1 Nation, Under G-d

Last week I had an interesting discussion with my supervisor after our department meeting. (I work for a department in the university which certifies principals and superintendents by the way.) She mentioned that because our program is an online program, she has discovered that quite a few of the students are in really far out there districts. I casually asked what makes these remote districts any different than the more urban districts? Well she said that in her School Law course, she routinely encounters students who work for districts that are just outright breaking the law. Of course I hear this, and I am horrified. What type of criminal action is going on in these schools? Embezzlement? Falsification of records? What could it be? No; she said the principal will come on the intercom and lead the school students in public prayer. Really? And these are public schools?

The truth of the matter is, yes, these schools are breaking the law. But they will probably not change until someone complains (i.e. sue them). And the chances of this happening in these rural school districts is low. It is rare that these school districts even hire staff from outside of their relative area, so as long as no one complains, what is to stop them?

In spite of what the liberal media wants you to believe, the United States is still a country where a lot of the citizens believe in G-d; and this is a good thing for the Jews. This document finds that almost 70% of Americans believe in G-d. Even looking at something essentially non-religious, such as the pledge of allegiance, it has not been so easy to wipe it away from the public school presence because of the "one nation under G-d" line. And in spite of laws, many Americans feel ok breaking laws that infringe on their religious expressions (as long as they are in a "safe" environment and are not directly offending others).

This past summer, there was a blow dealt to the Orthodox Jewish community in Britain, when it refused the entry of a student whose mother did not undergo a halachaic conversion, therefore deeming the child non-Jewish. The school was accused of racial discrimination. Such a case would never fly in the United States; where we allot the respective religious movements to operate their schools however they see fit [as long as other laws are adhered to].

The thought of trying to be a Torah-observant Jew in a sea of millions of religious Christians can seem daunting. However I feel that the alternative is even more daunting. Without a doubt, our popular culture is just plain gross. The sex, the language, the values that are spoon fed to the masses is cause for real alarm. However anyone who has been to Europe (or even the Euro-wannabe Tel Aviv sadly) can tell you it is much worse there. Even when I go to Jamaica...it is pretty harrowing what you see and hear in casual conversation. However there is a force of religious Americans who are tempering the climate. In 2004, I worked for a [no defunct] company called U.S. Digital Television. They were based in Utah, but had customer in Arizona, Nevada, California, and parts of New Mexico and Colorado. There whole draw is that they produced a high definition TV receiver that only pulled in broadcast channels and local stations. Apparently there were a good number of people who wanted to see their local stations in high definition, but were not interested in the full cable package. This system fared very well among religious communities. So you cannot really say with any accuracy that the non-Jewish world is devoid of morals and values; that they are disconnected and disrespectful of G-d.

Black Jews in Limbo

Well yet another interesting trailer on YouTube of a movie that I may or may not see. But the trailer has some great editing. In fact maybe the trailer is all you need to see. Lacey is apparently a halachaic Jew; fathered by a Black man she did not grow up knowing. I will (with great hesitation) not comment on the damages caused by the parents who did not tell her the truth about her true ethnic heritage. But to each their own. So in addition to the social and cultural issues bi-racial Americans face, Lacey invariably has a tough time finding a comfortable spot in the Jewish community as well.

It seems as if this film would be a useful one to see; especially from the viewpoint of seeing different specimens from the American social quilt and hearing the myriad of stories present within. But it is situations like this where you can really see the fallacy apparent in placing an importance on "Jewish" culture, and forgetting about Judaism the religion. If Lacey's family lived a Torah lifestyle, then there were be no ambivalence about Lacey's status; she would be a Jew, no questions asked. Now how she would be treated...that would be a whole different story. But if you come to know Black Orthodox Jews, you will often times see that they do not feel at odds with their Jewish identity; just mainly frustrated at being socially marginalized.

