Posted on 05/03/2007 10:00:55 AM PDT by APRPEH
Let us look at the least-discussed crisis in American Jewish life: the yawning gap between what Jewish organizations do and what Jews actually believe.
Most Americans oppose the war in Iraq. American Jews overwhelmingly oppose the war in Iraq. But apart from the Union for Reform Judaism – the organization that I serve – not a single major American Jewish organization has spoken out against the war. Indeed, it is difficult to find much evidence of serious public debate in Jewish organizational circles, let alone a statement criticizing the war.
Examples abound, of course, of individual Jewish organizations that, from time to time, claim to speak for American Jewry in the absence of a shred of evidence that these claims are true. (More on this in future posts.) Nonetheless, the current situation suggests something new: a wholesale willingness by multiple Jewish groups to turn their backs on the strongly held convictions of those they profess to represent.
Obviously, not all Jews oppose the war. A series of very respectable polls suggest that roughly 20% of American Jews support it while 80% oppose it. Still, by any reasonable statistical calculation, these numbers constitute an anti-war landslide. In fact, with the possible exception of Black Protestants, Jews are more opposed to the war more than any other ethnic or religious group in America.
Why then the silence? I can appreciate why the supporters of the war would want to keep the issue off the Jewish organizational agenda; after all, they are well aware of their minority status. But why would Jewish communal bodies agree?
There are reasons for this that I think I can understand. I recently spoke to a prominent Jewish congressman who strongly opposes the war but who expressed concern about the motives of other opponents, including some of the Jews. He was distressed that so much of the criticism seemed to be personal in nature and motivated by hatred of President Bush.
He suggested (and I agree) that even if you oppose the president’s policies, it is clear that George Bush has true affection and concern for Jews and the Jewish people. The congressman was also distressed (and again I agree) that some opponents were speaking the language of pacifism and retreat from the world—a language that is dangerous for America. Nonetheless, his final conclusion was (and I agree with this as well) that the war is undermining our position in the Middle East and the world, is not contributing to stability in Iraq, is exacting too high a price in American casualties, and therefore we must get out.
Of course, the most likely reason for silence on Iraq is the belief that retreat from Iraq will have negative consequences for Israel. Letters that I have received criticizing the Union’s stand often make this point, although it is rarely argued in public.
While the concern for Israel is universally shared, the idea that opposing the war undermines Israel is a highly questionable proposition—and one that American Jews as a group surely do not find compelling. My own view is that the war has been an utter disaster for Israel. Israel has one reliable ally, the United State of America, and it needs that ally to be strong, self-confident, respected by its allies, and prepared to assert its power to contribute to stability in the world. As a result of the war in Iraq, America’s standing has eroded not only among nations sympathetic to its values but with a majority of its own citizens, who become more isolationist with each day that the war continues.
America needs to withdraw (carefully but soon), regroup, articulate a strategy for Middle Eastern peace that makes sense to a skeptical electorate, and win back the trust of its citizens for the challenges and dangers ahead.
Those who feel that the silence of the organized Jewish leadership on Iraq is a small matter should think again. The influence of Jewish organizations in American life flows from the belief that those organizations have deep roots in their community and speak, however imperfectly, on behalf of significant segments of American Jews. Jewish organizations that stand apart from the grassroots will, in the short run, alienate those Jews who they theoretically represent, and in the long run will undermine the influence they now wield in the halls of power.
It is interesting, by the way, that some of the most vociferous opponents of speaking out against the war are the same people who complain ceaselessly about the inability of the Jewish community to retain the loyalties of young Jewish adults. Has it occurred to them that those young adults may be turned off by a community that will not address the issues they care most about?
A final reason for despair over American Jewish silence is the simple fact that our tradition calls upon us to have faith in the Jewish people. In a fascinating passage in the Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 97a), Resh Lakish criticizes the failure of Moses to believe in the people. The message is that the Holy One can tolerate a leader who lacks faith in himself but will not tolerate one – including Moses – who loses faith in the people that he aspires to lead. Very often the people are simply smarter than those who lead them.
ping
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Why then the silence?
Because the war is a political issue, thus largely none of the business of most religious groups. Rabbi Yoffe would disagree, everything is his business.
Yoffie must be on another planet. Israel is obviously better off for the mere fact that Saddam Hussein is no longer in power in Iraq and that the new Iraqi government has no intention nor capability of wiping it off the map as the Saddam regime (which was moving toward a nuclear capability and supporting Pali terrorism financially) did. Did Yoffie also forget the death and destruction in Israel caused by Saddam's Scuds during the Gulf War in 1991?
Why has no major Israeli political figure (other than Arab MKs) criticized the US policy in Iraq? The answer is the same. Contrary to Yoffie's absurd statement, Israel is better off vis a vis Iraq than she was when Saddam posed a serious threat.
Ping!
No joke. Drying up the $$ for suicide bombers dried up the attacks probably as much as the wall.
The paleostinians have serious whacko religious issues, but I think it is more that they don’t love their kids and will gladly blow them up for a quick buck.
What a jerk! He has no clue what American Jews believe. Some of us actually believe that little "Vzot hatorah ..." line which he brainlessly chants. (This is the Torah which came from the mouth of G-d to the hand of Moses to the children of Israel.)
ML/NJ
****It is interesting, by the way, that some of the most vociferous opponents of speaking out against the war are the same people who complain ceaselessly about the inability of the Jewish community to retain the loyalties of young Jewish adults. Has it occurred to them that those young adults may be turned off by a community that will not address the issues they care most about? ****
Could it also be that a number of young Jews are conservatives? That they are not in the same lockstep as their parents?
This Rabbi better keep his political views to himself when he is on synagogue grounds or he could lose the synagogue’s tax exempt statis.
That doesn’t seem to work, however, in black churches.
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