Oct. 15, 2009
About one thing, at least, the world seems to be in agreement: Israel is the primary culprit in the Middle East conflict, the cause of relentless Palestinian suffering and the primary obstacle blocking the way to regional peace. 
The international chorus of opprobrium is growing by the day. The Hollywood crowd lashes out at the Toronto International Film Festival for its (oh, so sinful) focus on Tel Aviv. The Swedish press breathes new life into the old blood libel.
The Norwegians divest from an Israeli firm because it supplies technology to the separation fence. The Turks refuse to participate in joint air exercises with Israel. The Americans peddle the notion that at its core, the Mideast conflict is really about the settlements.
It’s relentless, this ganging up, but it’s also not terribly new. The momentum has been building for years, and though we may not like it, we cannot honestly claim to be surprised.
What is surprising, however, is a recent – and possibly more ominous – addition to this chorus. A growing segment of the American Jewish community is abandoning Israel.
Here, too, examples abound: Two American Jewish sociologists, Steven Cohen and Ari Kelman, wrote that among American Jews aged 35 and younger, a full 50% said that the destruction of the State of Israel would not be a personal tragedy for them.
In San Francisco, Jewish communal funds were used to support the SF Jewish Film Festival’s screening of Rachel, an Israel-bashing “documentary” about Rachel Corrie of International Solidarity Movement fame.
Noting that the SFJFF was now effectively in partnership with Jewish Voices for Peace, a well known anti-Israel, pro-boycott organization, many prominent Jews vehemently protested. But the film was shown, anyway.
There’s Fast For Gaza, that group of rabbis encouraging us to fast in protest against the injustices in Gaza. But if you search their Web site (www.fastforgaza.net) for mention of Sderot or Gilad Schalit, your search will be in vain. Those issues, apparently, are irrelevant to justice for Gaza.
Finally, for now, there’s Jay Michaelson’s column in The Forward, entitled “How I’m Losing My Love for Israel” (September 25).
Michaelson, a spokesman for much of the generation that Cohen and Kelman described, wrote that “I understand why many Israelis feel fed up with the Palestinian problem…. But as an outsider, I no longer want to feel entangled by their decisions and implicated in their consequences. B’seder: It’s your choice to make… but count me out.”
“Count me out” is pretty strong stuff. But if Michaelson is different from most American Jews of his generation, it’s mostly because he’s more articulate. Which leads to the real issue: Why are American Jews abandoning Israel?
That question is the title of a recent column in Ha’aretz by Prof. Jonathan Sarna, perhaps the greatest living analyst of American Jewish life. The problem, suggests Sarna, is that American Jews have been raised on an idealized image of Israel, and that “in place of the utopia that we had hoped Israel might become, young Jews today often view Israel through the eyes of contemporary media: They fixate upon its unloveliest warts.”
But that, says Sarna, is actually good news, for the “fix” is clear.
“By focusing upon all that they nevertheless share in common, and all that they might yet accomplish together in the future, American Jews and Israelis can move past this crisis in their relationship and settle in, as partners, for the long haul ahead.”
I wish I were convinced, but I’m not. The loss of American Jewish love for Israel, I fear, is actually much more deeply rooted. The issue isn’t Israel, or utopia. It’s America, and the “I” at the core of American sensibilities.
Another profound observer of American Jewish life, Rabbi Morris Allen of Mendota Heights, Minnesota, recently wrote with sadness that for contemporary American Jews, life-cycle rituals have become infinitely more significant than the holiday cycle.
Both Sarna and Allen are actually pointing to a shared challenge.Most American Jews are first and foremost Americans. And today’s America is about the celebration of individuality and a future unfettered by ethnic loyalties.
In America, the narratives of immigrant groups are eroded, year by year, generation after generation. In America, we are oriented to the future, not to the past, and if we cling to some larger grouping, it is to a human collective whole rather than to some “narrow” ethnic clan.
That’s the cause for what Rabbi Allen has observed. Because Jewish holidays celebrate peoplehood, a collective embrace of a shared mythical past, they are less compelling for typical American Jews than are life-cycle ceremonies, which focus on the future, my family – and me.
Similarly, the recreation of the State of Israel is truly powerful only against a backdrop of centuries of Jewish experience, and is spine-tingling only if my sense of self is inseparable from my belonging to a nation with a past and a people with a purpose.
