When we are all Jews by choice
Leaders of North American Reform Jewry have long recognized that changes in Jewish behavior cannot be legislated. We are seeing, however, that a slow, intentional effort to inspire change on the personal and congregational level can redirect American Jewry.
By Daniel Freelander Tags: Reform JewsLeaders of North American Reform Jewry have long recognized that changes in Jewish behavior cannot be legislated. We are seeing, however, that a slow, intentional effort to inspire change on the personal and congregational level can redirect American Jewry.
More than 40 percent of all American Jews who join a synagogue are affiliated with a congregation belonging to the Union for Reform Judaism, North America's largest Jewish denomination, with more than 900 congregations and 1 million members. Changing the quality of members' Jewish lives is like moving a huge ship. It doesn't move quickly, but it does move definitively.
Four significant studies commissioned recently by the union inform our planning. The results offer hope and direction, revealing two positive shifts, and two areas that require immediate attention.
The good news: The Reform Movement's policy of encouraging non-Jewish spouses to participate fully in synagogue life, and eliminating barriers toward conversion, has had startling results. Forty-nine percent of the children enrolled in congregational schools have one parent who was not born Jewish, yet all are being raised as Jews. Their parents' Jewish practices do not diverge in any significant way from those of other American Reform Jewish families. Interestingly, the ritual activity of families where one partner has converted far exceeds that of in-married families.
The rising appeal of Jewish ritual and spirituality, evidenced by the contents of the new Reform siddur, "Mishkan T'filah," is documented in surveys the union conducted over the past decade. For example, in 2001, 32 percent of those attending the union's biennial convention said they light Shabbat candles weekly; this year, 55 percent reported doing so. A new initiative announced by URJ President Rabbi Eric Yoffie urges Reform leaders to refocus attention on Shabbat morning congregational prayer, just as we renewed Erev Shabbat worship over the past decade. Our concern is that when the focus of Saturday morning worship becomes the bar mitzvah celebrant, regular worshipers cease attending, resulting in sanctuaries filled with visitors, but few congregants.
Another 2007 survey of more than 12,000 people confirmed that the full yet contemporary Shabbat observance in our camps and youth programs has influenced later-in-life observance; far more young people are celebrating Shabbat. Young Reform Jews are comfortable with public expressions of their Judaism.
The challenges: Our challenges include engaging families in Jewish communal life, so they build a lifelong commitment to synagogue affiliation. Fifty percent of religious school students end their formal Jewish education with their bar mitzvah, even though virtually all congregations offer excellent Jewish educational programs through grades 10 or 12. Many parents drop their synagogue affiliation soon after the last child graduates high school. The study shows that almost 60 percent of former members said they dropped their affiliation because they "were able to be Jewish without the congregation." Though our synagogues succeed at delivering explicitly targeted services (education, life-cycle events), we lag at engaging each member in long-term communal Jewish life.
Leaders perceive their congregations to be far warmer and more welcoming than visitors and new members do. They often do not understand that many of today's new members are looking for connection and community. Jews who feel needed and involved in a community are far less likely to view their continued membership as "discretionary." Involvement breeds commitment. Our new challenge is to focus on creating a culture of welcomeness, and forging Jewish social, spiritual and intellectual connections for each and every member.
Regarding Israel, we have come far in strengthening our relationship, yet engagement is still not what it should be. There is no better way to teach a connection to Israel than actually going to Israel. Hence, we have committed to a renewed effort to make sure every Reform student personally spends time in Israel during his/her high school or college years. Movement-run short-term programs will hopefully lead to longer stays later on. A young person who directly experiences and engages with Israel is far more likely to remain committed to the Jewish state - and to Judaism itself - in adult life. Engaging these children's parents in an Israel experience would be an ideal way to complete this connection for the family as a whole.
For its first hundred years, American Reform Judaism was concerned with preserving Judaism by helping Jews find compatibility between Judaism and Americanism. It succeeded. Now we must help our members live up to their Jewish potential - of Torah, avodah and gemilut hasadim - in ways that are uniquely American and unequivocally Jewish.
All American Jews are Jews by choice; all religious behavior is voluntary. Encouraging Jews to make Jewish choices is our highest goal and mission. The choices we make will define the direction of our ship - North American Reform Jewry - for the foreseeable future.
Rabbi Daniel Freelander is the vice president of the Union for Reform Judaism.
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It's wonderful that Reform leaders want to connect to Israel. It's about time the Israeli Religious establishment tried to show a bit more interest in Reform youth. In London the Orthodox establishment and the Liberals have an agreement not to attack each other in public -- a great relief after years of petty bickering that turned off so many young people. If only the Israeli Rabbinate could stop scoring own goals with their arrogance and rudeness to well meaning non-Orthodox figures!
