Mail.Liberal-Judaism

• Dave Abbey <dave.abbey@dlcwest.com>

• Steven Kandler <skandler@localnet.com>

• Linda Roberts <mathmom@hotmail.com>

• Walter Hellman <hellman@teleport.com>

• Arnold Rosenberg <arnier@ix.netcom.com>

• Arnold Rosenberg <arnier@ix.netcom.com>

• Emily Grotta <egrotta@uahc.org>

• Robin Cohen Anderson <robin@crocker.com>

• Debra Kattler <Bibook@aol.com>

From: Dave Abbey <dave.abbey@dlcwest.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 1997 21:59:15 -0600
Subject: CCRJ Internet Efforts

Those of you from the Great Canadian REgion know all about this (I think).

We up in the Great White North :) passed an internet resolution at our
biennial.  We are establishing a committee on our regional board to work to
urge our congregations to take full advantage of cyberspace.

Any of you from other regions who have ideas please pass on to any us - so
far we are Charlie Rothschild, Rabbi Paul Golomb (pgolomb@idirect.com), or
Art Benjamin (artben@inforamp.net)and myself (chair of committee)

Dave

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From: Steven Kandler <skandler@localnet.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 1997 19:47:23 -0800
Subject: Chabad on Campus

I have been reading the postings on Chabad with interest.  Having left Chabad
in 1963 I have watched how there focus has changed from being totally insular
and having nothing to do with secular Jews except for fund raising to
expanding out to the "unsynagogued" and even having representatives on college
campuses.  But, the mission still remains the same: to bring about the coming
of the Messiah.

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From: Linda Roberts <mathmom@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 1997 11:36:17 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Communal Passover Seders

Help! I am seeking advice as religious practices chairperson in charge of
organizing a communal passover seder for about 120 people.  Last year I had
difficulty in getting enough help despite a fee increase to cover more helpers
in the catering staff.  Does anybody have experience with various ways of
running a seder which will spread the workload more efficiently and equitably?
Do buffets work?  Any way to keep the soup warm, the lines short, the wine
cold, etc?  We get a lot of guests from outside the temple, and the Hebrew
school parents generally don't come. Thanks for any advice you might give.

Linda Roberts

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From: Walter Hellman <hellman@teleport.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 1997 19:01:45 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Re: Finding Points of Reconciliation

Bernard Rotmil and Jerry Blaz have both referred to the position of Humanistic
Judaism with regard to God and secularism.  Rabbi Wine, the founder of
Humanistic Judaism, considers it to be part of the Jewish religion where
religion is seen in cultural rather theistic terms.  This view is, indeed,
close to the term, "religious humanism" which Jerry Blaz indicates used to be
used in Reconstructionism.

Faith is an element of Humanistic Judaism although it is not faith in
supernaturalism.  There exists a number of Jewish organizations with "secular"
in their title and many of these are under the umbrella of the Congress of
Secular Jewish Organizations which is independent of the Society for
Humanistic Judaism.  The two organizations cooperate in many matters however.

Jerry Blaz correctly states the Humanistic Judaism ignostic definition which
finds the question of God's existence meaningless because there are no
verifiable consequences of such a position.  Humanistic Judaism neither
affirms nor denies the existence of God but holds that no course of action can
be taken on the basis of subjective interpretation of the supernatural.  Put
another way, Humanistic Jews put their faith in human values rather than a
personification of these values.  Hence it is true that "God language" is not
part of our services, although spirituality is in the sense that we share a
faith.

This is not to say that Humanistic Jews are unconcerned with the profound
questions related to finding meaning in life, determining ethics and achieving
continuity of community.  We prefer to address these issues and maintain our
Jewish heritage in a non-theistic manner.  We are working to provide a stable
organization to allow those who wish to maintain their Judaism in this way to
do so.

Walter Hellman
hellman@teleport.com              *****             Hillsboro, Oregon USA 

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From: Arnold Rosenberg <arnier@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 1997 11:34:43 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Increasing Shabbat Observance

Steffi Aronson Karp asked 

>What is the traditional manner of personal prayer? Does one pray and then get
>up? Get up, pray, and how much later is the minyan? Please advise.  All
>suggestions appreciated.

The traditional manner of personal prayer in the morning is to start by saying
the 15 Sunrise Blessings.  Although today most traditional Jews who say them
do so consecutively while standing, either at home or at the beginning of
morning minyan, according to Talmud Berachot 60b they should be said in
connection with the various activities of getting up in the morning.  For
example, the first, Baruch ata Adonai, eloheinu melech ha'olam, asher natan
la-sechvi bina l'hav'chin bein yom u'vein layla - Blessed are You, God, ruler
of the universe, who gave the "morning bird" (rooster) the understanding to
distinguish between day and night - is said, not necessarily out loud, as we
have our first glimmering of consciousness in the morning before opening our
eyes.