In today’s individualistic America, the drama of the rebirth of the Jewish people creates no goose bumps and evokes no sense of duty or obligation. Add the issue of Palestinian suffering, and Israel seems worse than irrelevant – it’s actually a source of shame.
We’re not terribly alarmed, but we should be. These young American Jews, after all, will soon control the coffers of the federations, and will sit on the boards of synagogues. Their generation will either strengthen or abandon AIPAC, the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), and the American Jewish Committee (AJC). They will be the ones allocating funding to schools, setting curricula and communal priorities.
“Who is wise?” asks the Talmud. “He who can see what is about to happen.” Deep down, we know what’s about to happen. A gaping chasm threatens the American-Israeli relationship, and we’re basically doing nothing. Try to list the serious Jewish educational enterprises addressing this challenge, asking how American Jewish education can counter America’s unfettered individualism, or what Israel could do to help.
Can you name even one? Neither can I.
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Tags: America, Israel, Jewish, Mideast
Dr. Daniel Gordis is Senior Vice President of the Shalem Center, where he is also a senior fellow. The author of numerous books on Jewish thought and currents in Israel...
The Jewish State must end, say its enemies, from intellectuals like Tony Judt to hate-filled demagogues like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Even average Israelis are wondering if they wouldn't be better off somewhere else. 
see the Jewish Week’s interview with Wallace Shawn for an unfortunate example of your fears come true:
http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c346_a16991/The_Arts/Theatre.html
My reaction to the column is rather simple. I think it is well reasoned and thought out. I have some difficulty believing that 50% of American Jews when asked said it wouldn’t be personally tragic to them if Israel was destroyed. I do believe that many Amercoian Jews might be feeling a bit fed up with what seems to be a never-ending conflict in the Middle East. Another complication is inherent in certain beliefs. I used to tell friends that “What is good for Sharon isn’t necessarily what is best for Israel.” Keep in mind I always cherished Ariel for what he did for Israel as a true hero. To me he is Israel’s “Patton” and I think we all know we were lucky he wasn’t elected President.
I think it would be better if any polls would delve deper so that we can find out what these American Jews think. I oppose the settlements too but Israel is precious to my very being. I don’t necessarily trust the “other side” but do believe that, as Jews, we have a responsibility to do anything, incuding taking risks, to achieve peace. Am I sure we will be successful? Not at all, but we must try.
What Israel can do to help is to reform itself so that the Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox no longer define Judaism. Most American Jews find it very hard indeed to relate to a country where a salient issue is the use or disuse of Shabbat elevators. I speak as a father two of whose three children and a grandfather four of whose five grandchildren live in Israel.
Tlmud Torah K-Neged Kulam – Education is truly the key – education to increase Jewish knowledge in general and about Israel in particular.
LimmudLA is doing a great job.
At Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, CA, the weekly VBS College of Jewish Studies attracts over 300 people, as it has done for over five years now.
Lots to do – but things are happening.
I read the Wallace Shawn interview, as well of course as Gordis’ always excellent observations. What we’re seeing is the result of many years (decades, really) of Judaism-without-God, or if you prefer, Judaism-without-religion. Tikkun Olam is today understood in a Godless context: “To perfect the world.” But the Hebrew phrase is in fact longer, and the full translation, ignored by today’s secular progressives, is: “To perfect the world under the Kingdom of God.” As we work to improve the world, we are meant to do so as Jews, not as mere descendants of Jews. The problem at the root of the increasing “distance” between Israelis and American Jews is not merely a poor understanding of Israel, but first and foremost a poor understanding of Judaism. Yes, I do mean to include those rabbis who see the suffering in Gaza but are blind to the suffering in Sderot. They have, to the best of my knowledge, no analog in Jewish history… because their actions are rooted in political thought, not religious thought. So long as such rabbis influence the education of our young, there is little hope.
Part of the problem is after school Hebrew school. Too late for my children, I realized that sending them to Hebrew School was a mistake. That is where they become alienated and remain alienated. The only answer is a Hebrew day school, where Jewish studies are part of the curriculum. And it should include love of Israel–not just religious observances.
