Mail.Liberal-Judaism

• Dov Winer <VINER%BGUVM.BITNET@pucc.princeton.edu>

• Art Kamlet <ask@cblph.att.com>

• mdcsc!ah@uunet.uu.net (Alexander Herrera)

• alan@hercules.acpub.duke.edu (Alan M. Gallatin)

Date: Mon, 30 Mar 92 00:14:29 IST
From: Dov Winer <VINER%BGUVM.BITNET@pucc.princeton.edu>
Subject: Newsletter Announcement: Sefarad Newsletter


Announcing the Sefarad Newsletter

The word "Sefardic" refers to Jews whose origin is from Spain.

Until the last expulsion of Jews, which occurred in 1492, the center of the
Jewish world was located in Spain.  Afterwards, the Spanish Jews dispersed
mostly to North Africa, and the Ottoman Empire.  However, they also later made
their way to Holland, England and other parts of Europe.  By the 17th century
they had reached the Americas.

As a result of Inquisitions in the Iberian Peninsula and in the Americas,
where Jews were forbidden to reside unless they converted to Catholicism, many
chose to become Crypto-Jews, outwardly appearing Catholic while privately
practicing aspects of Judaism.  Thus, today, millions in the Spanish and
Portuguese speaking world have Jewish roots.

This Judeo-Spanish culture, both that of those who remained Jewish and those
who assimilated into the surrounding non-Jewish population, is the subject of
this newsletter.

Sefaradic Jews are today found in the Americas, Western and Eastern Europe,
Turkey, Israel, Egypt and North Africa, and even in other remote African
countries such as Zaire, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.

This newsletter will come out once a month (conditions permitting).  To
receive it, send a message to listserv@nysernet.israel.org, saying

subscribe sefarad "your name"

Do not specify a Subject: line in the message, and do not include any other
lines (e.g. do not include your signature).  Specify your real name, not your
computer address.

For the latest newsletter (dated March 1992) send mail to
kerem@israel.nysernet.org and ask for a copy.

Dov Winer
Ben Gurion University

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Date: 26 Mar 1992   9:46 EST
From: Art Kamlet <ask@cblph.att.com>
Subject: Re: Reform Liturgy

jls@mbunix.mitre.org writes:

  1.  The genderless interim Reform Prayerbook:

  c) Warm fuzzies.  Sometimes it's more important to experience a "warm
  fuzzy", than to try something that may be better.  In the mid-70s, when 
  Gates of Prayer was introduced, a lot of old timers did not want to
  give up the "warm fuzzies" of the Union Prayerbook [Newly revised ca. 1940].
  Incidentally, I complained to the publishers of the new genderless interim
  prayerbook that including the egalitarian
  "A-vot" in Hebrew, to the exclusion of the standard "A-vot" violated the
  rule of "warm fuzzies".  When we merely changed the word "go-eil[redeemer]"
  to "ge-u-lah[redemption]" we made a serious philosophical statement, but

Isn't Teveya's "Tradition" -- his way of saying "Warm Fuzzies?"

So much of what we do as Jews seems to be based on tradition.  Not that
tradition doesn't have some good basis for being done, but saying prayers in
Hebrew, affixing a mezzuah to our doorposts, going to pray on various days,
eating certain foods, not only have some Jewish legal basis, but also are part
of our tradition.

Other traditional acts -- wearing a mezzuah as jewelry, eating chopped liver
or creamed herring or bagel & lox, having a Yiddish expression creep into my
speech from time to time, naming my children after deceased relatives -- those
are all part of my tradition that are certainly not required by Jewish law.

But to me, I find it hard to separate out tradition from warm fuzzies.

I belong to an egalitarian conservative synagogue, and we use the Sim Shalom
prayer book, which has done a lot towards changing the English terms we use.
This is easy to adapt to, and my warm fuzzies aren't ruffled.  Examples are
"avotenu" - ancestors, and "melech ha'olam" ruler of the universe.