Last week, I attended a meeting of a group here at California University of Pennsylvania for Jewish students, faculty and staff (it's called "Yachad"; so apparently they did not get the memo about the special needs organization of the same name). Despite it's deep Mon-Valley location, there is still apparently a Jewish population here as there were 7 students, 1 faculty, and 3 staff members (including myself) at this meeting. Due to not being able to find the meeting location, I was about 10 minutes late...yet I could see the questioning quiet glances directed my way when I walked in. So I prepared myself for the questions that for sure would follow; the first which was along the lines of "What brings you here?". I then just casually remarked that I was Jewish, and I wanted to meet other Jews on campus. Of course that sort of just ignited the interest more, and more questions ensued. Therefore after our official meeting had long ended; several people were still hanging around to either hear "my story" or just sort of marvel at the fact that there is a Black Jew on campus here; and a religious one at that.

In spite of the questions (and the strange way some of the staff needed to justify to me that while they are not Orthodox, they do "live Jewishly"), I did not for a moment feel as if I did not belong in this group. In fact I feel that Jews of all ethnicities make it a point to be involved with Jewish organizations and groups so that we can be visible and not seem like anomalies. It would have been very easy for me not to go to this meeting. I could see many personality types not be up to the constant questioning about your involvement and interest. The only food I could eat there were the grapes, and the baby carrots (the one staff member told me the ranch dip and hummus were kosher, but I had no way to verify that information). Several of then events they discussed I would not be able to participate in anyway because they are on the weekends. But again, I feel it is still important for me to be involved; and help show many of these Jews that there is more bonding the Jewish people than a collection of last names and an affinity for matzah ball soup.

If we get back to the basics, than so many people would no longer be confused...and many times pained...over their Jewish identities.

A Real Shidduch Crisis

Last week, an article was brought to my attention entitled, "The Marriage Question: Non-White Jews Wonder If They Will Find Spouses". With such a good title, I felt compelled to read the article. I was expecting little, but surprisingly, it was very good. Apparently Shoshana Kordova is accustomed to writing about hairy topic such as this and Jewish single mothers by choice. I could not find anything about her hashkafic background, but she seems pretty knowledgeable and sensitive to Torah observant Jews.

Although the overall tone of the article is not positive, I appreciated the fact that the author did not chalk up the problems that Black Jews face in shidduchim to overly-simplified Jewish racism or hypocrisy. Instead the focus is more so on the specific reasons which underlie the problem; lack of exposure and limited experience. However this "Jews are just racist" theme does come out a bit in the dialogues with the people being interviewed. For example there is an Adam Resnick who states that Black conversion [to Judaism] students have it the hardest. He qualifies this by saying that when people ask if a conversion student is romantically attached, they never inquire about the Black students (and my thoughts on that is if he recognizes this as a problem, why doesn't he suggest them himself then?).

But I find the personal accounts of Tashia Moore and Connie Singman to be invaluable. Here you have sufficient focus on the people who are directly affected by the subject of the article (as oppossed to an outsider assessing the situation). In fact Tashia's background is pretty similar to mine, in that she already starting identifying with Judaism from a young age. Then you go through a sort of "cultural rude awakening" when you step over into Orthodox Judaism and you have to reconcile the fact that you are not Jewish at all. And of course, even after you convert, there are some Jews where you will never be able to truly be a Jew (thankfully, they are declining in number). But the concerns of Tashia and Connie give a much needed voice to the other side of the coin. This is a case where the Orthodox Jewish community does not need a lecture on how racist or hypocritical they are. Instead, they just need to hear the voices of the fellow Jews-of-color. On a level that demonstrates that they are, in fact, part of the same family.

The article is not dated, but judging from the link, I would say it was written in 2001. A Google search for "Tashia Moore" today brought up this Facebook page, where it appears that she did eventually find a shidduch (if that is in fact her).

Does "Chosen" = "Superior"?

In the Jewish Week, there is an article entitled, "The Heretical Notion of 'Jewish Superiority'". I felt that the article successfully presents the proper attitude that Jews should possess regarding the non-Jewish people they live amongst. Unfortunately, if this were not a widely believed myth, I guess there would be no need to write about it. The question arises then, why does this "myth" continue to be perpetuated in the frum community?

