Arts & Culture

Now That Jews Can Mingle, Should We Partake?

By Dr. Leonard Felder / September 15, 2008

So I was watching Senator Joe Lieberman on television at the Republican convention the first week of September going on and on about how much he deeply admires not only John McCain but also Sara Palin.  I began to wonder, "For this my ancestors suffered and died?"

I’m the child of a Holocaust survivor and I’m named after my grandpa who perished in Auschwitz.  My grandpa never got to hang out with the ruling elite of Germany.  So maybe Joe Lieberman doing high-fives with Cindy McCain, Sara Palin, the Bush family, and Obama’s distant cousin Dick Cheney (from the Kansas mishpachah of Obama’s mom) should be viewed as a blessed event for my tribe.

But as Gilda Radner used to say after her rant on what’s the big fuss about saving Soviet Jewelry, "NEVER MIND!"

Here are 3 reasons why I’d rather Senator Lieberman (and other Jews) take a second look at McCain and Palin before getting deeper into bed with them: 

1) WE JEWS LIKE TO WRESTLE WITH TORAH, NOT TO ACCEPT IT BLINDLY.  Even our name Yisra-El means to wrestle with the Holy One.  So when John McCain said quickly last year that "America is a Christian nation," did that make you wonder about how much he wrestles with issues of faith and practice?  Or when he said last month to Pastor Rick Warren that what it means to be a Christian is not about following Jesus in repairing the world or confronting the powerful, but rather (in McCain’s quick answer that got huge applause), "It means I’m saved and I’m redeemed."  Did that feel like a very comforting answer to those of us who seek redemption through teshuvah, tikkun olam, and constant soul-searching?

2) WE JEWS DON’T TEND TO VOTE FOR BOOK BANNERS OR PEOPLE WHO FIRE LIBRARIANS WHO OPPOSE BOOK BANNING.  I really hope they get Secret Service protection for Anne Kilkenny and the fired librarian from Palin’s hometown who both got put in the irreversible "banished forever" file because they weren’t open to book banning.  I’m sure Sara Palin has many great qualities, but I certainly don’t want to see someone a heartbeat from the presidency who views everything in such black-or-white, all-or-nothing absolutes.  I know that John Kerry lost a lot of votes in 2004 when George W. Bush called him a "nuanced thinker" and Bush reassured the nation that "I don’t do nuance."  But we Jews have survived for thousands of years by embracing the fact that Rabbi Hillel and Rabbi Shammai are both correct and that in the nuanced tension between clashing views we find holiness and sparks of the Divine.

3) WE JEWS HAVE PLENTY OF POWERFUL INSIDERS WHO APPRECIATE US, SO LET’S NOT MINGLE TOO MUCH IN PLACES WHERE THEY ONLY WANT TO CONVERT US.   The key to Jewish survival has always been the supportive organizations we’ve created in every community where we’ve lived and the strong alliances we built with those who appreciated us as outsiders who are different and yet worthy of being treated with justice and kindness.  Rather than pretending we are in love with those who desperately want us to convert to their one-and-only way, we do much better when we create new alternative circles that help repair the broken world.  

For example, when I was researching my new book FITTING IN IS OVERRATED: The Survival Guide for Anyone Who Has Ever Felt Like an Outsider, I discovered a wonderful true story about a young woman named Bettye Goldstein who was excluded from all the cliques at Central High in Peoria because she was perceived as "too bookish, too Jewish, too honest."  So, young Bettye began to write articles and books on how to be a smart woman and find both men and women who would honor your strengths.  Then, under her married name of Betty Friedan, she began to form thousands of small consciousness-raising groups where women could find their voice and expand their support systems.  Like little havurot (groups of friends studying together and supporting one another through good times and rough times), these consciousness-raising groups changed the world enormously in the past 40 years.  But this change occurred not by trying to fit in with those who were out to turn back time to the way things were.  The change occurred by creating new supportive groups and friendships where it was finally ok to be bookish, Jewish, and honest.

