Comments on: Religious Zionism — When Crisis Becomes Opportunity

By: Pierre

Pierre — Wed, 12 May 2010 17:33:42 +0000

Ruti Mizrachi!…good to see you reading good people! R. Nathan Lopes Cardozo, BTW became disillusioned with the Charedi sphere and approach after decades at a BT yeshiva, and founded his own independent Cardozo School. He stated and explicated his disaffection on an audio file available on his website.

R. Heschel was a light unseen by many who learned in lived in the Jewish word – even the Arabic-reading world had an opportunity! He helped finance an edition of “Israel; an Echo in Eternity” in Arabic. His consciousness of a dynamic Jewish “trinity” – Torah and revelation measured out by the Revealer in human history, a People fluctuating in self-definition, an Land of shifting borders and occupancy – Rav Kook shared an openness to recognizing this dynamism;

http://www.torahmitzion.org/pub/ravKook/ross.pdf

…But this is not the Rav Kook many of his “messianic Zionist” talmidim learn. Some previous edition of his work even expurgated sections regarding evolution – ironic when read in context!

By: Stephen Frug

Stephen Frug — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:54:37 +0000

“The Chinese, in their wisdom, use the same symbols for “crisis” and for “opportunity.””

This is a mangling of a common myth, itself false.

First, the actual urban legend is that the Chinese word for crisis combines the terms for “danger” and “opportunity”.

Second, even this is basically wrong. See here:

http://www.pinyin.info/chinese/crisis.html

– Just so you know.

By: Herb Rosenblum

Herb Rosenblum — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:10:04 +0000

History is eerily repeating itself. About 60 years ago, Dan Gordis’s grandfather, Robert Gordis, a respected rabbi, philosopher and Bible scholar,made a similar plea for a rejuvenation of religious Zionism. It never happened, because his application for membership in the Mizrahi organization was rejected by the little leaders of the movement, on the grounds that he was not sufficiently Orthodox. Those same little leaders, and their successors, still control the apparatus of the Religious Zionist movements in Israel and elsewhere. Good try, Daniel, but it’s deja vu all over again.

By: DF

DF — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:33:57 +0000

Dr Gordis correctly identifies the problem but not the root cause. Religious Zionism has little to say to secular Israel because about 40 years ago it decided to stop talking. In the wake of the 6th Day War, it decided that real estate was the primary focus of Religious Zionism and responsibility for all other aspects of religious life largely were abdicated to Sefaradi and eventually Haredi parties.

Religious Zionists were the bridge of Israeli society. People like Yosef Burg and Yerach Wharhfactig may not have been the Heschels, Kooks and Soloveitchiks of their day, but they were still able to talk to and connect with secular Israel. Rav Goren could connect and inspire secular Israel until his focused shifted to ISrael’s new real estate as well.

When your flagship political part merges out of existence the National Union, Tkuma and Moledet, lack of familiarity with Locke is the least of your problems.

By: Evelyn Rosenbaum

Evelyn Rosenbaum — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 19:38:10 +0000

We have two problems here. One is the media and the other is Israeli religious phobia. If there are great leaders and there are many, their opinions and ideas will not be published in the general media. Only specific religious or right wing publications will publish these ideas and the general public does not read them.
As for the religious phobia just look what happened to Rabbi Avi Ronsky. He was a highlight in the army and the soldiers in the rank and file loved him and followed him. However the powers that be jumped up and screamed “Alehom” and he was soon moved out.
Look what they did to Aharon Abu Chatzira, Arieh Deri, Yaacov Neeman to name just a few. And what did the media tell you of The Rav Motti Elon until there was a scandal to report? AND BOY DID THEY REPORT IT with all sorts of way-out claims which haven’t been upheld anywhere.
If you raise a generation without any religious education you will have goyim speaking Hebrew and not Jews and they will have the same antisemitic traits as the goyim elsewhere and it will be directed against the orthodox/charedim or whatever is seen as being “More Jewish” than themselves.

By: Jeremy Goldstein

Jeremy Goldstein — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 02:07:20 +0000

Dr.Gordis put the issue squarely, but he failed to offer any sulution. I suggest that the solution lies with the Orthodox who fail to consider any other point of view. When sincere Jewish groups advance approaches to obversances that are not “Orthodox” why are they rejected out of hsnd? Reform and Conservative practices are taken sincerely in the desire to continue Judaism among many followers who do not agree with rigid orhodoxy. The ball is in the court of the Orthodox rabbinate. Let them follow their traditions, but let them alao recognize other approaches as valid.

By: Nachum Lamm

Nachum Lamm — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:03:49 +0000

Thank you, Amos Cohen. My last name is above.

By: Yehudit from Evanston

Yehudit from Evanston — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:25:23 +0000

The answer to the leadership vacuum you describe is Manhigut Yehudit’s Moshe Feiglin.

By: Miriam Edelstein

Miriam Edelstein — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 19:00:35 +0000

I must agree,to an extent, with the last commentator( Moishe)). Liberal-religious is an oxymoron these days. Increasingly, my friends and relatives point to the world situation, and the Jewish plight vis-a-vis the rest of the world, as proof that there is no God and religion is “clap trap”- (especially, the latter). I feel like some sort of throwback….

By: Moishe (Thomas) Goldstein

Moishe (Thomas) Goldstein — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:23:21 +0000

Heschel, Kook and Soloveitchik, were, dare I gasp the word, “liberals”.

Each looked at ideas in fresh ways, including from outside disciplines.

What we have lost, I bemoan, is our liberal heritage.

Until liberal – religious is no longer an oxymoron, if not an epithet, we will not see a return of the leadership of these three towering figures of the last century.

Enjoy a Shabbat Shalom U’Mevorach and a Chag Purim and Shushan Purim Sameach.