Rabbi Daniel Freelander has been at the helm of the launches from the "huge ship URJ" full of North American Reform Youth visiting Israel for almost 3 decades. The visits are good for Israel and absolutely essential for the Reform Movement, in particular if they lead to any long term, post High School experience or study program. Kol Hakavod! Now if only the Israeli economic establishment, political parties and the Government supported and accepted Orthodox hegemony would consider Women as equals to Men then we could live up to the Reform Movement's higher ethical station and begin a mature discourse.
damn I am drunk now. maybe I leave home to be a bad boy. its here 23.09 pm now. DO I LOVE TALİ FARKASH ? SURE WHY NOT. SHE HAS A FACE FROM THE GOD. A LİTTLE BABY. *** ANYWAY LETS TALK MAN TO MAN I WANT TO BE A BAD BOY TONIGHT. BAD GIRLS. OVER 20. DONT WORRY. WHO I AM ? LET ME NOT SAY IT. THESE DAYS EVERY ONE HATES ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU WHAT I WANTED ? *** YOU KNOW WHAT A LADY TOLD ME ! ATİLLA ! YOU LOOKING FOR SEX ! BECAUSE YOU LOOKING FOR LOVE. SEE THAT MY SEX IS NOT DIRTY.
You are about as American as I am an Arab.. Why hide behind what you are? Fess up now! Admit your blind hatred for Jews...You Schmuck!
"It is not fair to pose your question on the reform when Orthodox has not really answered it in apractical way either." - Uday The Orthodox are doing pretty well in the US. The Ultra Orthodox are multiplying rapidly. Even the Modern Orthodox are doing OK, with some going to Ultra Orthodox and some others to Conservative. The Orthodox have a core; it is their belief in God and in studying and observing mitzvot. They have no problem of studying beyond Bar Mitzvah age or people quitting their shules when the kids are grown up. The Reform and Conservative have a problem with their core beliefs, and the Reform have the bigger problem. P.S. Why do you use for yourself the name of Saddam's son?
Freelander is correct to suggest that life-long affiliation to either synagogue or practices of Judaism (Shabbat dinners, synagogue attendance increases) are essential for longevity to the North American Jewish community. Despite the greater number of Jewish children attending Jewish Day schools, this doesn't mean that synagogue attendance or its holiday functions are also well attended. The worthiness of synagogue or community affiliation is most essential for not only the well-being of a person, but the continuity of full support to Diaspora Judaism and Israeli concerns. It's quite difficult to divert from such an historical narrative based thousands of years ago.
As I re-read your post, I am struck by the bigotry implicit in the derogatory reference to MARRANOS, who, as I understand it, are simply Jews that have converted to Christianity. It appears that the bigotry is on your side of the fence. It is not we non-Jewish people who discriminate against a subset of Jews, but people like you that have no tolerance for change.
There is some vague anti-non-Christian sentiment in the US. But US Jews are free to practice Judiasm as they wish. As a non-Jew, it is not for me to judge whether Reform Jews are sufficiently "Jewish." But where is the self-hatred? They openly practice Judiasm as they see it and in no way deny their Jewishness. Is there no tolerance for change? There are many Orthodox Jews in the US who are not considered extraordinary or their careers limited. We have a very influential Orthodox Jewish Senator and former vice-presidential candidate. His religion is a non-issue for most Americans. Sadly, it has not always been so. But the civil rights movement, supported by many US Jews, made open bigotry a thing of the past. Why do you say Jews face the "same pressure" to reject Jewishness now as in the past? What discrimination have you suffered in the last decade? I'm not saying I know there is none, but I'm surprised to see a US Jew talk about discrimination now.
It is not fair to pose your question on the reform when Orthodox has not really answered it in apractical way either.
Walk it off, akbar
I LOVE YOU. I MEAN IT.
please. no one knows what I have done to you all day long. they think that I am a normal guy ! why you give too much effort to show me normal, always ? you are good. yes. yes you are good. as you see, somethimes I get sick. my friends know this. well this is lie. I have no friends. I ONLY HAVE YOU. AND OTHER ZIONIST GUYS :) atilla karagözoğlu tell Mr. Rosner , I am sorry. I wont help him anymore :)
why you deleted my great posts on this article. you is hurting my feelings, haaretz :) *** I DONT CARE ABOUT SHABBAT OR FRIDAY IN ONE HOUR I AM GONNA START DRINKING. LONG LIVE ATİLLA KARAGÖZOĞLU BEST MAN OF ALL UNIVERCE. MAYBE I AM NOT EVEN A HUMAN. MAYBE I AM NOT EVEN AN ANGLE. MAYBE I AM.... :) I am I am No I wont say. IF I SAY, YOU TRY TO KILL ME. I am a just poor guy. poor haaretz reader :)
Sorry, but does Hashem's name cross his lips? It is written in Tanach there will be a time when Jews will say, "Hush! Don't mention his name!" That time has come a long time ago. This "Rabbi" must realize that Judiaism is not a club of a dispised "band geek" group but rather a movement of burning idealists for what they know without a doubt is the truth! Hashem said keep the TORAH. Rabbi Yoffe said, "Don't listen to your father, who loves you, instead listen to me someone who does not value the word of your father as meaning anything.