Question:  What do you think?  Is it better to be different and create alternative circles of support and empowerment?  Or is it better to get invited to hang out with the currently powerful insiders and hope they will overlook the fact that you represent everything they detest?    For more on this topic, log onto www.fittinginisoverrated.com.

Dr. Leonard Felder, author of Fitting in Is Overrated, is guest blogging on Jewcy, and he’ll be here all week. Stay tuned.

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  • By Moe in Montreal 9/17/08 at 9:41 p.m. UTC

    There was a time when if one did not subscribe to the Niocene Doctrine one was not a Christian but since when is faith or the statement of a belief doctrine a part of Judaism. The Shema Yisroel is as abstract a religious concept as possible in any of the languages I know or have heard of. I don’t know what you call left and right but fundamentally all branches of Judaism call for a minyan before studying "reading" torah which to me makes apparent that understanding is through diversity. As we approach the days of awe let us examine what it means to be stiff necked.

    I have lived in a number of small far Northern communities and have known  a number of Sarah Palins. I have been asked any number of times how I can live a good life without the comfort of an absolute belief in an hereafter. I am in fear of the Sarah Palins of this world as that great conservative Jewish poet Irving Layton so aptly put it "what power ignorance, that makes your possessors seem so strong."  Unlike your President I do not put unconditional trust in my gut so despite my revulsion and distrust of Senator Lieberman I am open to change but an absolute devotion to what one perceives as Israel needs should have disqualified joe from a seat in the Senate. I love Israel, my father was a Zionist and my great grandfather was a Zionist and my grandchildren are Zionists but if I am a member of Parliament my duty is first and foremost to Canada. Does any body really believe joe would put the US above what he perceives as Israel’s needs?(I will answer the question by saying that what Israel needs most of all is a strong United States and that is something the Republican Party can’t deliver.)

    With regard to living amongst people who only wanted to convert me been there but the language chasm was so vast that minimal unstanding of my perspective was impossible even though they only spoke English. Examine Palin’s interview with Hannity and the use of the word verbage. How do you explain to anybody of the "conservative" Protestant denominations that not only are Judaism and Protestantism incompatible their philosophical bases are incompatible.

    I find it demoralizing people who consider themselves educated feel that liberalism and conservatism are opposing philosophies when they are so closely linked and the opposite of both liberal and conservative is radical. 

    It is indeed difficult to discuss Judaism with Jews especially with American Jews who do not understand the otherness one feels in communities where Jews are a know commodity and your stature and philosophy don’t fit their suppositions.I have an impossible time communicating with small insular Jewish communities but at least I am always welcome to make up a minyan.

    After living in communities where my best friends the only people I could discuss religion with were the Catholic Priests ones perspective on the issues are somewhat different. Thomas Merton I think said it best "You cannot have faith without doubt." a truth that is fundamental to Jewish thought and tradition but foreign to western thinking. Sarah Palin sees herself as a real American as does John McCain as much as I think that kind of thinking hurts them more than me it frightens me that I will be the other. I was not brought up to be a "true believer" and as such my children and grandchildren were taught to question. The first"service" where we take centre stage we ask questions rather than "shut up and listen."

    One size does not fit all and Walmart isn’t for everybody but hating people who don’t shop Walmart or belittling those that do is what will destroy your country and maybe the world. 

    Anyhow, having said nothing so far, let me close by saying it is possible for a Jew to be a part of a non Jewish community to a point but small communities tend to reject any deviation from a perceived norm and that deviation will always be perceived as unAmerican or unCanadian. The questioning of faith and authority was written in stone a thousand years ago when the very essence of Jewish style theology was banned and the followers of Duns Scotus were forced to wear the dunce cap which all Jews should regard as a honour. 

     

    PS In case you need the information: In Wassilla Liberal, Elites, financiers and Wall street are all synonymous  with the j word.