In my own generation, I see a drifting away from Hadassah, for example, and more emphasis on Sisterhood (synagogue affiliated). 30 years ago, it was NOT the case. I hear comments like “it doesn’t fill my needs” etc. Israel is not exciting anymore. The “I” of personal observances [not that there is anything wrong with those, but there should be room for both] seems more important.
It reminds me of a comment I heard from a refusenik in 1972 USSR: “What they need is a pogrom to remind them they are Jews!” Unfortunately, that is what it takes to wake up some–others may not wake up even then…
Your assessment is right on target. But it is also one-sided because you don’t discuss the anger and discontent on the Israeli street. We have close friends who write about discord and frustration within your fragmented government. Others who served in the military report they had no way to complain about aberrations among officers. Israeli government has a responsibility to look into over-the-top offenses in Gaza. While Israel has every right to defend itself with whatever means possible, and had sufficient cause to blast the bastards, it must continually build support among new generations of Jews in the U.S. and Canada and not take these groups for granted. Communication is vital, especially with younger generations who consider themselves Americans first.
I am 78 78 years old and have been a Zionist since my pre-teens. (Habonim). We thought that Israel would be the light of the world. I rejoiced in 1948 and again when we liberated Jerusalem. I know it has every right to defend itself – but recognizing how Hamas and Hizballah fight, using civilians as shields, couldn’t we have just made a strike against the tunnels? – All the leaflets and broadcasts wculd not avert serious civilian casualties and yet we went ahead and what did we accomplish? The further emnity of the world. With all of our technology, can’t we stop suicide bombers without multitudes of humiliating check points? Israeli Arabs are 2nd class citizens and we do little to win their loyalty – same with the Felashi who have been Jews for eons. We treat the people of the Palestinian territories with disdain and sometimes brutality and do little to offset the hatred for us they are taught since childhood. We must strive to win the hearts and minds of all of these people and I don’t see the Israeli government doing anything. I wept for Israel before, and I am saddened again. What is happening to my beloved Israel?
You hit it on the head. It is not fashionable to think that Israel may be right in trying to protect itself. The younger people are so sure that they are right they have not had a chance to analyze because they were not taught how to analyze. There are many people who still think Israel is the light to the world with some warts.
Please, would it be translated in French ?
The article is so interesting but it is too difficult to unterstand deeply.
Toda raba
This shift away from Zionism reflects a leftward secular shift in the American Jewish worldview, making the Liberal Agenda the new Torah. It’s the New Theology.
It parallels the political leftward drift with overwhelming Obama support among US Jews, in spite of his pro-Palestinian, anti-Israeli (?anti-semitic) policies.
Orthodox Jews, on the other hand, are a growing presence in America, both politically and religiously conservative, and overwhelmingly Zionist.
Don’t dispair. The Orthodox are having big families, and will eventually replace the secular progressives in America.
Hadassah Year Course, I am proud to say is my solution to this dilemma. My 18 year old son is a participant this year. From the information that I have read by and about the people who have participated over the decades, this may be part of the answer.
I believe the problem began and is exacerbated by the ascendency of the ultra-religious in Israel. A real turn-off for many, and very hard to defend here in America.
Israel was never intended to be a theocracy, but that’s where it’s headed. A courageous dismantling of at least the most out-of-line settlements would be a good start.
It is imperative that American jews support Israel. If the anti semitism that exists spreads, jews in America will be victims also If Israel is destroyed, jews around the world will have lost their identity. Israel is a baby country struggling to survive and find its place in a world of enemies. American jews must, absolutely must, support its existence…criticism okay…but not with vengence but with respect and concern. There are all kinds of holocausts …the destruction and abuse of our people cannot be allowed to happen anywhere in the world…ever again. Israel must survive.
Thank you for your article.
The “I” generation is upon us, again. We had the same mentality before and during WWll. That’s the generation when Chanukah became the Jewish Xmas.
I want to have a real answer for my grand children when they ask what I did for Israel and the Jewish people.
I have a video taken a few months ago showing my friend and his family arrving in Israel on a NBN flight. The number of young enthusiastic people coming of the plane was wonderful.
We must not let the younger generation down. We must show them how to love each other and always remember we are One Family
As a 72 year-old American Jewish atheist, I would normally not be considered to strongly value Israel’s survival. However, for me, its survival is paramount, not only because it represents a stronghold for the world’s Jews, but because it is a beacon of light in an otherwise darkened and backward region. I am not surprised at the tone of the article, based on my opinion of the succeeding generations of me-first Americans. The best solution to this dilemma is public relations–a continuing effort to demonstrate to ALL Americans that Israel is a worthy ally, far more worthy than Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Lebanon.
