Some Suggestions for Revitalizing the Conservative
Movement
Rabbi Joshua Hammerman rabbi@tbe.org
·
Be the “Movement that Looks Like
o
Most Americans agonize
over complex issues like abortion, capital punishment and sexual orientation.
Their religion should, too. Americans
are craving an authentic spiritual alternative to the so-called “moral clarity”
of fundamentalism, a few questions to go with all the pat answers. This muddle in the middle is an uncomfortable
place to reside, but it is equally a dynamic one. The strength of Conservative Judaism lies in
the creative tension that is at its core.
·
Embrace Theological Humility and Intellectual Honesty
o
Like most of us, Conservative Judaism lives in
a real world of tough questions. It thrives on the unresolved conflicts that
force us to confront imperfection: Judaism’s, society’s
and our own.
·
Advocate “Passionate Centrism” – not Muddy
Compromise
o
Being a passionate
religious centrist means affirming that even diametrically opposing positions
can be the words of the living God. But
it also means that at times compromise is impossible. When bold steps need to be
taken, especially for compelling ethical reasons, the movement should
accept them even without consensus.
·
Champion Human Dignity – Become the Mussar (Ethics)
Movement
o
Rabbi Eliezer says, “Let
your neighbor’s dignity be precious to you as your own. (Avot 2:10)
§
Gay decision based on
this premise: a negative commandment can be overruled
for the sake of maintaining human dignity.
§
Social action, yes…but Social
INTERACTION even more crucial
§
We need “Behavioral Covenants”
– create model communities
o
“I’m a good person but a bad Jew.” – Render
that statement obsolete.
§
Ritual (e.g. Shabbat and
Kashrut) as means to ethical ends
§
Campaign against Gossip
§
Climate change and energy
policy
§
Business ethics
§
Food and contemporary
life
§
Privacy Issues and
Relationships, “Shalom in the Home”
§
Redefined roles for men
and women: modeling a proud egalitarianism in shul AND at home
·
Be Less About the Brain – More About the Heart
o
It’s not an
ideology that we need – it’s a pulse!
o
The movement has tended
to shed its most passionate parts fueling its intellectual shell.
·
“Sing Unto God a New Song” – Services should aim for
authenticity, spontaneity and passion
o
What people bemoan as clergy-centered
"performance Judaism" has little to do with it being a performance
and lots to do with it being a bad performance. The
psalms themselves are imploring us, "Shiru L'Adonai, Shir Hadash,"
"Sing unto Adonai a new song."
o
Shabbat services should be seen as a drama in 52 acts. It’s all about connecting individuals and
forging community.
o
Hebrew as strength
(resonates with authenticity), not a handicap
·
The Power of the Individual – One Size Doesn’t Fit
All
o
Synaplex / power of choice / multiple services / reaching people at
different stages of the journey
o
Acceptance above all – be a movement of LOVE, not rejection
o
Every Jew is a Jew by Choice.
·
Embrace the Sacred Journey – Welcome Fellow
Travelers
o
The journey is dynamic -
the ladder of observance – 24/7 “striving Jew”
o
Barriers to participation
need to be broken down (“Judaism for Dummies”)
o
“Keruv”
extended to all – including non-traditional family units.
o
Judaism is merely our
language of expressing the universal experiences of being human. It is an exquisitely beautiful, textured
language, derived from a history of astounding length, breathtaking variety and
unmatched portability.
o
Conservative
Judaism is best equipped to draw from the wisdom of all dimensions of the
Jewish experience, as well as other religious traditions.
o
As we are on a journey, our operative
direction should be neither left nor right, but forward.
o
As a co-traveler and
guide, the Rabbi’s role needs to be redefined and
invigorated.
·
Revelation is Here and Now
o
“The classical Jewish
view teaches “the decline of the generations” — since Sinai we have grown
further from revelation and stand, as a result, on a lower level of
holiness. The covenant does not fade or
weaken with time. Our future is as promising as our past is powerful. For the Covenantal Jew, dialogue between the
Jewish people and God began in the Bible and continues today.” (Rabbi David
Wolpe)…Our own self image has impact on our self image as a movement – we’re
the movement that is always slouching, the “ever dying people.” It’s time to stop slouching.
·
“Apocalypse Later”
o
“If you are planting a
tree and the Messiah comes to the gates of the city, finish planting the tree,
then go out to greet her.” (Talmud) It makes sense to finish planting the
tree, for two reasons. 1) If the Messiah turns out to be Al Gore, you’ll
get some real brownie points. And 2),
because in rabbinic Judaism, the
Messiah’s actual coming is beside the point. For the rabbis,
the key to waiting for the Messiah was the waiting itself. They understood how dangerous it is when
messianism gets out of hand – that’s why they call it messianism: because
things get so messy --
and the Judaism that they created was expressly designed to prevent that from
happening. But the rabbis didn’t
dare eliminate the messianic strain entirely from Jewish tradition. The
belief in some sort of end of days, the ultimate goal of a perfect world, a
Nirvana -- is essential to all spiritual quests. So while we dare not
eliminate speculation about the Messiah, nonetheless, authentic rabbinic
Judaism falls squarely on the side of Apocalypse
Later.
·
“They Like Us…They Really Like Us!” We Need To Capitalize on Judaism’s Popularity
o
…the Wall Street Journal
ran a front-page article titled “You Don’t Have to Be Jewish to Want a Bar
Mitzvah,” detailing the growing trend of non-Jewish children begging their
parents for big bar/bat mitzvah bashes of their own. When non-Jews can so casually assimilate what
has long been the decisive generator of Jewish identity, it makes us wonder
what sort of monster we’ve created. A successful
monster, that’s what. The hard work has already been done. From a marketing perspective, bar
mitzvah is becoming the Coca-Cola of American adolescent initiation rites. The most amazing thing is happening: Non-Jews
are teaching Jews how to be Jewish.”
(Joshua Hammerman, “Bar Mitzvah Nation,” the Jewish Week, 5/7/04)
·
A Life-Affirming Zionism –
o
Connect American Jews to
o
Israelis love everything
American and they are also on spiritual quests – we can share our journeys with
them
·
Take “Yes” for an Answer
o
Judaism is a
glass-half-full religion. So why, then,
do so many Jews tend to be glass-half-empty people, weighed down by our
glass-mostly-empty history. Why does bad
karma happen to good religions? On paper
at least, Judaism is optimistic to the core, a faith based on messianic
aspiration and a positive view of human potential.