There are various other blessings said while performing morning activities
such as washing the hands.  There is even one said after going to the
bathroom, which expresses our wonder at having been created with many
openings, cavities and organs, of which if even one is blocked or opened, it
would be impossible to exist.  These blessings function to maintain our
"devekut," an altered state of mind in which we are constantly aware of God's
presence throughout our daily routine.

The point is, saying these blessings silently while engaging in the morning
routine can make it easier, mentally, to get the three kids ready for school
and the husband out the door.  Saying the morning blessings was my own first
step in incorporating personal prayer into my daily life.

I haven't mentioned the morning Shema, nor the prayers that prepare one for it
and follow it, nor the bedtime Shema and its associated prayers.  Explaining
these would take more time and space than this forum permits.  One prayer in
particular, a kabbalistic bedtime prayer found only in some Orthodox prayer
books, I find very comforting; it speaks of four angels hovering to the right,
to the left, above and below us to protect us while we sleep.

However, my new book, Jewish Liturgy as a Spiritual System: a Prayer-by-Prayer
Explanation of the Nature and Meaning of Jewish Worship (Northvale, N.J.:
Jason Aronson, Inc., 1997) includes a chart of the Sunrise Blessings and the
morning service, as well as extensive explanation of each of the prayers, both
home and synagogue, and both daily and holiday.  It can be ordered, at a price
of $30, by calling 1-800-782-0015 or writing Jason Aronson, Inc. at 1205
O'Neill Highway, Dunmore, PA 18512.

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From: Arnold Rosenberg <arnier@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 1997 01:08:52 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Jewish Meditation

There are numerous works on Jewish meditation.  See, e.g., Mark Verman, The
History and Varieties of Jewish Meditation (Aronson, 1996).  Selfishly, I
would like to recommend my own book, Jewish Liturgy as a Spiritual System: a
Prayer-by-Prayer Explanation of the Nature and Meaning of Jewish Worship,
which is now in print as of February 13, 1997.  The book is an examination of
Jewish prayer, including holiday and Shabbat as well as daily prayers, as a
sequence of prods and aids to move the worshipper through a series of
mind-states.  The purpose of this sequence is to fortify the worshipper to do
good and resist evil until he or she prays again.  This concept is not a New
Age fad, but was integral to the development of the Jewish liturgy 2,000 years
ago.  The sequencing of mind-states takes time to learn, involves elaborate
visualizations, and is peculiarly Jewish, not merely an imitation of Eastern
religions.  However, you will not find this concept reflected in the Gates of
Prayer or other Reform siddurim, which in general theologize liturgy, making
prayer an articulation of ideas which are regarded as theologically correct.

The book will be in bookstores in April.  Meanwhile, it can be ordered from
Jason Aronson, Inc., the publisher.  The toll-free number in the U.S. is
1-800-782-0015.

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From: Emily Grotta <egrotta@uahc.org>
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 1997 13:10:56 -0500
Subject: Reform and Conservative Leaders Meet with Netanyahu

	  REFORM AND CONSERVATIVE LEADERS MEET WITH PRIME MINISTER;
	     PRIVATE TALKS "RESPECTFUL," BUT NO PROGRESS ACHIEVED

NEW YORK-A private meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Netanayahu and the
leaders of the Reform and Conservative movements was "friendly and
respectful," but did not make much progress in addressing the growing split in
the American Jewish community, according to the meeting's participants.

"The Prime Minister listened to all our concerns, and we listened to his,"
said Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, President of the Union of American Hebrew
Congregations, which represents 1.5 million Reform Jews. "But he did not do
much to address our concerns that, as a leader of the Jewish people, he must
be a unifying force in Jewish life, speaking for all Jews, of all
denominations."

A major focus of the meeting was the proposed legislation regarding
conversions, which would grant a monopoly to Orthodox rabbis and would deny
the legitimacy of conversions performed by Reform and Conservative rabbis. The
legislation is sponsored by the Orthodox religious parties in Israel, who are
a major voice in Netanyahu's coalition government.

"The Prime Minister indicated there is little he can do about the
legislation," Rabbi Yoffie said. "We, however, stressed that the implications
of what is happening in Israel today are much broader than this single
issue. Our concern is the ongoing attempt to deny religious and civil
liberties to non-Orthodox Jews, and to make us second class citizens in the
Jewish state."

Rabbi Yoffie said he invited the Prime Minister to pray at a Reform or
Conservative synagogue, either in the United States or Israel, to demonstrate
that he understands the important and positive role that these movements -
which represent 90 percent of non-Israeli Jews - plays in the Jewish world.
Mr. Netanyahu did not respond directly to the invitation.

As a growing sign of the division between the liberal and fundamentalist
Jewish communities, the Prime Minister met separately with the leaders of the
American Orthodox community. The meetings were held at the Essex House in New
York City, the Prime Minister's headquarters for his New York City visit. No
press were invited - not even to take a photo of the Prime Minister greeting
the Reform and Conservative leaders.