Israel obtains the world’s respect when she shows her courage and strength. She earns disdain when she fails to live up to our expectations. She must find a way to rid the West Bank of its teenage warmongers, or the continuing conflict will endure for decades more or escalate into catastrophe.
Shalom All,
The further removed in time a non Orthodox Jew in America is from the immigrant experience, the less meaningful ethnic/peoplehood definitions of Judaism will be in her/his daily life. And the waning importance of the State of Israel to most of those Jews is but one spoke in the wheel of ethnic/cultural/peoplehood Jewishness/Judaism.
All that’s left of “Judaism” for most who identify as Jews in America is the trivial to nearly meaningless “Jewishness,” that manifests as lifecycle “fixes” (b’not/b’nei mitzva births weddings and funerals), the occasional perceived need for a worship service e.g., high holidays (yet another “guilt fix” for ever fewer Jews), the Holocaust/anti semitism, and let’s not forget an occasional trip to the Jewish deli/restaurant.
This residual Jewishness will go the way of borscht belt humor and the Catskills. As the older generations pass, nostalgia will have less and less of a pull. It (nostalgia) already holds little or no sway with my two sons, one a Gen X’er and one a Gen Y’er, And the same can be said of their peers.
People do things for two reasons: because they want to or because they have to. For the vast majority who identify as Jews (the approximately 5 out of 8 (perhaps 2 out of 3 is more accurate) Jews who are unaffiliated as well as the majority of the non Orthodox affiliated), Judaism, the synagogue and supporting the State of Israel are not in the “have to” (read obligatory) category and no amount of handwringing or ostrich-like desire to turn the clock back to the “good old days” (read the 1950’s and 60’s) will change that fact. What’s left is the great opportunity to persuade those Jews to “convert” to the “want to” group. In today’s consumerist world, Judaism/the synagogue/Israel must compete in the arena of ideas and leisure time/discretionary income choices. People will give of their time, talents and tithes to that which is perceived to have value. Synagogues, Judaism and Israel are perceived by the masses of Jews as having at best marginal value and thus the result is at best marginal commitment. Most non Orthodox Jews see no meaningful value in Judaism or Jewishness; thus it’s no surprise to see that the idea of a Jewish state for these folks is of little or no real value.
The problem is relevance, specifically the lack thereof. Most Jews have voted with their feet that the synagogue and/or Judaism is/are irrelevant. Judaism and synagogues have to re-earn their place in the life of most who identify as Jews. To do this, synagogues need to deliver a Judaism which is relevant, practical, challenging and life application oriented, showing that Judaism actually speaks to life as it is lived and experienced in the 21rst century, ie., teach and talk about what Judaism has to say about our physical, financial, emotional, relational, and spiritual well-being. The folks want to know that the synagogue and and Jewish teaching, have “walked a mile in their moccasins.” People ought to leave the synagogue saying, “yes they really get it,” and not “so what,” or heaven forbid, “whatever.” The only hope for Judaism’s life transforming prescription of a life of holiness as well as the re prioritizing of Israel, is through the doorway of relevance.
As Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church as well as the author of “A Purpose Driven Life,” has said: “clergy need to ’say something on Sunday that people can use on Monday.’ ” Rabbi Lawrence Hoffman who wrote “Rethinking Synagogues” calls this: sermons that emphasize where “Torah meets life.” So “on one foot” rabbi’s (and I’ve heard many from the pews over the years) need to become/be made more aware that the content of their bimah teaching always be about answering the question, “why think/do Jewish?”
In the High Holiday liturgy we find “B’rosh hashana yikateivun, u’v’yom tsom kippur, yeikhateimun, mi yixyeh umi yamut…” On Rosh haShanah it is written and on Yom Kippur it is sealed; who shall live and who shall die…..
So the question is “will the synagogue and non orthodox Judaism be inscribed and sealed in the Book of Life for the coming year?” God only knows and it doesn’ t seem like we’re doing much to help Her/Him out with the decision. What is the necessary redefinition of “t’ shuvah, t’fillah, u’ts’daqah” needed to “avert the severe decree” i.e., to change the fate of the synagogue and non-orthodox Judaism? We must restore the relevance of non Orthodox Judaism before we can begin to expect wider support for Israel.
