Mail.Liberal-Judaism

• kmdavis@netcom.com (Karen M. Davis)

• Your Moderator <faigin@shamash.nysernet.org>

• Muriel Horowitz <murielh@aol.com>

• Julian Yudelson <YUDELSON.JE@a1.rit.edu>

• Eric Selinger <selinger@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu>

• Marian H. Neudel <gmneudel@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu>

• David Margulis <DAVID1248@delphi.com>

• Ronald H. Stern <71461.2122@compuserve.com>

• Libby Bottero <lbottero@efn.org>

• Mark Berger <mberger@cts.com>

• MFRYDENB@bentley.edu

• ari@emf.net (Ari Davidow)

From: kmdavis@netcom.com (Karen M. Davis)
Date: Sat, 10 Jun 1995 18:19:25 -0700
Subject: Administrivia: Los Angeles ML-J Picnic, Sunday, June 25, 1995

The Los Angeles mail-liberal Judaism picnic will occur on the last Sunday in
June (the 25th) from 10 AM - 1 PM at Mason Park in Chatsworth. Nice shaded
picnic area, safe neighborhood, nearby play area for the kids (adjacent to
picnic area). As an added bonus, the parking lot is nearby!

Mason Park is on Mason Avenue, 1 block north of Devonshire (between Tampa and
De Soto off the 118).  Bring your own dairy picnic and a dish to share. I'll
need a volunteer to get to the park early and help hold tables - they're
first-come, first-served, and with the baby, it's hard to get out
super-early. Each family will be responsible for their own dishes, glassware,
etc. Since some of our attendees keep kosher, things prepared in a non-kosher
kitchen should be so marked.

[If you are planning on attending, please drop a note to Karen or call, so we
have an idea of how many folks will be there. Hope to see you there! Daniel]

karen
kmdavis@netcom.com   (if urgent, use faigin@aero.org - the better half)
Karen Davis of Davis and Associates (818)892-8555
	   "Pain is Mother Nature's way of telling us to slow down;
		       Death is her way of INSISTING!"

Return to Table of Contents

From: Your Moderator <faigin@shamash.nysernet.org>
Date: Fri, 9 Jun 1995 06:14:14 -0700
Subject: Introductions: Rabbi Elliot Stevens

As is our current custom, I'd like to welcome Rabbi Elliot Stevens to the
list. Rabbi Stevens writes:

    Per suggestion that new member rabbis share something of their background
    with fellow subscribers, I would say the following: I've been with the
    CCAR for nearly 20 years now, holding the dual position of Executive
    Secretary and Director of Publications, and hope to stay with the
    Conference for the duration of my career.  I love the interaction with so
    many colleagues around the country (and abroad), and am thrilled at the
    prospect that Internet and all its many manifestations will make this even
    more possible -- not to mention the CCAR's own growing involvement and
    awareness of cyberspace possibilities.  I welcome ideas for new
    publications.  In my own life, I have two children, 15 and 20 (Sara, 20,
    is a violinist/sophomore at Indiana University).  Religiously, I'm
    wrestling more and more all the time with some of our timeless religious
    ideas, and all I can say at this point is that the older I get, the more I
    question.  I hope that this is the kind of intro which is appropriate for
    this forum, and look forward to engaging the issues with you.

Daniel

Return to Table of Contents

From: Muriel Horowitz <murielh@aol.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 1995 19:01:48 -0700
Subject: Re: Being Driven From Religion (Welcoming the Disabled)

I need to respond to the person who wrote about Jewish congregations not
welcoming the disabled.  Speaking for myself and others I know, I must say
with sadness that he or she has judged all by the actions of a few misguided
individuals.  As the mother of a 26 year old with Down Syndrome, I feel proud
to be an affiliated Jew.  My child, now adult, has had only wonderful
experiences by our warm, welcoming congregation.  He is an active part of our
congregation, volunteers for a number of things, is regularly invited to the
Bimah to carry the Torah, has had a Bar Mitzvah where he did what he was able
to do and where his "chevrah" of community and family friends and family did
the rest.  He attended the Tikvah program at Camp Ramah for several summers
and marches in the Israel Day Parade with our Youth group.  He also blows a
mean shofar and for the last 3 years has blown not only at our family service
but at Vassar College Hillel's service.  He has been encouraged in many ways
in his Jewishness.  I hope your sister tries again!

Return to Table of Contents

From: Julian Yudelson <YUDELSON.JE@a1.rit.edu>
Date: Fri, 9 Jun 1995 13:04:00 -0700
Subject: Re: Incorporation of Culture into Practice

I believe that the Moldau, basic theme for Hatikva (which is NOT the official
anthem of the State of Israel), was based on folk tunes and written by Smetna.

J. Yudelson

Return to Table of Contents

From: Eric Selinger <selinger@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu>
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 1995 12:35:27 -0700
Subject: Re: Intermarriage and Reaffiliation

On Jun 2 Philip Borenstein wrote, Re: What's in a name?