But if the siddur had made further changes I think my "traditional" warm
fuzzies would have been a but too shaken.  If the Hebrew (We recite a fair
number of prayers in Hebrew) had changed "Baruch atah" to "Baruch at " or if
Avenu Malkenu had been changed, I think that would be a bit much for me.

I spoke with (embarrassed - forget name) the first woman to be ordained as a
rabbi by the Jewish Theological Seminary, and she had the same problem, and
did not change the Hebrew.

  it didn't change the rhythm of the prayer.  A Reform Jew visiting an 
  Orthodox or Conservative Synagogue could still relate to a "warm fuzzy".
  Will that be the case with our youngsters who will be learning not just
  "ma-gein Av-ra-ham" but "ma-gein Av-ra-ham ve-az-rat Sa-rah"?

Something not mentioned yet is that some of our prayers, many in the Amidah,
are direct quotes from scripture.  So modifications such as these make the
connection to scripture weaker.

Almost every phrase (someone told me every phrase - perhaps that's right) in
the opening prayer of the Amidah is a paste job of phrases from the Bible.  By
adding G-d of Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah, the connection to scriptural
quotes becomes weaker.

Yet we do add the words, but I'm afraid we will forget the connection.
____

  For example, [category of "open for  serious question"] in 
  changing "go-eil" to "ge-u-lah" in the A-vot, does
  not deny the concept of "go-eil".  "Ge-u-lah" just offers an additional
  alternative to those whose don't accept the concept of "go-eil".

And the connection to scripture weakens, too.  After all, I can understand
changing words that have obvious male connotations in English -- "father"
becomes "ancestor" and "king" becomes "ruler."

But to change "redeemer of Israel" to (I don't have the prayer book here -- is
it) "G-d of redemption" because "redeemer" is a male term?  In my view that's
changing tradition (and warm fuzzies) quite unnecessarily.
___________

What words do you use for everyday prayers?

When you light Shabbat candles, what words do you say?  When you say Friday
night kiddush what words are used?  For Hanukkah candles?  If you recite the
mourner's kaddish, do you stay with tradition, or have you made changes?

Art Kamlet   AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus   ask@cblph.att.com

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Date: Fri, 27 Mar 92 09:22:58 PST
From: mdcsc!ah@uunet.uu.net (Alexander Herrera)
Subject: Table of Contents

The issue of Reform Judaism magazine is especially good this quarter. I
say that because it largely agrees with me :-) this quarter. I wanted
to reproduce the table of contents here to give you a taste for what is
inside. I've added a quote from each article to give you a feel for
the article. Some of the articles covered a variety of subjects so I
have quoted only from that part I found interesting. 

There is still much in this issue that I am completely against, but
there is a recurring theme through the articles that is good to see.

Alex Herrera
uunet!mdcsc!ah

			       _Reform Judaism_
	     Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Spring 1992.

COVER: Spirituality is emerging as a top priority of the Reform Movement.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: Reform Judaism is the official voice of the Union of
  American Hebrew Congregations, linking the institutions and affiliates of
  Reform Judaism with every Reform Jew. RJ covers developments within our
  Movement while interpreting world events and Jewish tradition from a Reform
  perspective. Shared by 290,000 member households from 850 congregations, RJ
  strives to convey the creativity, diversity, and dynamism of Reform Judaism.
  Members of UAHC congregations receive RJ as a benefit of membership.

CONTENTS:
  Features

  o Are We Losing the Faith? (Harold Schulweis)

    { We have looked everywhere to account for the weakening of Jewish
    fidelity, rising unaffiliation, and poor synagogue attendance.  We have
    looked to economics, psychology, sociology, ethnicity - everywhere except
    to theology, to Jewish religious culture, to the internal estrangement
    from the sacred.  We will not be able to sustain our identity without
    transmitting credible and compelling faith.}

      [Note: Rabbi Schulweis is Rabbi at Valley Beth Shalom, a large
      Conservative congregation in the San Fernando Valley north of L.A. He
      was recently honored by the UAHC. -- Ed.]

  o Finding G-d (Lawrence Kushner)

    { A Jew serves as an agent of G-d. Like Eliezer, the servant of Abraham
    who was sent to seek a wife for Issac, we are messengers on a sacred
    mission that imbues even trivial acts with great significance.}

  o Raising Tough Questions: Interview with Mel Merians

    { In recent years, spirituality has become a top priority of our
    leadership. What can the UAHC do to promote religious living?