There is hope and it is in learning the lessons of successful megachurches, a segment of organized religious life that continues to grow in contradistinction to the remainder of protestant denominations as well as non orthodox Judaism, that are in decline. Kudos to the Reform movement who had Pastor Rick Warren at their Biennial convention in Dec., 2007, for recognizing this important Truth. One of those lessons is found above in the paragraph that begins “The problem is relevance…”
Biv’racha,
?Jordan Goodman
Young American Jews overwhelmingly supported Obama in last year’s elections. It was clear then that McCain would have been a much better friend to Israel than Obama is. McCain’s criticism of the Obama administration’s reversal of 8 years of American foreign policy towards Israel is clear evidence of this. It’s upsetting to see how the Obama presidency and the continued erosion of American Jews’ support of Israel have coincided. Unfortunately, both trends seem to be mutually reinforcing. I don’t think that’s an accident and it bodes ill for the future.
Take your children on a tour to Israel as part of their Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration. Let them see you buying Israeli goods, watching Israeli movies, reading Israeli books, planning Israeli trips. Let them hear you talking about Israel. Attend the Yom Ha’Atzmaut celebrations and parades. Hang an Israeli flag in your home. Send newlyweds to Israel for their honeymoon. Donate to your local college/university Israel students’ groups to promote good programs, help plan and attend them. Circulate the you tube videos and power point presentations that trace the history, describe the accomplishments in science etc and explain the politics. Choose and support summer camps that have Israeli programming… especially if day school is not an option.. summer camp can be very influential.
American Jews are over-represented in the hard Left, which detests Israel.
Those American Jews who are not hard Left are mostly liberals for whom socialized medicine, multiculturalism and partial birth abortion are mitzvot. They are pro-Israel but if they have to choose between Israel and their priorities, then that’s too bad for Israel.
We ran an revealing experiment in November 2008. American Jews had the choice of a presidential candidate who had a long and strong record of support for Israel, and a leftist candidate who mouthed the right words but had a large number of associates with anti-Israel views. We know that approximately 80% of American Jews chose the leftist, not the pro-Israel candidate.
Bottom line: Israel retains it supporters amongst American Jews, but it should recognize that its base of support in the United States is conservatives, not Jews.
Dr. Gordis,
It always seems to be someone else’s – not Israel’s – fault or defect, in your postings.
Though support for Israel is waning among American Jews, have you considered that maybe that’s not because they think that Israel is the culprit in the conflict or because of deficiencies in their Jewish education, but maybe it is largely because Israel’s treatment of Palestinians has been fundamentally unjust and because Israel’s territorial policy is politically driven by a messianism (or pre-messianism) which they reject?
How do you respond to such obvious explanations for the waning of support?
– Yosi
Daniel Gordis is an outstanding thinker and writer. However, I believe that he is being overly pessimistic. There is a big problem on US campuses with anti-Israel sentiment, much of it originating within the Arab and Muslim communities. This is bad for young American Jews. There is one educational organization that is countering this: AIPAC. AIPAC is not just focusing on young American Jews, but rather, young Americans of all faiths. AIPAC is bringing presidents of student governments to Israel and to AIPAC events. I suggest that Mr. Gordis attend the next AIPAC national conference. He could easily tell Michael Oren that he would like to be on a panel, and Oren could pass that on to the powers that be at AIPAC. Oren, also an author, is the Israeli ambassador to the US. He will have a better idea of what really can be done.
Another extremely insightful analysis. Thank you. Noting the shift in focus from holiday to life-cycle events is very astute. Might it be possible to channel the enthusiasm for the personal event by utilizing it (In Hebrew schools as well as day schools and by pulpit rabbis) as a spring board for fostering communal and national identity? I.e. encouraging contribution of x percent of gifts to a community tzedaka project, visiting Israel as a bar/bat mitzvah, honeymooning in Israel? In response to Nathalie and Harold above, one encouraging sign in Israel is the reclaiming of Jewish texts by non-observant Israelis in secular and joint religious-secular study halls. Not exactly the same as American pluralism but an original Israeli innovation!
