THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, June 24, 1966-15
Rationale and Sectarianism: Jewish Identification Explored
By_ ISIDORE SOBELOFF
•
Executive Director,
Jewish Federation-Council of
Greater Los Angeles
the free Western world — we have
been engaged in reconciling the
fact that we are at the same time
both "regular" and "special". Our
apologists have been busy ex-
plaining how much like other peo-
ple we are. We have been prideful-
ly concerned with the statistics,
the demography and the social
research that make out a case
for our acceptance- in the larger
society and for our guidance toward
full acceptance, in the universities,
in access to housing, in vocational
and social opportunities, but at the
same time we do not want to
look too good. When we could no
longer boast as convincingly of our
almost complete absence from the
ly are assuming, I suppose, is
that for our discussion, Jewish
secularism doesn't have too much
to do with the dictionary definition
of religion — and that even when
our programs have the ethnic base
and non-synagogue auspices, they
are Jewish and hence, even when
secular are still sectarian.
will adapt its sectarian aspects to
include still undetermined pro-
portions of the religious and the
secular and with changing ratios
of non-sectarianism and public par-
ticipation depending partly on our
own will and partly on external
forces. Any rationale, however
fluid, considers both values and
A sect is defined as a body dis- realities within a conceptual frame-
tinguished by peculiarities of faith work that states and relates sys-
and practice from other bodies and tematically the various facets
adhering to the same general sys- through which Jewish life in
tem, and it also is a group united America finds expression. In this
in opinion or interest. Institutions process the continued understand-
under such auspices are thought ing of the facts as they unfold can
of as sectarian — and by that be a valuable -tool. The vitality
generally accepted definition, Jew- and the wisdom to draw out the
ish agencies are at one and the facts and to interpret them con-
same time Jewish, religious, ethnic, tinues to be our concern.
secular, sectarian and private,
sometimes even quasi-public, in ORT's Morocco Projects
different proportions and degree,
The organization for Rehabilita-
but encompassing all of these at- tion Through Training (ORT) last
tributes rolled into one. Given this year allocated a total of $504,000
seeming contradiction in terms, the for vocational training projects
American Jewish community has among the Jews of Morocco.
somehow lived rather comfortably
The Jews of America live some-
where between the two polarities
of identification and integration;
between sameness and distinctive-
ness. For some few this- represents
an intolerant ambivalence; for
most of us it offers an opportunity
for a richer and more colorful
life for both individual and group.
There is, in the 1960s in the
United States at large and in every
city of size, such a thing as a Jew-
ish group, a recognizable social
entity. For want of a better label
we call it a community. We some-
times describe it as an organized
community. In more modest mo- prison population, for example, we
ments we talk of those in this made a virtue of the changing
organized community-as opposed to situation by asserting our right to
others in fairly large numbers who a fair share of delinquents and
are not part of the organized com- criminals.
We wanted people to knoW that
munity, but who are Jews nonethe-
we take .care of our own, but
less.
Who are Jews? Certainly, every- then, after 1945 and again in 1948,
one born of Jewish parents is by we were torn between the desire
virtue of that fact himself a Jew to tell the world how much we with these strange but real facts
and is so regarded by himself, by were raising in our campaigns and of life.
other Jews and by persons who the fear that the world might think
One of the most striking evi-
are not Jews. Does he have to all Jews were rich. We appealed dences
of this capacity of American
have any particular religious belief to fellow-Jews to set a higher Jews
to
give a common home to
standard
in
our
giving
than
others
or _formal affiliation with a syna-
what
appears
to be conflicting
do
in
theirs,
but
we
didn't
feel
gogue to be a Jew? Does he need
values is the way we have inter-
affirmatively to affiliate with any comfortable about our neighbors twined
benevolence towards
central Jewish organization? The using this laudable, but presumably others the
with self-help through
answer seems to be no. The con- peculiar conduct against us.
mutual aid. A hospital is for the
* *
tent and quality of his relationship
Even in the performance of our sick poor, but it is also a place
may be of some consequence.
with which the contributor iden-
These, along with the material social services — one of our most tifies
himself and his family. The
contribution he makes toward the characteristic activities — we find Community
Center "keeps kids off
a
similar
problem
of
unbalancing
support of cooperative programs
the
street
and
prevents delin-
values.
There
are
at
least
two
needs
and services and the extent and
quency", but it also serves as a
depth of his involvement, may all being met, those of the recipient clubhouse
a sizable part of the
have a bearing on how much of and those of the donor. Rosenwald, population, for
including the contribu-
a Jew he is, or, in the judgment Rothschild, Montefiore were names
of others, how good a Jew he is of great prestige not only for their tor's children and frequently his
The community relations
— but whether or not he formally wealth, but also for the specific parents.
agencies protect him against his
belongs, or contributes, or does disposition of their wealth. The enemies and make life more
livable,
or does not get involved in any overseer of the poor always held
not just for somebody else, but
other way, he is a Jew — and, a prestigious position. The act of for him personally — and for his
short of the positive act of dis- benevolence carries with • it a mark -children. His campaign contribu-
sociating himself from his fellow- of holiness to the donoi entirely tion helps people in Israel who
Jews by joining another group — apart from its effect on the poor need his help — and the story of
specifically a religious group, he or the stranger. The duty imposed that "great little democratic coun-
by the Mosaic injunction was trans-
continues to be a -Jew.
