As a committed member of the Reform Jewish movement (no need for quotes), and as a member of its "establishment" -- the URJ board -- I find it difficult to understand michael singer's comment, and to put it in context.

He seems to be suggesting that we are out of our area of competence in being concerned abuut climate change, and that anyway we should be focusing our energies on Israel, since no one else is. And he claims to be representative of "most others" in his synagogue.

He is probably right that the movement is irrelevant to most synagogue members -- they are consumers of personal services -- bnai mitzvah, weddings, funerals, yahrtzeits, etc. -- and are unaware of and unconcerned with what the movement does to foster education, worship, and tikkun olam, and to advance Judaism with special focus on Reform Judaism.

He appears unaware of how much energy the Reform movement is already investing in Israel -- and he seems to be suggesting that other Jewish groups and non-Jewish groups are delinquent in this regard -- a palpable blindness, to mix a metaphor.

As it happens, the liberal mind which singer claims we as a movement have lost is very much like my liberal mind, and like that of most of my involved Reform colleagues and compatriots -- and thus I can only wonder whether the pot is calling the kettle black, whether everyone is out of step except singer.

Where I sometimes wonder if we have lost our mind is when I see the movement providing a forum for hostile criticism. Since this is a moderated blog, we could be blocking posts like singer's -- but we don't. And that's the way it should be, meshugah or not.