I don’t think israel needs to beg support of the US Jews who choose the US as their new homeland. To those Jews I say, live your own lives and stop bothering us. I wonder with whom I share more values, the Druse soldier who serves with me in Miluim and risks hhis life for our land, or you who are kind enough to send your daughter on birthright – who knows, she may marry Jewish.
Excuse me for writing without reading all the previous comments. Rabbi Gordis’ point that the focus of America is to a future where the specific stories of each ethnicity dissolve is RIGHT ON. Especially in the liberal world- to erode the fetters of ethinicity is an ideal- the goal in those parts of America is the transendence of the hatred, division that accompanies humanities struggles and horror in the Modern era… To intermarry- especially with a classic “enemy” is a source of pride and ones personal transcendance of the old time religion. So to that cultural trend/ movement- what can the Jewish/ Israel identity mongers present? We seem to be presenting the source of hatred and division- and in a certain sense we are- lets’ not be afraid to say that.
I think that the challenge these voices present to Judaism are real- Divine in origin and must hold in them part of the fixing of our Jewish people and our Judaism. This is a time of paradox- the need to batten down the hatches and also develop without fear into the next version of the Torahs message.
in short- what i think we need is our Jewish contribution the conversation of Gloabalization- of how the individuals fit into the whole (Klall, Prat v’Klal) the universal teachings of Judaism that are grounded in a rainbow comprised of many colors- not the muddled amorphous adrift configurations that never know how to address issues of groups beyond the individuals that develop them.
And creating Israel experiences that involve young Jews in the tremendous work on Israels’ warts… like our Eco-Activist Beit Midrash- which puts Anglophiles with an interest in environmental issues (only the most popular issue on todays campuses) face to face with both the environmental crisis in Israel, and the organizations and people working for change. Also within the Judaism- to give the learning and ritual experiences that meaningful to people in the issues they are living with…
As a soon-to-be-forty year old Modern Orthodox American Jew, I am proud to report that in my Boca Raton community support for the State of Israel has never been stronger among members of my generation. The number of politically aware, emotionally invested, active and committed young AIPAC members grows by the year. At the ‘08 Policy Conference (our first), we observed hundreds and met scores of young Zionists attendees across the specrum of Jewish observance (many – perhaps even most – Orthodox). I noted with heart-warming satisfaction that a post-conference pro-Arab blogger even pointed out that this apparent demographic shift in lobbyists is a concern to the anti-Zionist community.
Perhaps Dr. Gordis is correct that the universal support for the State of Israel that could always be relied upon from Diaspora Jewry is gradually deteriorating (likely at the same rate of decline as Diaspora Jews’ commitment to the very basic tenets of religious Jewish observance), BUT where I will take issue is in the alarmist tone of this piece. We have always counted on Danny’s optimistic take and positive approach to encourage us when times are bad (see When Mistakes are Worth Making and his most recent book, Saving Israel), even in the midst of panicked anxiety coming from other quarters of the pro-Israel media.
True, I don’t live ba’aretz, so I do not have the right to comment about Israeli society’s level of apprehension in the current state of world affairs. But in my view, domestic US support for Israel remains phenomenally strong. AIPAC membership grows, the B’nai Akiva movement thrives, Nefesh B’nefesh still attracts olim even in this challenging economy, the Hillel college effort has neutralized much of the previously overwhelming hateful anti-Zionist bias on many mainstream undergraduate campuses, and Hillel Day Schools are filled over capacity with Israel-loving Jewish American children – the Zionists of tomorrow.
Do our numbers exceed those of the assimilated, frustrated, J street-loving pseudo-Jews of the Diaspora? Probably not. But in our generation’s America, they never did. Those of us pro-Israel Jewish faithful who “get it” remain the minority. But our voices are more unified in support of Eretz Yisrael, we are (still) more outspoken than our disinterested opponents on Jewish and Israel-related political issues, and our love for the land and support of our brothers and sisters who live there has never been stronger. And our numbers are growing. We will stand with you – if not physically by your side than in all other respects. We will not be silent while Israel is condemned. We will strengthen our relationships with members of Congress to educate and enlighten them about the essential US-Israeli partnership.
And if we are not numerous enough to get our message across, we will enlist the support of our Christian allies, who often love Israel more than our Jewish friends and neighbors.
Gordis faults Rabbis for Human Rights for not mentioning Sderot. Fair enough.