> When I got married to a non-Jewish woman, I felt very Jewish but had no
> involvement whatsover with Judaism. [...] Partly as a result of having
> married a non-Jew, my interest in Judaism was rekindled and my involvement
> grew (is growing). I would bet that this is a not-uncommon response to
> intermarriage....but that's another thread.

As a new subscriber, I'd like to pick up on this thread.  When I got married I
had been utterly uninvolved with things Jewish for a number of years.  As soon
as I got engaged, however, I found that issues and questions arose that I
hadn't thought about in some time--I was, in a sense, thrown back to basics:
why did I want to do this, and not that, re: the wedding.  Why do Jews feel so
threatened by intermarriage--and why did I feel so threatened by things
Christian?  Luckily my wife and I were able to get married without running
into difficulty either with relatives or with the ceremony.  (A joint service,
with a rabbi and a relative by marriage who's a priest, done in a synagogue;
lots of God and some Hebrew, no explicitly Christian language.)  Our
introduction to the Jewish community as a couple came through Conservative
observant friends who welcomed us to their and their parents' homes for
seders, Sabbath meals, other holidays, never with any sense of disapproval.
Seven years later my wife, still not Jewish, knows the service in Hebrew; we
belong to a Havurah where we've both felt deeply accepted; we're at services
together several times a month, and I'm more immersed in Jewish life & thought
than I've ever been.  I've wondered for years if I was the only one who'd
reacted this way to intermarriage.  Certainly you never hear about it--it
doesn't fit either the "intermarriage is a new Holocaust" or the "try to get
the partner to convert" paradigms, both of which have always set my teeth on
edge, they're so far from my experience.

Since my wife and I have never been a part of any formal "outreach" program, I
don't know what they're like.  I can certainly testify, though, to the
efficacy of easing the ceremony crisis, welcoming couples on an
extra-institutional level, and fanning whatever sparks of interest there are
in the Jewish spouse before focusing attention on the non-Jewish one (which
fits poorly w/ Hillel's dictum) or, worse, focusing first and foremost on "the
kids."  I can't believe that it would be better, in any sense (including
theologically), for me to be unaffiliated, non-practicing, left cold by
Judaism and married to someone who shared my lack of interest but was Jewish
by birth, than to be where I am now.  (Or to be "Jewish" only through
negation: i.e., I don't do Christmas.  Of course, I'll be damned if I'm doing
any of that Jewish stuff, either!  A definition we heard oddly often in a
Catholic / Jewish couples group, where the Catholic partners were typically
quite eager to go along with anything their spouses _wanted_ to do,
ceremonially.  It was the wanting to do nothing at all that puzzled them...)

Somehow, for some Jews, intermarriage is a needed catalyst. It could be, I
suspect, for more.  If our response to it _assumed_ that it might be a second
chance at affiliation, and assumed that what we had to offer was wonderful,
what would the discourse of intermarriage look like?

Eric Murphy Selinger

Return to Table of Contents

From: Marian H. Neudel <gmneudel@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu>
Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 09:06:09 -0700
Subject: Re: Mantras and Judaism

Aryeh Kaplan, in his book on Jewish meditation, says the amidah started 
out as an overgrown mantra--that if you davven it at the rate of one word 
per breath, it takes about an hour and is a really powerful meditation. 
(Less durable souls can try the first couple of paragraphs that way, with 
similar effect.)  

Marian Neudel

Return to Table of Contents

From: David Margulis <DAVID1248@delphi.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 1995 19:43:58 -0700
Subject: Re: Music and Worship

Monica Devens wrote that music during services is good only if the
Congregation can participate in the singing.  I think she misses a few
important points.  For one thing, music is not necessarily the same as
singing.  Music itself can have the power to move the hearer into a state of
comtemplation, sort of like what happens upon reading a real good poem (or a
section of Torah!).  The only participation demanded of the hearer is to pay
attention and let the music do its work.

Another point I'd like to make is that some texts loose much of their meaning
if they are rendered into song by lay people.  Think about Hashkivenu (from
the evening service) or El Mole Rachamim (from the Memorial Service), to cite
only two examples.  We are not talking about Adon Olam here.  Embedded in
these texts are musical riches that can best be drawn out by those
professionals who have studied and practiced in this area.

Of course, a Service becomes meaningless if all we do is sit and listen, in
dumb-struck awe as the Rabbi and Cantor show off their knowledge and skills
for two or three hours.  Indeed, it is part of the mission of the Clergy to
bring congregants into the spirit and mood of the worship service.  Many of
the prayers lend themselves to congregational participation in the chanting.
This can be a very moving experience, a wonderful way to pray.  But I would
argue that there are certain times when the Congregation is best served by the
professional Cantor's musical interpretation of the text.

Return to Table of Contents

From: Ronald H. Stern <71461.2122@compuserve.com>
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 1995 22:25:14 -0700
Subject: Philosophy of Meaning

Tamar writes the following:
>Such 'rights' and conflicts, caused my most beloved cousin to committ suicide
>when he and his non jewish girlfriend of many years could not resolve the
>religious issue. I would much prefer to have my cousin still **alive** and
>intermarried.... sigh...... i would urge all Rabbis to carefully consider
>their stands on intermarriage.