Otherwise we wold be readng more nutty letters like #1. If This Gene only knew anything about Jewish tradition and history, he would have known not to write idiocies of the type he wrote. There have been converts to Judaism ever since there was Judaism. Gene himself, for all he knows, may be the descendant of converts.
It is easier being a Reformer than an imitator. The Reformer knows the inner content of the social phenomenon he is trying to reform and bring up to date, so he can change a few outwardly practices, keep the core, and still leave the structure standing. The Imitator has to start from scratch, his initial state may be in collapse and he looks around to see what other structures look like, but a lot of things can go wrong because the core may be missing. The Reform movement started as reformers of old Judaism but ended up leaving so much of it, including the core, that now they are almost in a state of ruin and are trying looking around to see how to fix this thing or that. They ask what will bring the congregants back to Sabbath services, what will make kids stay in Jewish schools beyond their Bar Mitzvah, what will keep families connected, etc. All this happens to a movement that lost its understanding of what its core is. I think the Reforms should decide what they want to do, preserve the Jews as a social group, preserve Judaism as a system of beliefs, or whatever. Once they have this core understanding, instill it in your masses. The correct behavior will follow.
Indeed being jewish is a matter of choice.That the reform movement is moving closer to our cultural roots is a good thing.In fact if they could become a full blown culturalist movement that would be the best way to involve the jewish masses in real jewish culture instead of the Judeo unitarianism they have been passing off as real Judaic culture.I am glad to hear the reform is discovering its jewish cultural roots.This is the way to go.
Why did you make that up?
maybe I dont leave. sorry atilla karagözoğlu :)
I wonder why ! whenever I get sick, I GO THERE TO TALK...AND THEY BAN ME IN A FEW HOURS. HOW I HATE THEM. WELL, MAYBE NOT THAT MUCH. MAYBE I MISS THEM. I MISS YNET. BUT, SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME THAT I DONT WISH TO GO AND STAY THERE. HAARETZ YOU ARE THE REASON. I THINK, I AM BETTER WITH COMMUNISTS. MY SOUL IS FREE ONLY WITH COMMUNISTS. so ! I am atilla karagözoğlu just call me atilla
...how stupid I act. interesting. I AM DOING ALL THESE JUST FOR HUMANITY. DO YOU THINK I GET SUCCESS TO BEAT MY MADNESS ? well ! come on zionist guys pray for me. let me beat the sickness which I got from you. atilla karagözoğlu this is a fake name.
I am singing ! if you dont mind. RABBIE IS SLEEPINg ANYWAY :) LAY LAY LAY LOM :) *** guys ! I am boring. I mean I feel boring. *** you think I am sick, right ? WELL, YOU DAMN RIGHT :) *** atilla karagözoğlu this name is fake, brothers. so, lets use it. WHAT A SHAMELESS MAN :)
You should know that attending services in the temple, lighting candles for shabes or recite prayers does not make anybody a Jew. Nor desire to be a Jew does. (Michael Richards "Cosmo" claims that he is Jewish - does his claim makes him a Jew?). Even rabbi cannot convert non-Jew to a Jew. For it is God who decides whom to choose, who is a Jew and who is not. Not humans. (Rabbi can prepare person for conversion though if he knows what he is doing). In other words the history will show if those people share the destiny with other (real) Jews (are they Jews or not). But, please, don't claim that you already know.
atilla karagözoğlu :)
JOIN ME. ONLY LADIES. ATILLA KARAGÖZOĞLU...SHUT UP MAN...THSE ARE OLD GUYS...THEY DONT LOVE SEX, DRINKINGS.. SHOULD I BE A BAD BOT TONIGHT ? GO SOMEWHERE...TO MEET ANGELS... maybe why not what time is it, now ? 16.03 pm. I am not writing my name lets write atilla karagözoğlu
why ? having fun on me ? I dont think so. so why ? I dont even get one normal post says ! HEY ATILLA, YOU THE GREAT MAN, GIRLS LOVE YOU, MAN ! at least as an joke, you should do that, YTIME TO TIME who I am ? what I believe ? *** I WORK FOR THE GOD. I KNOW ITS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT. BUT, I STILL FEEL THAT I AM WORKING FOR THE LOVE. I am also human. I can make some mistakes IDIOT HAARETZ. TELL THAT ARABIC ROSNER ! HE HURTED MY FEELINGS. I WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE PHOTO ON THE BOOK ! WHO IS SHE ?