But in his entire piece, you can find no clue that young American Jews’ fading relationship with Israel has anything to do with the behavior of Israeli governments or settlers.
Young Jews like Jay Michaelson are very clear that it’s not all Israel’s fault. But a good bit of it is; our behavior matters. And Michaelson, who is passionately committed to living a Jewish life and making a Jewish future, understands that you can’t do that by defending the indefensible. Gordis apparently doesn’t.
Of course what you say is very troubling. I put it down to badly disguised anti semitism. Alot of what you write about has been driven by propaganda from the Arab world. I imagine that as fewer resources go to buy Arab oil there will be less for jihad and the propaganda
driven nastiness your column describes.
I find it hard to believe that 50% of US
Jews do not support Israel. Certainly, around this part of the midwest, Columbus, Ohio, the Jewish population strongly supports Israel.
The fact that the press in the US largely suppoprts Israel probably reflects the views of the general population.
Israel can help itself in a couple of ways. Their publicity is poor. I recommend hiring Saachi and Saachi to improve the image. Other matter is the settlements, especially the remote ones. Their settlers in particular should not expect to be defended. Imagine had their been a US settlement in the middle of Soviet Russia. I doubt if we in the US would have been eager to defend them.
We must raise an awareness, as noted by Roger Scruton in the current issue of Azure, of Israel as national identity, not nationalism.
Nationalism, for many if not most of the people whom we want to persuade, is a dirty word.
National identity has unique potential.
Enjoy a beautiful day and week.
While Dr. Gordis continues to share great insight from an Israeli perspective, I believe there is hope.
Young Jewish people continue to go to Israel in droves via Birthright Israel, and many other programs. Many Jews today, because of such experiences, are more enthusiastic about Zionism than their parents were.
While the Fast for Gaza may seem anti-Zionist, those rabbis do so out of a love for Israel – they want to bring attention to Israel’s need to consider human rights. Yes, this is a higher standard than applied to the Palestinians, but should we not aim high?
A “you’re with us or against us” attitude demeans the great love for Zion that still pervades much of American Jewish culture.
LOOKING FOR IDEAS!!!
I am always inspired by Daniel’s essays. And, this one is no exception. Now, I need ideas.
I have just started a program with a local jewish organization where, as a group, we need to come up with a program that meets needs of young adult jews that strengthens their jewish identity and connects them to Israel. If the org likes our proposal, we would even get a little funding (up to $1000) to implement that. So far the ideas that are floating vary from Hanukkah party to Hebrew classes to guided tours of jewish things in the local area. All good things, but really not what I would call transformative. Jewish Education that speaks to young adult– how do you come up with that? Perhaps a series of speakers that would address different topics?
Combination of talks/movies/… something else?
If the program if successful, there is a possibility of expending it into a regular thing.
Or, if you know of a program that already exists and is successful, I would love to hear about it.
We have to submit the proposal by November 3rd. So, now, stop kvetching, and help us take the I’s and turn them into the We’s.
Thank you!
Masha
masha732@ymail.com
Daniel Gordis, when you are in the Detroit area, please stop by to visit Akiva Hebrew Day School. At this Modern Orthodox, Zionist institution we are educating tomorrow’s leaders. For them the destruction of Israel would definitely be a personal tragedy. We send these students who care deeply about Israel and the Jewish people, out into the adult world where they can make a difference, one moment at a time.
All right,now I have read the Michaelson piece.Again,my first reaction is that he is someone who had a lot more time in college to contemplate his navel while I was getting up to do the 7am genetics lab across and up the campus.I think he still lives in a pampered environment.Granted,not all of what the Israeli government decides to do in a difficult situation is what perhaps I might do,but as yet I don’t have skin in the game-although my daughter is currently camping out in Jerusalem.I do dimly recall at the time of my conversion ceremony (37 years ago) affirming that I would cast my lot with those of Klal Yisrael at all times and places.Thus,my wife and I will be in Israel in two weeks,my eighth visit,doing a fund-raising bike ride for an environmental kibbutz in the Arava.And the worse part of the visit will be flying back at the end,when I usually feel like I am again making a mistake.
See also Sarna’s interview, “Reinventing American Judaism” http://reformjudaismmag.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=1509, focusing on how the financial crisis and demographic shifts are reshaping the Jewish community – with a number of points that are relevant to our discussion.
