08
  109.   Amrican Jewish federations 13:32  |  Sherlock Holmes 03/12/08
  110.   To walk modestly 13:36  |  Joe 03/12/08
  111.   Two page spread 13:39  |  Ben Azzai 03/12/08
  112.   Jealousy!!! Hardly. 14:44  |  Keith Adler 03/12/08
  113.   Jews in Israel 19:53  |  bob 05/10/09
  114.   I appreciate the Jewish people as God`s chosen people 21:29  |  Mahmud Abdallaj 05/10/09
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