FEATURED JOBS
On a December visit to Ethiopia, I toured a 16th-century Christian monastery. These beautiful buildings overlooked the massive lake leading into the beginning of the Blue Nile. They also brought history alive with artifacts that you can literally touch — don’t try that at the Baltimore Museum of Art!
To reach one monastery, you hike 15 minutes up a mountain. Inside, you witness Ethiopia’s proud history. There, my eyes brightened as among the relics-like communion cups was a seven-branched menorah. After two hours of surveying Christian history, I was holding an ancient Jewish symbol.
(Prior to the chanukiah, the eight-branched Chanukah menorah, the seven-branched version was in Israel during the Second Temple period, symbolizing the days of the week.)
Through an interpreter, the guide said this piece of Jewish history proved that Ethiopia was once the only country outside of Israel that believed in only one God — a time when Jews were prevalent there. Some even believe that Ethiopia was home to a Lost Tribe of Israel, one that throve until 1984-85 and 1991 when airlifts brought most of the country’s Jews to Israel.
Now Ethiopia has but an echo of Jewish life with the Falasha Mura, a group with disputed Jewish roots — despite some having relatives in Israel. Some argue that many Falash Mura claim Jewish heritage to gain a better life in Israel.
What I saw seems to be a metaphor for modern Jewish history. All over the world, Jews are gone from places that once had proud Jewish cultures. That’s come from exodus, hostility and conversion — in the former Soviet Union, Poland, Germany, Ethiopia and elsewhere.
My bigger concern is this decline is happening here. The recent Associated demographic survey revealed that many young Jews are intermarrying and 30 percent of those families are not raising children as Jews.
That’s why I am infuriated that the “Who is a Jew” issue has come back to life. With things relatively quiet for Israel, some Jews there seem eager to return to infighting, saying that only Orthodox conversions should be recognized. They callously declare that Russian-born Israeli solders without a Jewish mother can fight and die for their country, but that they will not be recognized as Jews unless they agree to an Orthodox lifestyle.
That angers me and it’s a huge, huge mistake. Israel is the land for all Jewish people.
I get even angrier when I hear this in our own backyard. Several weeks ago Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was severely wounded (as were others) and six others were killed. Mrs. Giffords, whose father is Jewish and mother is not, rediscovered her Jewish roots a few years ago during a trip to Israel. Back home, she became a proud Jew and active in her community.
But in the comments section of our jewishtimes.com story, someone posted: “She can ‘decide’ whatever she wants, but she is halachicly not Jewish. I wish her a speedy recovery.”
What? I know people say crazy things online, hiding behind anonymity, but Mrs. Giffords is recognized as Jewish by the Reform movement, participates in Jewish activities and performs mitzvot. That’s good enough for her to wind up in Hitler’s ovens, but not for this person?
Is Judaism thriving so well that we can afford to be so picky about who’s Jewish? As my psychotherapist wife likes to ask her clients, “How’s that working for you?” It’s a like a dying Jewish country club that blackballs perspective members just before shutting its doors.
I fully understand the need to follow criteria so that we do not water down our people’s special qualities. But isn’t being active and performing mitzvot a pretty good place to start? Meanwhile, people who follow the letter of Jewish law but violate its spirit through misdeeds are A-OK? Why aren’t they thrown out of the Jewish people?
Just as the Conservative moment redefined kashrut in light of the massive scandal in Iowa slaughtering houses, it’s time for us all to redefine “Who is a Jew?” to include not just people born Jewish, but also those wanting to be part of the Chosen People. It’s an exclusive club, but should be open to all who meet our appropriate standards.
If not, I’m afraid that some day, someone will visit this country and see a synagogue — a beautiful relic of a past culture.
What do you think is more important: Hallach or being relevant & meaningful in the world today?
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