  • By David N. Friedman 9/15/08 at 10:34 p.m. UTC

    Mr. Felder, you are off base on all your comments.  First, to allege that Lieberman is a sell out–you better have something to say to back it up. Joe Liberman has always been a loyal Dem and committed to all the DEmParty’s various pathologies–the only difference is that when it comes to our battle against the terrorists, he was gravely concerned that the pacificist policies of Kerry and Obama fail to put the Country First.  This makes Lieberman a rather normal old-fashioned Democrat but not for the De, party of today.  Today–he is a traitor for supporting the troops and supporting our effrots to defeat our enemies.  He was given an ultimatum–either buck up and support the Daily Kos and Move.on party line or get removed from office.  Instead of selling out, he bought America first and this is not at all like "selling out."

    Regarding the theory that Sarah Palin bans books and fires librarians–this is another bit of sleaze of leftist propaganda which is not true.  In fact, ALL the thoughts based on "facts" from the Left about Palin are lies–not one of them stnads up and they could care less.  Any person of integrity must abhore lying and if you are prone to dislike Palin–I would encourage you to accept her openly simply by virture of the fact her opponents have made liars of themselves trying to destroy her.  I suppose they are not fazed since they were successful in taking down our President’s popularity down below 40%.  Sarah Palin as an incoming mayor promised to fire one librarian–the head one–since that is a political appointee and she sought to clean house.  In fact, when she took office, she decided to retain that head librarian even as she did not care for Ms. Emmons.  At no time were any books banned.  The truth is precisely the opposite of your contention and note how Palin’s style was dramtically different from Hillary Clinton’s who fired Billy Dale and the entire travel office and then lied about him as an alleged embezzler. Palin  kept a political appointee who had it in for her while Hillary dumped a man who served for 30 years for 7 different Presidents and then concocted lies that said he was a criminal.  Your response is to throw flower pedals at the psycho woman Hillary and then repeat falsehoods about Sarah Palin.

    In a classic case of projection, you ask those of us who are Jews and support the conservatives if it is "better to hang out with the currently powerful insiders and hope they will overlook the fact that you represent everything they detest?"  This is priceless.

    It is plain as day that as Jews, we represent everything the current Left detests.  We believe in the Almighty while they are atheists, we believe in the value of Israel while they are quick to blame Israel for the problems of the world, we love America while they see America as provacative and never, ever living up to ideals.

    Hillel and Shammai were both on the same page while seeing differing sides of the same precious legacy.  Choose life is not very nuanced–sorry.

  • By Morganfrost 9/15/08 at 9:48 p.m. UTC

    WE JEWS LIKE TO WRESTLE WITH TORAH, NOT TO ACCEPT IT BLINDLY. 

    What makes you think McCain’s acceptance of his faith is more blind than yours?  There’s no indication that McCain has ever– or would ever– attempt to coerce anyone into being a Christian.  What’s more, you know that.  To that, let me add that McCain has a far more pro-Israel record than Obama.  Wrestle with that.

    WE JEWS DON’T TEND TO VOTE FOR BOOK BANNERS OR PEOPLE WHO FIRE LIBRARIANS WHO OPPOSE BOOK BANNING.

     We Jews also tend to shoot from the hip, occasionally.  Case in point, Len.  Check your facts before slinging mud– Palin never did any of those things.

    WE JEWS HAVE PLENTY OF POWERFUL INSIDERS WHO APPRECIATE US, SO LET’S NOT MINGLE TOO MUCH IN PLACES WHERE THEY ONLY WANT TO CONVERT US.  

    I have yet to hear either McCain or Palin indicate that this was their intention or a part of their platform.  I’ve only heard this sort of drivel from knee-jerk Democrats who place loyalty to their leftist ideology above loyalty to religion, country or anything else, and I believe it’s slanderous.

    Oh, and, one more thing, Len– can the "We Jews" crap.  You don’t speak for me.

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