The first issue that I'd like to raise is the very name of this blog: The Emperor's New Clothes. I assume that this story is familiar to the public. Two swindlers convince a very vain king that they have prepared for him beautiful clothing. Everyone pretends that the king is so well dressed; no one has the courage to speak up and tell the obvious truth. Finally, a little boy cries out the truth: "The king is naked", and the shamed king in his royal procession has to pretend that he just doesn't hear..."
I live in Israel. Our Jewish society is so self-critical. Whatever may be decided, there will always be those who will claim that "it's a mistake", "there's a better way", etc. Perhaps, the self-criticism is out of control - so much so that one never hears a nice compliment even when we deserve it.
In North America, there is also a very large Jewish community. We are so similar in background. A very large percent of us have immigrated in recent generations from Yiddish-speaking Eastern Europe. We share a tendency for academic study and professions, and much more. However, one important difference stands out as obvious: The North American Jewish community does not share with us this exaggerated sense of self-criticism when dealing with issues of our collective Jewish experience.
Obviously, American Jews are critical in any other issue, but when it comes to Jewish life, everything is just wonderful. Crisis? "That would typify life in Israel and elsewhere". Read the Yiddish Daily Forward (now an English and Yiddish weekly), for example, and you would hardly notice that this is journalism. There is no discussion of low synagogue affiliation, intermarriage, Jewish educational failure. Why? Well, my first instinctive guess is that the overall American Jewish experience has left the feeling that "we are so lucky that our families have come here". If having arrived in America was a fortunate turn of events, leading to social and economic success in American society, then it would be quite difficult to take notice that Jewish life has been shattered in the process. Concerned Jews who might notice the disintegration of Jewish continuity would be forced to admit that which can never be admitted: Maybe the process of Americanization was a mistake?
Obviously, American Jews are critical in any other issue, but when it comes to Jewish life, everything is just wonderful. Crisis? "That would typify life in Israel and elsewhere". Read the Yiddish Daily Forward (now an English and Yiddish weekly), for example, and you would hardly notice that this is journalism. There is no discussion of low synagogue affiliation, intermarriage, Jewish educational failure. Why? Well, my first instinctive guess is that the overall American Jewish experience has left the feeling that "we are so lucky that our families have come here". If having arrived in America was a fortunate turn of events, leading to social and economic success in American society, then it would be quite difficult to take notice that Jewish life has been shattered in the process. Concerned Jews who might notice the disintegration of Jewish continuity would be forced to admit that which can never be admitted: Maybe the process of Americanization was a mistake?
There are sociologists researching the Jewish community who publish quite regularly that the trends of Jewish life are gloomy. However, the "simple Jews" - the Jewish doctors in the local hospital, the shopkeepers downtown, the Jewish politicians in Washington or the Hollywood script writers - don't have the slightest clue that something has gone very wrong.
In short, the king is not wearing any clothes. The king has social standing, obviously, and he's clearly well-to-do. He has all the means of achieving whatever achievement he may wish to achieve - but he has been fooled into believing that he is absolutely elegant when, in fact, he is a real sorry sight.
You can meet an American Jew who has a PhD in medieval art, but he couldn't recognize his own name in Hebrew script. Who would dare call him an uneducated man? Well, perhaps it's not too late to stop the trends of Jewish cultural collapse. But before proposing a solution to the problems at hand, there is first a more urgent task: convincing the public that there are problems! We have to begin a process of self-criticism that reaches down to the simple Jews with the intention of re-creating a Jewish identity that will be a reflection of the historic Jewish experience: a unique and distinctive peoplehood.
Two things:
ReplyDelete1) I agree completely that there is a problem with Jewish identity in the United States. I would probably even classify it as a crisis, as you do. This is a problem that I struggled with while I lived on Tzuba 5 years ago, that I struggled with when I returned this past month, and that I struggle with as an American Jew every day.
2) The reason you don't read about these struggles in the Yiddush Daily Forward and other Jewish publications from the U.S.: they would be preaching to the choir. The American Jews who read these publications are already actively involved in Jewish life. These aren't the Jews that need convincing to stay involved in the Jewish community and stay in touch with their heritage. To criticize "their own community" is really to criticize the Jews who don't give a damn.
Perhaps we are hesitant to do this because we don't want to push anyone away. I think it comes down to the question of quantity vs. quality. With the size of the American Jewish community dwindling, we are afraid to lose anyone. So on a Birthright trip, we say, "It's ok that you know nothing about your history! You can still be Jewish!" But we can't bring ourselves to criticize anyone who might show just an inkling of interest in maintaining Judaism as even a part of their identity. Perhaps you are right: it would be better to create a strong Jewish community in the U.S. based around the Hebrew language, even if it means pushing some people away who simply are not that devoted to their Judaism.
I am not sure how well I am expressing myself. Arguments for both:
Quantity: Our numbers are dwindling as is, so by criticizing those who aren't as active, we might drive them further away.
Quality: Well, down the road their grandkids or great-grandkids won't be Jewish anyways, so we may as well form a tight community amongst those of us who do care (...as you say, by encouraging attendance in Hebrew immersion schools).
More comments to come on the second post later...
...Sorry, this kind of turned into a novel.
-Robin