Rabbi Ismar Schorsh, the chancellor of the Conservative Movement's Jewish
Theological Seminary of America, said the world looks to the Prime Minister as
more than just a political leader. As such, "he needs to be responsible to the
needs and welfare of Diaspora Jews. The debates in Israel are having a
deleterious impact on Jews here," he said. "They are a direct attack on our
authenticity."  The attacks on the authenticity of Reform and Conservative
Judaism are being felt throughout the American Jewish community, the leaders
said, and are raising questions about American support for Israel.

"We're not prepared to accept the status of second class citizens," said Rabbi
Charles Kroloff of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, noting that the
issue is a grassroots concern that is uniting the liberal communities. They
find it unacceptable that they have more religious freedom here than in
Israel, which was created as a homeland for all Jews.

Other participants in the meeting were: Jerry Somers, UAHC Chairman of the
Board, UAHC Chairman of the Board; Phillip Meltzer, President of the ARZA
(Association of Reform Zionists of America); Rabbi Joel Meyers, President,
Rabbinical Assembly; Rabbi Jerome Epstein, Executive Director, United
Synagogue of America; and Roy Clements, President, MERCAZ.

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From: Robin Cohen Anderson <robin@crocker.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 1997 13:37:47 -0800
Subject: Re: Ruach in Liberal Judaism

I've been intrigued by the posts concerning the ruach in liberal Judaism.
They seem to suggest that liberal Judaism has been plagued by a lack of fervor
and spiritual depth.

I'm not sure how one could make this kind of generalization about any faith or
denomination. What seems moving and inspiring to one person may seem downright
dull to another. Some people are moved by a traditional service, entirely in
Hebrew. Others are moved by performance art woven into the service, by
meditation, by Biblical psycho-drama, by more English and less Hebrew, my more
Hebrew and less English, by a sermon rather than a discussion, by a discussion
rather than a sermon, and so on.

It might be more useful to talk about what works for each of us. I've been
aware of late that the exact same service can inspire me or leave me cold,
depending on the attitude of the person leading. One of the things I like
about my Conservative shul is that the rabbi seems to feel real joy in what he
is doing. He also presents himself as just another person--someone with a
certain level of knowledge and degree of faith, perhaps, but a seeking person
like the rest of us. He also actually _smiles_ and appears to be enjoying
himself. I don't remember the rabbi ever smiling during a service when I was a
kid; it was all such a somber affair. My present rabbi's way of being at the
bima speaks to my own sense that the more I deepen my spirituality, the more
joy and simple happiness become natural ways of being.

I also like the more traditional service, because it means I'm singing in
Hebrew for close to two hours. I love that aspect of it; less traditional
services with less singing don't work for me as well. I feel a great deal of
spirit when I'm singing; it's kind of an extended meditation for me. But for
someone else, all that Hebrew chanting may feel like so much dead weight.
Some people prefer more spoken English in order to simply concentrate on what
is being said--the ruach may shine through without the singing and chanting,
in the simplicity of the English words. Both are perfectly valid ways of
worship, and very moving to the people involved.

I also want to applaud Mark Ring's suggestion that each of us must bring his
or her own ruach to the proceedings. Of course, there are some situations in
which one simply cannot be comfortable and get anything out of the service.
But more and more, I find that I can enjoy a much wider array of styles of
worship because most of my spiritual seeking and development takes place
outside the actual service. The more I have a good sense of my own path and my
own ways of seeking, the more I can be open to whatever is going on and take
whatever it has to offer me. I also try to remember that everyone has
something to teach me, and I try to listen carefully to hear the message.

I don't know that any service would ever meet all my needs, nor should it. I
think struggling with what doesn't work about a service can be a very powerful
exercise in and of itself. So often, when I feel critical of a service because
the leader is too serious, it's because *I* feel too serious and constrained
and see myself reflected in that person. If I feel turned off by a service
that feels too creative, I have to question why. Perhaps I am just afraid of a
certain lack of structure; perhaps I'm secretly jealous that other people are
a little braver about trying new things than I am; perhaps I'm becoming too
much a creature of habit in my worship. In any case, my discomfort or
unhappiness is often a good opportunity for a little self-reflection. This
self-reflection can only deepen my spiritual life.

B'shalom,
Robin

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From: Debra Kattler <Bibook@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Feb 1997 15:36:10 -0500
Subject: Announcement: Updated Jewish Women Bibiliography

An updated total JEWISH WOMAN BIBLIOGRAPHY;1986-93, ANNOTATED BY ANN S.
MASNIK,MLS was published by BIBLIO PRESS, The Jewish Women's Publisher, ll40
Broadway,R.l507,. NY l000l. Cost is $ll.95 pap., l67 pgs.  This complements
the previous standard bibliography . by Aviva Cantor on a former bibliography
by Aviva Cantor, cost $8.95 from same address; both together are $l6.95.  The
list covers all Jewish women's studies references, orthodox, conservative,
reform, secular, and is used extensively in university Jewish studies programs
throughout the USA and Israel (tho lists are only in English)

Doris B. Gold--Editor & Publisher, Biblio Press

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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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