“[J]ust as we saw in the aftermath of the 1929 crash, we can expect a discernible focus in the U.S. Jewish community and less engagement with Israel, especially among the non-Orthodox. Even the war in Gaza did not lead to mass fundraising for Israel—a first since its inception in 1948—and new evidence indicates that fewer young Jews are traveling to Israel for summer or semester-abroad programs. Long term, this may lead to a rise in the number of American Jews who know Israel only from what they see on television.”
“[I]n 1998, a survey by sociologist Steven M. Cohen found that only half of American Jews agreed with the statement “I look at the entire Jewish community as my extended family,” and only 47% agreed that “I have a special responsibility to take care of Jews in need around the world.” Many contemporary Jews, intermarried Jews in particular, find notions of Jewish peoplehood to be uncomfortably alien, at odds with personal autonomy and America’s universalistic and individualistic ethos.”
I recommend Robert L. Bernstein’s op-ed in today’s NYTimes.
As the founder of Human Rights Watch, he writes that the organization has gone off the mark in criticizing Israel.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/opinion/20bernstein.html
This is not an American Jewish problem, but endemic of a problem we are seeing here in Israel too. Secular Israelis have done a poor job in the past 30 years of educating our children; we have taught them to ignore the religious element and so we are asking children to fight and die for a country that is no more special to them than anywhere else.
I believe it was Bar Rafaeli who said: I’m Israeli because that’s where I was born. Not only have we destroyed the ties to the idealism, the purpose, and the religion; we have (unlike Americans) done a poor job of educating them why Israel is good for the whole world. A school child in the US learns that the US government is setup to create a perfect society, that is something to be proud of regardless of religion.
We, in Israel, have removed everything and now we have nothing to be proud of in Israel. Either we need to re-up the Zionist dialogue in Israel, all become religious, or create a society which will carry all of us (religious or not) into the future.
This is just more gloom-and-doom scare talk by journalists who know they can get more readership and response with bad news than good, even if they have to invent it.
“Try to list the serious Jewish educational enterprises addressing this challenge…
Can you name even one? Neither can I.”
Campus Hillel for starters. Anyone who is concerned by this article, whether rightly or wrongly, should give serious thought to writing a large check to their local campus Hillel. The classier and better furnished it is, the more the kids will want to hang out there and participate in Hillel activities and to date other Jewish young people.
Getting American Jews (of all ages) to go to Israel, even for a few weeks, will be a powerful tool to combat these feelings. I have been there 3 times, two on teen trips organized by my local Jewish Federation, and once for 6 months when I studied there for a semester in college. Over Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, my Rabbis had high schoolers speak about their experiences on March of the Living, which ends with time in Israel. It was clear that the trip deeply impacted them and they all stated they are now going to be activists for Israel. This is what we need. Organizations and some Jewish schools across the US are sending kids to Israel – we need to make sure they keep going so they can feel the connection and see what a special place it is.
“On Jewish Hearts and Minds: A Response to Daniel Gordis” by Rabbi Brant Rosen
http://rabbibrant.com/2009/10/23/on-jewish-hearts-and-minds-a-response-to-daniel-gordis/
[...] such Jews in the world have lost their feeling of the Jews as a people. (Daniel Gordis’s piece in Friday’s Jerusalem Post describes this well.) Such Jews have come to see Judaism as a [...]
I don’t think the phenomenon Rabbi Allen has observed is driving the apparent weakening identification with Israel among the 35-and-younger set of American Jews. Rather, I suggest that it’s, all else equal, due to the high rate of intermarriage the American Jewish community has experienced over the past 35. I haven’t seen hard data on this, and am ready to be proven wrong, but I speculate that the emotional bonds to Israel differ considerably across young adults who are children of intermarried American Jewish families relative to those with a Jewish mother and father. On this question, I would not recommend following the silly arithmetic found in:
http://jta.org/news/article/2009/10/25/1008716/op-ed-what-israelis-need-to-know-about-intermarriage-in-north-america
How sad! Try to be more optimistic as it is helpful to all.
More Jews are making Aliyah than ever before.
Secular American Jews have always been less connected to Israel. The difference is one’s belief in the Torah and the deep connection to the land.
Part of the solution is education and conservative talk radio. Spread the word with 770 and 970 AM.