While I feel a tremendous amount of compasssion for Tamar's loss, I would
caution her about lashing out at the practices of the rabbinic community as a
cause for her cousin's suicide.  The choice to take one's life is a deeply
complicated issue that is precipitated by many, many factors.  There is a
temptation to focus blame on one issue or another as a means of trying to make
sense out of a difficult or painful situation.  Though that temptation is
emotionally powerful I would strongly caution against doing so.  It precludes
one from really engaging in the necessary psychological work to move beyond
the event and into healing.

A rabbi's decision based on his or her integrity is just that, the rabbi's
decision.  What individuals choose to do with that decision is of their own
doing and a product of their own functioning.

Return to Table of Contents

From: Libby Bottero <lbottero@efn.org>
Date: Wed, 7 Jun 1995 11:24:12 -0700
Subject: Synagogue Membership

I've been following the thread on synagogue membership and decided to briefly
share a little of my experience. Over the years I've lived in several places
and belonged to several different congregations. During much of that time, I
was a single parent and low-income. Not once was I turned away from a
congregation of any denomination because of inability to pay the full dues,
nor was I made to feel inadequate. I involved myself in the community in
volunteer work, served on committees, took adult education classes whenever I
could, and helped lead services occasionally. I felt that my contributions
were appreciated whether or not they were financial. I've been happily
re-married for the past ten years, and we've been able to pay a little more
than the standard dues in our congregation which are $600/yr. or $50/mo.

Finding a congregation where one feels comfortable is another matter;
sometimes that takes a little searching, even a willingness to relocate.  I
agree with Rabbi Steve Forstein, and some others on this list who have talked
about the importance and value of on-going adult education in life.  As Steve
made clear, even a small group of people can learn together, which continues
to make Jewish life meaningful throughout our lives.

I recently read an article by Rabbi Rami Shapiro of Temple Beth Or in Miami,
Florida. It was titled, "Toward a New Beginning: the Emerging Judaism of the
21st Century."  He began by asking, "What is the greatest challenge facing
North American Judaism today?"  His answer was: "Meaninglessness."  Not
intermarriage, youth, financing the temple or federation, not Israeli
politics, or antisemitism, or any of the other issues we usually read
about--but meaninglessness.  By striving to make holiness meaningful,
relevant, and compelling, he is optimistic about the future of Judaism and the
Jewish people.

As the posting from Gale Bouchillon showed, people are yearning for meaningful
spirituality within Jewish community. It is our responsibility to participate
in that learning and sharing, whether our congregations are large or small,
wealthy or poor, affiliated with a denomination or out here in cyberspace.

Libby

Return to Table of Contents

From: Mark Berger <mberger@cts.com>
Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 14:20:28 -0700
Subject: Re: The Jewish Future Today

Steve Forstein mentions in his posting "The Jewish Future" about the Council
of Jewish Federations recent report of its Western Area Task Force entitled
"Re-inventing the Jewish Community."  As the staff member responsible for the
Task Force and its implimentation, I view this list and others as prime
vehicles for creating new partnerships between Federations, their agency
system and synagogues and chavurot.  I would be happy to share copies of the
report, and to the extent that readers feel it is appropriate, have them share
some perspectives on the list.

For the record, the plan is a cooperative effort amongst the 26 federations in
the West.  The "17" Steve referred to are a series of pilot projects, only one
of which is dealing with technology issues.  Topics such as building social
action networks, outreach, education are prime topics.  CJF doesn't have a
spare $5 MIL to implement the report.  However, we see new partnerships with
foundations, etc. as means to stimulate changes in the Jewish communities of
the West.

Mark Berger
Western Area Director
Council of Jewish Federations
mberger@cts.com
619 627-0606

Return to Table of Contents

From: MFRYDENB@bentley.edu
Date: Fri, 9 Jun 1995 05:47:10 -0700
Subject: Information Request: Synagogue in San Angelo, TX ?

I'm going to be in San Angelo, Texas in August. If anyone on the list knows of
a synagogue in the area that I can attend on Shabbat evening and morning,
please respond to me personally at mfrydenberg@bentley.edu.

Thanks,
Mark

Return to Table of Contents

From: ari@emf.net (Ari Davidow)
Date: Thu, 8 Jun 1995 20:47:23 -0700
Subject: Now Online: Northern California Jewish Bulletin

The Northern California Jewish Bulletin has its first web pages up:

    http://www.jewish.com/

There are some rough edges, but also stuff to like. Drop by and visit. I had
nothing to do with this--I'm just passing around the URL after having taken a
visit myself.

Ari Davidow * adavidow@ivritype.com * ari@well.sf.ca.us

Return to Table of Contents

"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)

Previous Issue: v4n167		Next Issue: v4n169
MLJ Home Page	Return to Retrieval Form