Yeshiva in a Berlin bar - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Thu., September 06, 2007 Elul 23, 5767

Israel Time: 16:18 (EST+7)

web haaretz.com

Back to Homepage

Print Edition

Diplomacy

Defense

Arts & Leisure

Real Estate

Jewish World

National

Advertising

Magazine

Week's End

Business

Opinion

Rosner's Domain

Anglo File

Books

Travel

del.icio.us

Digg It! new

Last update - 23:31 05/09/2007

Yeshiva in a Berlin bar

By Anshel Pfeffer

Nobody is going to believe that I sat in a bar in Berlin, two nights in a row, debating the finer points of Talmudic philosophy with non-Jews; but I did and it gave me more food for thought than months sitting in my old Yeshiva.

The argument of who is a Jew has been raging for decades along decidedly religious lines when the prize at stake has been the monopoly over formal admission into the established Jewish community and citizenship in Israel

The dispute is nowhere near resolution.

	Advertisement

But while the question is far from becoming irrelevant, the continued bickerings of rabbis, politicians and Supreme Court justices are getting outdated. Judaism is now being defined based on totally different tenets than the technicalities of Halakha.

For a while I've thought there is a much wider issue here, that potentially affects many more people than the fifteen or sixteen million Jews dispersed around the globe.

Two chance meetings I had here in Berlin reinforced that feeling.

First it was two students, she German, he Italian, who spoke almost flawless Hebrew and engaged simultaneously in eloquent debate over feminism in the Talmud and rationality in Kabala.

It took me over an hour to realize that neither of them were Jewish.

She loves Israel and Jewish studies but is much too busy poring over the more remote tractates to even begin thinking about going through the long and complicated process of giyur.

He actually considered moving to Israel but was exasperated by rabbinical requirements and by the fact that no-one in Israel seems to know or care very much for the real Kabalistic philosophy, preferring the Madonna-style Kabala-'Lite'.

In the meantime, he is content with not eating pork, shellfish and mixing meat and milk.

But the encounter that really blew me away was with an ex-Druze IDF soldier employed as a guide at the Jewish Museum, while completing his doctoral thesis at Potsdam University on how Islam influenced Maimonides.

After six years of Jewish studies in two German universities, he feels more Jewish than Druze or Israeli and doesn't necessarily see a conflict between the three.

Are the three individuals I met in Berlin just freak occurrences? Or are they typical of a wider group of people who see themselves as Jews through learning and moral identification? Or are they the kind that exist in Berlin but could not possibly exist elsewhere?

My honest feeling is whether we "authentic" Jews like it or not this group might change the face of the Jewish people in a generation to come.

Previous entries:
September 4, 2007: In Germany, the burden of the past lies heavy
September 1, 2007: Show me the money! Even on Shabbat
August 29, 2007: Not all survivors are angels
August 23, 2007: Would Anne Frank even have wanted German money?
August 21, 2007: The truth about the Satmar 'victory'
August 17, 2007: A few observations on the richest Jew on the planet
August 12, 2007: Fuchs isn't the only 'bastard'
August 10, 2007: Too tired to blog, but...
August 8, 2007: 'You bet I'm going on this march'
August 7, 2007: Training for the war that won't be
August 6, 2007: 'The real change is that we're training at all'
August 5, 2007: Olmert's own heritage is no excuse

More Jewish World news and features

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	Peace through soccer?
	Hapoel TA will begin operating soccer schools in Nablus-area villages.


	Trading potshots
	Parents of a slain pilot were shocked to find their letters used by reporters.




1.	Berlin	07:24	\|	Mahona	06/09/07

2.	freak occurrences	09:26	\|	V.	06/09/07

3.	Yes Mr Pfeffer, others do find Judaism interesting	10:08	\|	Jewboy	06/09/07

4.	#1 apropro another posting	10:10	\|	Just A jew	06/09/07

5.	V , you are not a freak .	16:02	\|	Just A jew	06/09/07

Today Online


	U.S. prof. who says Jews use Holocaust to curb critics resigns
	Responses: 143


	Amira Hass: W. Bank roadblocks are more effective than shells
	Responses: 13


	Rights group: IDF 'indiscriminately ' hit Lebanon civilians
	Responses: 55


	Yet again, a British royal fails to make his visit to Israel official
	Responses: 59


	Editorial: Cutting off Gaza utilities illegal, counterproductive
	Responses: 26


	Arens: Only way to halt Qassams is to push them out of range
	Responses: 24

Rosner's Domain

Blog: Young American Jews are alienated from Israel

* WTR: A safe haven in Iran for terrorists

* Blog: From Arkansas to Jerusalem

* Why you should never trust my predictions ever again (if you ever did)

More Headlines
16:14 Damascus: We fired on IAF warplane that violated Syrian airspace, dropped ammo


16:09 Gazan militants say they've infiltrated Israel, attacked IDF post


13:58 MK Nafaa ignores gov't travel ban, arrives in Syria for a visit


14:35 Hamas denies Haaretz report of new Israeli offer on Shalit deal


15:12 Sderot school year to resume Friday after parents end strike


13:49 Secondary school teachers: We will strike if court order is lifted


15:55 Report: Norway diplomats urge Oslo to criticize Israel over torture


14:25 In boost for Histadrut, Arkia signs pilots to collective agreement


13:26 Rights group: IDF indiscriminately struck Lebanon civilians