My first "real life" exposure to Torah observant Judaism was through the kiruv community (Aish HaTorah and rabbonim from Ohr Somayach namely). A big draw to kiruv is telling non-frum Jews that they are "special" and "unique" and poised and ready to be designated for a higher level of living. This nurtures the necessary "warm & fuzzy" feelings that are needed to rope in these people and bring them back to Torah observance; so in that aspect it's good. However, what is the response when a non-Jew starts to express interest in Judaism? "Oh, well, Judaism doesn't seek converts. You were born a certain way for a reason; you are just fine the way you are". The first part of the aforementioned statement is true; but what about the rest of it? Imagine being a non-Jew hearing this, and while you can get all sorts of logical (and illogical) explanations about why you are what you are -- I think it is rare that the non-Jew interprets this information without thinking, "Wow, I am just not on the same level as a born Jew". This is pretty comparable to a blind person feeling that they are less than a human because they cannot see. But it is not completely equivalent since blindness is an indisputable physical handicap while being a non-Jew is a debatable spiritual handicap.

I personally get a bit bothered when people say I have a "Jewish neshama". Actually, I feel that my soul is just mine. Like Rabbi Ben-Chaim said, becoming a Jew is not some sort of "improvement" over the old me. It's more of an honored designation; like becoming a doctor. Maybe I have the wrong mindset, but I see the process of becoming a Jew as something that is done; actions by myself and by the Jewish community. Therefore, I don't question Hashem as to why he saw that it was necessary for me to be born as a gentile (although I do struggle with all the difficulties I encounter while "walking my path"). Being a Jew is not really a state of "being" at all in my opinion. If that were the case, I would never be able to become a "true Jew" outside of some sort of miraculous divine designation along the lines of what happened at Har Sinai. Maybe this is why Jews have such a hard time digesting converts? You can act "like" us, but you can never change the fact that you were not born like us.

So returning back to the kiruv thing; yes, there is a dire need to help non-religious Jews recognize the truth present in Torah and the peace present in living a life directed by it. However these non-religious Jews should also understand that they are no better than a gentile who underwent a halachaic conversion or a Jew who eats in the Red Lobster once per week. The difference is in how we connect and relate to Hashem and how we believe our time on this planet will be maximized. For born Jews, there is the added fact that they are responsible for carrying out the mesorah of their ancestors (someone in their family probably remained a Jew at the peril of their lives, yet they have no desire to embrace an observant Jewish life!). But it all boils down to the performance of the mitzvot; and non-religious Jews "enjoy" the status of being a Jew because some of their ancestors took on the mitzvot. If they themselves choose to eschew the mitzvot, then they relinquish their claim to Jewishness (which may not be technically true for them, but will very likely be for their descendants who will be very unlikely to be Jews in any sense anyway).

I am not a social psychologist, but my guess is that minority religious communities hold on to superiority notions as a "security blanket" to help keep people in the fold. If the Jews are "chosen" by Hashem, what does this "choseness" impart? Although the Torah points out quite clearly that being "chosen" means to be involved in a covenant...so a spiritual relationship with Hashem. However, this has morphed into modern times as a "look at the Incredible & the Indelible Jews!". We love to enumerate the percentages of Jews who won Nobel Prizes, create lists of famous Jews, and talk about the amazing accomplishments of Israel. Similar to kiruv, this is fine; if the scenario were one-sided. But it is not. Take Anti-Semitism for example: you have some situations were anti-semitism is used to liberally describe mishaps and discrimination that occurs to the Jews. Yet what did we hear from many Jews during this election year? Various accounts of potentially racially motivated rhetoric against Obama. While it was addressed by some Jewish news outlets like Haaretz, the most bone chilling comments were heard informally in the Jewish community.

If my writing sounds too critical, it is not my intention in the least. I am simply trying to dig a bit to find the causes behind the Jewish people coming to embrace these superiority notions that teeter upon the very dangerous territory of projecting bigotry to non-Jews. This type of thinking has very little tolerance for "the others" who are trying to become like them (since it gnaws away at the inherent superiority notion). Therefore this seemingly benign issue is recognized as a red flag by Jewish converts right away.