Authentic Judaism
October 7, 2008
Community | Religious Life
(2 comments)
By dcc
In the most recent New Voices, Josh Nathan-Kazis interviews Rabbi Rick Jacobs of Westchester Reform Temple about the threat of Chabad to the Reform Movement. The interview, Rabbi Jacobs's answers and even the questions are worth reading. However I completely dismiss the premiss of this article:
"Chabad constitutes a challenge to the Reform movement. When Chabad's rabbis come to town, the local Reform synagogue faces the risk of appearing less authentic than the competition."
Chabad constitutes a challenge to the Reform movement because they give their services away for free due to the fiduciary flexibility granted by a major annual televised fundraiser. The vapid and demeaning "Torah Judaism" concept is an affront to any committed Jew. The real challenge Reform Judaism faces is its overwhelming lack of education within its ranks.
There are many ways to become educated in the Reform Movement. You can get an email you can read books, you could even comment on this blog to get your Jewish learning on during the year. But in this season of extreme temple attendance I will say to those who feel Chabad Judaism more "real" than Reform Judaism what rabbis won't say during the High Holidays: You don't know enough if you feel Reform Judaism is not authentic.
Quite often the Jewish community bears the burden of its members mistakes. However in this particular case, the community must push its members to take responsiblity for thier actions. So during this new school year, take the time to get your learning on, read some Torah, listen to some sermons and take on the responsiblity to make your Jewish experience within your Jewish community one that is authentic. Chabad is just one path Rabbi Jacobs said in his interivew. More likely than not, if you are reading this post, your right path is within the Reform Movement. Now that you are on the road get the directions for the journey.
May this year be a year of learning.
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Perhaps the greatest similarity between Chabad and Reform is the willingness of both to take a Jew from where he (or she) is at. The difference is that Chabad then tries to move the individual to a greater degree of ritual observance, while Reform lets him or her stay at the starting point.
While I agree with the general thrust of Donnie's post, the statement that Chabad finances itself through a televised fund-raiser is misleading. As I understand it, each Chabad outpost is responsible for funding its own operation -- which they do in part by trading on the guilt of Reform and secular Jews who believe that Orthodoxy in its various manifestations is "preserving Judaism." I happen to believe that Reform has done more to preserve Judaism in the US than Chabad has.
However, we have to give Chabad high marks for its work to revive Judaism in the former Soviet Union (even as we deplore the "dirty pool" they play in the process). Chabad's budget for FSU activities allows it to spend in a week what the Progressive (Reform) movement spends in a year. If you are not contributing to the World Union for Progressive Judaism, you are allowing this to happen.
Much of what I know about Chabad I learned from Sue Fishkoff's excellent book, The Rebbe's Army. It gives us a roadmap as to how the Reform movement can become a threat to Chabad. In tirtzu, eyn zu agada -- if we will it, it doesn't have to be a dream.