See?! I Told You!

What did I say? I’d announce, “Hey, no posting for a while,” and then within days I’d have something to talk about.

And sure enough, here we are. But, hey–you were warned.

The Forward‘s “Seesaw” feature, a frequent source of consternation for me, is back on my radar, with the same original consternation flavor I know so well! This week’s Seesaw column bears the title, “How can I show her that Judaism welcomes lesbians”? The three advice-givers on this one have all manner of suggestions: don’t make it about religion; don’t make it an obligation, make it a celebration; talk about how welcoming it is and make it a celebration, etc.

Let Inigo Montoya explain. Or at least sum up.

I have a different answer: Judaism doesn’t welcome lesbians. Your Judaism welcomes lesbians. Mine, too. But not everyone’s.

Here, Inigo Montoya can help.

I don’t think there is one Judaism. There is a broad Jewish tradition–Jewish culture, if you will. Contributing to that is a religious component. Post-Exilic Judaism, Karaism, Sadduceeism, Essenic/Enochic Judaism, Pharasaism, Rabbinism, etc., all have contributed to Jewish culture. (So, too, has a non-Jewish offshoot of Judaism. You know the one.)

So, too, have Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, Modern Orthodox, Haredi (Hasidic and non-Hasidic), secular, cultural, Secular Humanistic, and Renewal Judaism.

At least three of the varieties above–Modern Orthodox, Hasidic Haredi, and non-Hasidic Haredi–have largely said that lesbians are in fact not welcome, or at least they are not welcome with that identity.

Are they not Jewish? Are they not Judaisms? Of course they’re Jewish. And of course they’re Judaisms. But they are not Judaism. Nor is Reform Judaism. Or Conservative Judaism.

And so, the answer to the letter writer should, I think, have been: “Show how your Judaism welcomes lesbians–and show how your Judaism is different.” It borders on dishonesty to pretend that one’s own Judaism is Judaism, writ large; it is not–even, pace the Haredim, when you believe that your Judaism is the only Judaism.

We live in a world that can be, let’s say…less than nuanced. I’m not sure we help ourselves when we don’t add that nuance back in.

And we can be nuanced, even when we let Inigo sum up.

The Run-Up to Rosh Hashanah

Alexander Gierymski’s “Feast of Trumpets,” depicting tashlikh (1884)

It’s been quiet here…again. That’s entirely on purpose.

At the moment, in addition to the usual things I do (work, parent, spouse, student), I’m writing a service for the first organized Humanistic Jewish Rosh Hashanah event in Indianapolis…like, ever…writing a sermon for services I’ll be leading the following weekend for a community in Tucson…and planning out a talk I’ll be giving the day after the service in Tucson.

So, you know, busy.

If you’d like to go to the Indianapolis Rosh Hashanah service, you can visit this post for links and more information.

If you’d like to go to High Holiday events in Tucson, you can visit the website for Tucson’s Secular Humanist Jewish Circle for more information.

If you’re looking for Humanistic Jewish High Holiday events in your community, please visit the Society for Humanistic Judaism’s website to find a local group.

I’ll be back. And as I’ve observed before, that probably means that tomorrow, after I’ve resigned myself to not having anything to post about, I’ll see something and feel compelled to write.

Which I guess means, stay tuned.

What Are You Doing for Rosh Hashanah?

Do you live near Indianapolis? Do you want to try something different this Rosh Hashanah, something that speaks to your Jewish identity and your secular convictions? Do you know someone who might?

Here it is–a secular humanistic Jewish Rosh Hashanah celebration on September 15, 2015 at 6:15 p.m. We’ll be in the auditorium of the Nora Branch Library, located on the northeast corner of East 86th Street and Guilford Avenue.

No tickets–no charge! Or, you can sign up at EventBrite, Meetup.com or Facebook. (After all, we need to know how much challah to bring!)

Still not sure about this Humanistic Judaism thing? Take this short quiz.

Sept. 15, 2015 in Indianapolis – Rosh Hashanah Celebration! – Poster by Mrs. Humanistic Jew!

An Apology Isn’t Enough

There’s a pattern, and I should know it exists by now: I will post a note saying, “I’ll be silent for a little while.” Then, I’ll see something and just need to post about it, ordinarily within two days of the post saying there would be no posting.

And so it goes.

Torah at the Glockenglasse Synagogue

At InterfaithFamily, Rabbi Mychal Copeland has a post entitled, “When Sacred Text Hurts Others.” In it, Rabbi Copeland describes her experience at a largely Christian interfaith gathering where after she blew the shofar, texts from the Gospel of Matthew that excoriated the Pharisees (almost certainly the main predecessors to rabbinic Judaism) were recited, the pastor who cited the text apologized, and the entire gathering recited a liturgical piece of apology for harms done in the misuse of and abuse of scriptural texts. Rabbi Copeland goes on to wonder about what to do with texts that are harmful to members of her own community, and whether placing the text in historical context is enough:

But at a time when more interfaith couples are choosing a Jewish life for their families, I feel what the pastor felt for me — that our texts, attitudes and parts of our liturgy may be doing harm to their hearts even as they gift us with their presence and the presence of their children.

If you could reach out to someone who may be hurt by our texts, who would it be?

What, then, of this problem?

I think the answer for liberal Jews should actually be straightforward. It starts with acknowledging, as Rabbi Copeland does, that the texts are products of their times. And you then need to use the texts with intention each time. You have to think about why the text is going to be used, what it says, and, after you know the harm the text can do, whether the text should be used. If the text can’t be used without doing harm–or can’t be used unless you make the reason for its use known clearly and immediately so that you can prevent that harm–perhaps, then, it shouldn’t be used in that setting.

A Brief Announcement, then Heads-Down for a While Longer

I’ve been in and out of Indiana of late, once for a meeting of the Association of Humanistic Rabbis (because I’m a student rabbi), and once for a class on congregational leadership and management (also because I’m a student rabbi). Thus, limited posting here.

BUT…

Humanistic Judaism

I wanted to announce that I’m now one of two co-editors (along with a fellow IISHJ student, Susan Warrow) of Humanistic Judaism, the journal for the Society for Humanistic Judaism. You can read recent issues online, subscribe, and even join the Society if you’re not a member. Who knows? You may even encounter something in the journal that was written by me or others you’ve encountered on the web, like Rabbi Adam Chalom of Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation in the Chicago area (blogging at Shalom from Rabbi Chalom), Rabbi Jeffrey Falick of the Birmingham Temple in the Detroit area (blogging at The Atheist Rabbi–which is now part of the Patheos network!), or Rabbi Denise Handlarski of Oraynu in the Toronto area (blogging at her personal website), or Rabbi Susan Averbach (blogging at Musings of an Agnostic Rabbi).

Susan and I have been brought on board due to the passing of the prior editor, Ruth Duskin Feldman. Ruth was an amazing editor (there was never something of mine she touched that didn’t improve significantly as a result) and an amazing person. You can read her NY Times obituary here. It’s a little intimidating to step into her place.

Give the SHJ site a visit. Go for the journal, stay for the Humanistic Judaism!