I really do not think that such choice is so freely arrived at, the 20th century was a horror for Jews, a nightmare, every single Jew came fleeing the European disasters or was severely affected by it, the Jews found in America that America works best for them if they basically abandon Judiasm and Jewishness because of the consequences of Christian anti semitism. School records show from the start they sent 99% of their children to public schools, abandoned shabbat, kashrut, laws of family purity, took of the yarmulkes, talis katans, shaved their beards, cut off the payes, and lived like MARRANOS, their self hatred severe with the Jewish comics whose acts Hilter would have loved, after a hundred years in America and three or four generations of Jewish repression and suppression and total ignorance for the vast majority of Jews, you have the chutzpa to blatantly say it's just choice, yes choice for Yeshiva Graduates but then they go out to work and face the same pressures of long ago.
DAMN NO. HELL NO. LET ME GO HOME...YOU IDIOTS. LET ME GO HOME. YOU MADE ME SICK. GET OUT FROM MY BRAIN, MY MIND. LEAVE ME ALONE.
I'd say that the high points of this article correspond to what I have observed: 1. All religious behavior [in the USA] is voluntary. (which also means that we have our share of folks who choose not to behave in a formal religious manner 2. All American Jews are Jews by choice (actually "all american [fillin faith or nonfaith] are [fillin faith or nonfaith] by choice -- well, almost all - some are still very young and don't quite get the idea of "choice") 3. The ritual activity of families where one partner has converted far exceeds that of in-married families Make of that what you will.I think #1 and #2 speak to the real strengths of the US. I find #3 interesting.
YOU LOSERS YOU ALWAYS CRY IN FACT YOUR ARRONGANCE HEARTS SMILES ALWAYS WHAT YOUR HEARTS SAY ? heyy ! look at those poor non-jews, man ! ohhh...ahhhh...how poor those stupid idiots !!! *** guys ! I AM NOT A COMEDIAN. I AM A FACT. THE FACT. THE ONLY GOOD LOOKING FACT (dont smile, this is a trap to make you confuse) *** OHHH HOW SAD AHHH HOW GOOD WHITE MAN IS :) *** PS : Haaretz ! I am you, YOU IS ME. so ! publish. what else you do, anyway.
land not allocated to them by Resolution 181.Reform,Left,Right,Center, whatever,the label,they are united on this one issue,no matter what the rhetoric.Crypto zionists one & all!
FAME, FORTUNE...WONT STAY WITH YOU THAT LONG. so so please COME AND JOIN MY JOURNY. I wont knock your doors, always. come on my love ones.
" ...For its first hundred years, American Reform Judaism was concerned with preserving Judaism by helping Jews find compatibility between Judaism and Americanism. It succeeded. Now we must help our members live up to their Jewish potential - of Torah, avodah and gemilut hasadim - in ways that are uniquely American and unequivocally Jewish. " *** TALKING TOO MUCH ! FOR WHAT ! ABOUT SOMETHING, YOU LOST YOUR BELIEVE IN
you can save yourself with self respect for HUMAN LIFE.
former haters new haters no longer to smile no longer to cry
STOP CRYING OUT we dont believe you, anymore stop crying out we dont believe you stop crying out WE DONT BELIEVE YOU, ANYMORE.
I can see that An American Jew is born no different than any other human. It is Zionism that teaches him/her hatred and injustice by supporting Israel, an apartied state that is based on 'stealing' Palestinian land. It is also Zionism that teaches him/her racism under the myth of the 'chosen people'. American Jews are to lead all Jews to Freedom, Justice and Equality.
Our Judaism in the United States starts at birth. For males, on the eighth day of our live, we have a bris (circumcision.) For females, we have a naming at the synagogue usually when the female is an infant, followed by a kiddish. These events both occur when the infants are way too young to make any choices.
I was sitting in this really plain old auditorium somewhere in the American Southwest. There was nothing in there but an old Hispanic guy up front up at the speaker's podium and a bunch of what appeared to be Hispanic people in the audience. They didn't look Jewish. More Latino than anything else. The old guy up at the front started to read off all the major components of a normal Synnagogue and asked people out in the audience if they wanted to, to go stand up and sign up for all these jobs off at the side. I wasn't going to get in line. Then, as I looked, all these Latinos started getting in line, so I got in line too. Then I saw one other guy who looked like he had some Polish or Russian in him that looked really happy. Then I woke up and came over to the computer and saw this column. Honest. Yo!