Jewish in North America Today Dr Laurence Boxer

Jewish in North America Today Dr. Laurence Boxer - for REL 306, March, 2002 1

Aspects and Issues n n n n Religion Charities Anti. Judaism, antisemitism Holocaust Israel, Zionism SATO - Social Action / Tikun Olam (healing the world) An Issue of Controversy 2

Religio n n n Until 18 th century, Jewish practice was largely what, today, we call Orthodox Today, Jewish practice is split: ØOrthodox (most traditional) ~ 10%-20% of synagogue members ØConservative ~ 35% - 45% of synagogue members ØReform (least traditional) ~ 35% - 45% of synagogue members ØSmall movements: Reconstructionist, Jewish Humanist ØUnaffiliated – a considerable fraction 3

Chariti es n n n Tzedakah: charity = righteousness Synagogues Israel – general welfare, medical, universities, ecology, land development, refugee absorption, etc. Religious/cultural education Hospitals, nursing homes, medical research Social welfare - civil rights, politics, etc. Secular culture: universities, arts 4

Anti - 1 Term “antisemitism” first used by German writer Wilhelm Marr, 1879, to give a scientific sound to racial “Jew-hatred” – see http: //www. oup-usa. org/isbn/0195040058. html There was no significant Arab presence in 19 th Century Germany – antisemitism was, and is, directed at Jews, not at Semites. 5

Anti – 2 (pre-Christian) n n n Biblical: Pharoah (Genesis); Amalek (Genesis, Deuteronomy); Book of Esther – Haman, viceroy of Persia, attempts genocide; fails -> Purim 160’s BCE: Syrians attempt to force Greek paganism on Israel; fail -> Chanukah Romans (1 st Cent. BCE – 3 rd Cent. CE): several attempts to ban Judaism, slaughter Jews. Renamed Israel “Palestine” after biblical Philistines to deny Jewish homeland. Rome becomes symbol of cruelty in Jewish literature (Esau <-> Edom) 6

Anti 3 – Christian roots § Matthew 8: 24: … there arose a great tempest in the sea … the ship was covered with waves; but he was asleep. n Example 1 fr. Christian Bible Christ in the Sea of Galilee – painting by Delacroix (also Rembrandt, Tintoretto, etc. ) Compare Jonah 1: 4 -5: “But the Lord hurled a great wind into the sea … the ship was like to be broken. And the mariners were afraid … but Jonah … was fast asleep” 7

Anti 4 – early Christian Example 2 fr. Christian Bible – Matthew 26, 14 -15: “Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests, And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver. ” n n n Judas’ betrayal appears based on sale of Joseph – Genesis 37: 28: “And there passed by Midianites … they … lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph for 20 shekels of silver. ” Name Judas – Judah – Hebrew for “Jew” Early Christians were “selling” Christianity to Romans, so couldn’t stress Roman guilt for death of Jesus. Church inherited name “Edom” from Romans as symbol of cruelty in Jewish literature 8

Anti 5 - Christian n n n n Ignorant or demagogues continued to blame Jews, not Romans, for murder of Jesus. Christian doctrine of inherited guilt – e. g. , “Original Sin. ” Jews as scapegoats Crusades – more killing of European Jewish civilians than Muslim warriors in Holy Land Expulsions from most European countries Plagues in which Jews fared better due to sanitary practices; provoked murderous slanders (“poisoned wells”), slaughter Inquisitions – convert, be expelled, or die; origin of Nazi racial laws Ghettos – walled to segregate & degrade – cattle tax to enter/exit; dumping ground; easy target for violence (arson) Blood libel (popular adoption of today’s Arab antisemites) Limited tolerance often based on Jews’ accepting scapegoat roles (tax collector, money lender) or being “less Jewish” Nazi – rebels against Christianity, seen as insufficiently antisemitic 9

Anti 6 - in America n n n Have been violent incidents – Klan; lynching of Leo Frank; synagogue bombings & defacements Job & residential discrimination; college quotas Today, much better; equal rights in law; ill will greatly diminished 10

Anti 7 – Arab n n n Religious roots – parallel early Christian desire to dominate world, frustration at resistance to conversion Modern secular root – Middle Eastern conflict Modern bigotry mimics older European antisemitism: Arab press promotes Protocols, blood libel, Holocaust denial & Nazi praise 11

Anti 8 - elsewhere • FSU – Orthodox Church, rightist anti-communists, left • Latin America – Nazi havens Antisemitism “without Jews” n Poland, German neo-Nazis n Japan 12

Holocaust n n n A defining event for modern Jewish life – memories of powerlessness while world pretended not to know Some feared “making waves” Link to visceral support for Israel – “Never again” US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, DC “Never forget” – Memorial museums, Yom Ha. Shoah, Holocaust studies n. Outreach – Jews more engaged with non. Jews; teach tolerance, history n 13

Israel, Zionism - 1 n n n Zionism: national(ist) movement of Jewish people – Jews have right to live on own land, Israel, as promised biblically Contrary to hostile propaganda, Zionism respects rights of all Love of land of Israel traces to Bible & liturgy: Isaiah, Micah: “For out of Zion shall come law/teaching, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem”; many prayers for peace for people & land of Israel 14

Israel, Zionism -2 n n Israel: haven for persecuted Jews – refugees from Nazis, Arab countries, FSU, antisemitism anywhere Israel: magnet for Jews attracted from religious yearnings, Zionist pride, economic opportunity, desire to live in democracy Religious & cultural center; most diaspora Jews have family, friends in Israel Regard Israel as “ours” as much as US or Canada 15

Social Action / Tikun Olam (Healing the World) n n n Vatican II, Pope John Paul teach respect for Jews & Judaism; not to be proselytized - mirrors ancient Jewish practice of not seeking converts – must make world good, not necessarily Jewish Active in interfaith dialogues & promotion of mutual respect Promotion of civil rights; charity; education; medicine for poor here & abroad; ecology – “The earth is the Lord’s” (Psalm 24) 16

An Issue of Controversy Abortion Biblical source: In covenant with Noah & descendants, Genesis 9: 6: “Whoso sheds the blood of ha-adam b’adam his blood shall be shed…. ” n n n ha-adam b’adam 1: a man, by a man ha-adam b’adam 2: lit. , “the person in a person” – a fetus Symmetric wording of Hebrew: Shofeich dam ha-adam b’adam damo y’shafeich – don’t take seriously as legislation; rather, as ironic social comment 17

Abortion - 2 Biblical source: Exodus 21: 22: “And if men strive together and hurt a woman with child, so that her child depart, and yet no harm follow, he shall be surely fined …. ” n n Fetus doesn’t have legal status of born child, hence not of mother If pregnancy threatens health of mother, may (sometimes, must) abort – Deuteronomy 30: 19: “… choose life…. ” 18

Abortion - 3 Biblical source: Numbers 24: 5: “How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob; thy dwellings, O Israel!” n n Primary interpretation: tents of learning, homes of peace Secondary interpretation: tents circled; entrances faced outward; nobody had direct view into neighbor’s home; praises respect for privacy 19

Abortion 4 – Jewish values Personal n n n Abort for economic or social convenience – no Abort to protect mother’s health (including mental) – yes Consult rabbi with physician Society n n n Respect privacy, even though it may be abused (Many disagree w. following: ) Discourage abortions by education, not legal coercion (Exodus 12: 15: “… that soul shall be cut off…. ” – some justice is divine) 2 -way respect for religious differences 20