    One thing the UAHC could do, through our Commission on religious Living,
    is to encourage more discussion of G-d among our Rabbis, ritual
    committees, and congregations. ...}

				     ***
  o Baltimore: The Biggest Biennial

    {For just a moment it felt like the entire constituency of the Reform
    Movement was gathering ...}

  o Why They Came and What They Found (Bruce Black)

    {"When I see what we require of Jews-by-choice, I see the need for born
    Jews to study and understand our Jewishness better," said Rosenberg, who
    was gratified by the conference's emphasis on study and spirituality.}

  o Resolutions

    {...the delegates resolved to convene a council of Reform leaders to
    explore the feasibility of creating a body to guide the Movement in ritual
    and ideology.}

  o Should Reform Set Limits? (Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler)

    {Ultimately, I would like to see the creation within our Movement of a
    kind of synod, a deliberative council composed of rabbinic scholars as
    well as highly educated lay people, who would help, through their
    deliberations, to form a consensus about Reform ritual and ideology.}

	[Note: Rabbi Schindler is the current president of the CCAR]

  o Can Jews Go It Alone? (Albert Vorspan)

    {A person wrapped up in himself constitutes the smallest package in the
    world.}

  o Making the Temple a Place of Healing (Rabbi Daniel B. Syme)

    {The synagogue can and must be a true sanctuary of the soul, a place where
    the spiritual dimensions of Judaism and G-d and prayer are emphasised,
    encouraged, and never repressed. The synagogue must never be a *Final
    Exit*, but rather an open door, flung open wide in loving embrace of every
    Jew.}

  o Sisterhoods: Connecting Commandment to Commitment (Carolyn Farkas Kunin) 

    {Judith Hertz spoke of the social forces that have led many women to
    reconsider active participation in women's organizations and to seek
    meaningful spiritual lives. She noted, "Sisterhood members voice a longing
    for spiritual engagement with Judaism. Sisterhood women speak of a desire
    to connect values and beliefs to action in their homes and their
    communities."}

  o Nuts and Bolts in Baltimore (Bruce Black)

			Focus on the Dead Sea Scrolls

  o The Find of the Century (Edmund Wilson)

  o The Mysterious Mr. Green (Harry Orlinsky)

  o The Man Who Wouldn't Wait (Charles Fenyvesi)

  o Unlocking the Secrets of History (Ben Zion Wacholder)

  o The Textbusters

{Departments deleted for space -ah}

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Date: Sun, 29 Mar 92 11:27:21 EST
From: alan@hercules.acpub.duke.edu (Alan M. Gallatin)
Subject: United Jewish Appeal Mailing List -- CHANGE

THE UNITED JEWISH APPEAL (UJA) MAILING LIST HAS MOVED!

The UJA mailing list is no longer located on GWUVM.  It is now run by the
LISTSERV on ISRAEL.NYSERNET.ORG -- Please send all future subscription
requests to:

LISTSERV@ISRAEL.NYSERNET.ORG

in the form of a one line message which says:

subscribe uja Your Name

You may wish to add a second line with the word 'help' in order to get a list
of valid commands for this LISTSERV site (as the commands differ somewhat from
the mainframe version of LISTSERV).

AS OF 29 MARCH 1992, ALL EXISTING SUBSCRIBERS OF THE UJA MAILING LIST HAVE
BEEN TRANSFERRED AUTOMATICALLY.  Details concerning this move should already
be in your e-mail box if you are one of these subscribers.

Alan M. Gallatin <alan@hercules.acpub.duke.edu>
Duke University School of Law; Durham, NC

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"It is not our task as liberal Jews to complain about the Orthodox attitude or to be bullied by it, but rather to choose our legitimate path according to the inner logic and development of liberal Judaism" (Rabbi Walter Jacob)

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