* * *
lated into traditional practice by try" and its progress instills in
him great satisfaction and pride.
With no element of surprise or the individual Jew and, collective-
The American Jew sees the
novelty, and without the slightest ly, by Jews living together. The
pejorative intent, let me submit object of the benefactor changed justification for Jewish agencies
that the Jews are a strange group from place to place and from time in the meeting of personal needs.
— it would perhaps be more ob- to time, but the subjective need
As a contributor to the annual
jective to say that we are a unique to discharge the act of loving kind- campaign he doesn't sense that the
ness, the requirement and the urge opposing forces of identification
group.
We are a people and we are a to lead the good life have remained and integration are at work, and
religion. We are an ethnic group constant over the centuries.
yet, if the community leaders
* * *
with a common religion and we
properly interpret his feelings he
are a religious group with a com-
In a discussion of secularism believes that building a stronger
mon ethnicity. We have a deep and and the Jewish agencies, dictionary community is important, but he
abiding identification with and definitions, one would assume, also feels that helping individuals
loyalty toward the America of our might be helpful to us, perhaps in need is very important. Being
birth and, for those of us who not in making clear what is in Jewish is primarily a religious mat-
were not born here, toward the fact Jewish, since that is an ter, he says, but the universal
country of our adoption. We have area where we might not need ethical virtues of brotherhood and
historic associations, sometimes such external aids, but in deter- benevolence are dominant in 'his -
nostalgic, more often traumatic, mining what is meant by secular expressed thoughts about himself
with the land from which our and what is meant by sectarian. and his relationship to his fellow-
parents or their parents came one, The dictionaries we commonly use Jews.
two or three generations ago. In are products of the Western cul-
Each field of service has its own
another part of the globe we have ture. Secular, we are told, per- history and its own justification.
a special sentimental attachment tains to this world, or the present Each has its own special strength
for Israel, a country that had not life, as opposed to eternity and or weakness in the amount of self-
been peopled by our ancestors as the life to come. It has reference support it can muster from mem-
a majority for as far back as sixty to temporal rather than spiritual bers, patients and clients. Each
generations or so. For Jews with- affairs; it means wordly. Secular- field's development is affected not
in the borders of Israel, one of the ism carries with it a regard for only by our internal appraisal but
forms of attachment to each other the affairs and interests of this also by the growing role of gov-
is definitely political; for us in life and neglect of matters per- ernment concern and government
America, the link is made up rather taining to a future existence. And financing. The balance that we
of a common historic faith, a a secularist is one who rejects seek in a local community is also
shared peoplehood and the ties— all religious systems and forms affected by the Community Chest's
of a humanitarian fellowship. The of worship, concerning himself position on minority group pro-
specific components of the relation- only with the - questions and needs grams, on•problems in old and new
ship may vary for the individual. of the present life; one who be- neighborhoods and by the new
It certainly is unlike the affinity lieves in improving the material definitions of open-end support for
that members of any other group condition of himself and others all, regardless of auspices.
have for their forefathers in an- rather than in ministering to spirit-
Viability, as it flows, and
other country, if indeed they ual wants; also, one who believes strength of organization as it grows,
could even identify them, with ties that religion should not be in- will allow for contraction in one
so far away and so far back in troduced into the public education direction, expansion in another —
or the management of public af- will allow for the drop-outs to a
time.
So here we are, unfolding our fairs. It also means the conversion more appealing society here and
characteristics through our social or transfer from sacred to secular there and for the marshalling of
patterns, our culture, our religion, or temporal uses or control.
new forces. The professional's
*
our languages and our folk-lore,
function is to keep the movement
but never, even in the darkest
Somehow, some of these defini- flexible and congenial, to know the
days, without some reference to tions do not take into sufficient difference between principle and
the world beyond us — and since account the peculiar differences personality, to continue to offer
the Enlightenment we present an within the Jewish group. In one avenues of involvement and op-
ever greater over-lay of new com- sense it can be said that all of portunities for securing the group
munal attributes, imposed on us the Jewish agencies, being outside purposes, however the Jewish
and assumed by us in the larger the synagogue, are secular even group in its sectarian wisdom may
society which has opened up to us. when they serve only Jews and define them. The purpose of life
* * *
are just as secular when they is life more abundant — and the
Always — and especially so in also serve non-Jews. What we real- life of the Jewish group, as always,
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