Community Views

Old Values, New Thinking
•- And Far East Asia

RABBI SHERWIN WINE SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

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/–

in an education-oriented, capi-
I have just re- them great.
But China, Korea and Vietnam talistic world.
turned from five
In many respects the Chinese
weeks in East have no long-run significant con-
Asia. I had been nection to Jewish history. We all in Southeast Asia are resented in
there three times know about the native Chinese the same way as the achieving
before, the first Jews who had their origin in the Jews in the Western world.
My experience in East Asia
time as a Jewish arrival of adventurous Persian
chaplain in the Jewish merchants in the days of stood in dramatic contrast to my
American army the Sung emperors. We also know experience in the countries of the
about the Russian and German Muslim world. In the Muslim
in Korea.
Jews
who found their way to places where there is no oil, deep
My memories of Korea were
poverty and devastation. I was Harbin and Shanghai in this cen- poverty prevails. While there is
anxious to see what the econom- tury, the agents of an expanding reverence for the written word,
the text of the Koran, most study
ic revolution of Asian capitalism Russia or refugees from Hitler.
and learning are
had done to the
directed to reli-
settings of my
gious study. The
memories.
secular sciences of
China, Vietnam
Western society
and Indonesia
are viewed as
were added to my
dangerous and
voyage. I had seen
subversive of the
China and In-
faith.
donesia a decade
A powerful
before. Vietnam
religious estab-
was new to me
lishment hates
and, because of
Western culture
the terrible war,
and offers resis-
the most intrigu-
tance to its ideo-
ing of my destina-
logical advances.
tions.
Iran, Algeria,
I was aware,
Saudi Arabia and
from my reading,
many other na-
that great trans-
tions live with
formations had
this hostility and
taken place. I
the civil war it
knew that the
creates.
most dynamic
What unites
economies of the
the Jews and the
world had their
people of East
home in the Far
Asia is an overwhelming em-
But
they
are
gone,
a
brief
but
East. I knew that the old Com-
munism had given up its ghost exotic chapter in the saga of the brace of secular education. It is
the key to their mutual success.
and had embraced the consumer Jewish people. They left no im- No powerful Buddhist or native
culture. Only authoritarian print on Chinese culture or Chi- clergy remains in the Far East
regimes and empty Marxist slo- nese memory. Tourists can find to oppose the appeal of scientif-
a few relics of their past in old
gans remained.
But I was unprepared for the Kaifeng or in the fast-changing ic thought.
Old values have been wedded
dramatic difference from the past. streets of the former international
to new thinking, without the re-
settlements
in
Shanghai.
The new urban centers of sky-
Yet in some strange way, East actionary intervention of funda-
scrapers, expressways, automo-
Asia
is very Jewish to me. The mentalist religion. The
biles, high-tech factories,
consequence is social discipline
shopping malls, banks and mo- young people remind me of all
and worldly success.
those
Asian
students
in
the
Unit-
torbikes startled me.
Of course, modern, urban, in-
American culture has crossed ed States and Canada who are re-
dustrial, capitalist civilization has
placing
Jewish
students
as
the
the Pacific and made a comfort-
brought the problems of over-
able marriage with the fresh am- winners of the top honors in sci-
crowding, crime and rudeness.
ence
and
mathematics.
bition and talents of eager Asians.
They are the unavoidable ac-
They
are
ambitious
for
educa-
The "goodies" of the Western
companiments of a dynamic
world are more fascinating to tion and success, in the same way economy. But the growing victo-
these-once hungry people than that the Jewish immigrant chil-
they are to us, somewhat jaded dren I grew up with in the ghet- ry over poverty outweighs their
to of Detroit were eager for annoying intrusion.
from overexposure.
East Asia is way ahead of East-
As a Jew, visiting East Asia is academic and worldly achieve-
ern Europe, the Middle East,
ment.
Their
faces
and
food
were
different from visiting Europe or
Africa and Latin America. In a
the Middle East. In the Western not familiar, but their values
few decades, its emerging afflu-
and Middle Eastern worlds, there were.
ent nations may become the eco-
Communism
had
not
been
able
is an old and significant Jewish
nomic and political center of our
presence. The stories of both to destroy the Confucian values
planet.
of
family
loyalty,
family
ambition
Christianity and Islam cannot be
It is quite possible that, in the
and self-discipline. As a Jew,
told without the Jews.
21st
century, Jewish ambition
these
values
were
familiar
to
me.
The cities of Germany, Russia,
and
the
energies of the Pacific
Turkey and a dozen other neigh- They were at the foundation of
Rim will come together in a new
Jewish
success.
boring countries have profound
Add to this the Confucian rev- chapter.ofJewish history. Shang-
Jewish memories, both pleasant
erence
for the written word and hai will not be Minsk, but then
and unpleasant. In fact, our Jew-
neither was London, New York
ish ancestors helped to make scholarly study, embellish it with or Los Angeles. Maybe the Jew-
lingering bourgeois skills in com-
merce and trade — and you have ish love of Chinese food is a
Sherwin Wine is rabbi of the
the perfect setting for "winning" prophecy.
Birmingham Temple.

Editor's Notebook

The Coarsening
Of American Jewry

ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR

ast week I was in a drug- agree (namely on those occa-
store where I witnessed sions when he fails to see the
an uncomfortable scene. complete wisdom of my point of
The cashier, apparent- view). But it would never cross
ly new at the job, had failed sev- my mind to speak privately —
eral times to verify that much less publicly — in such a
purchases were properly way. First of all, the Torah
checked out. As a result, cus- teaches us to honor our hus-
tomers had walked out the door bands and wives. Second, I love
to be greeted by that annoying and respect my husband more
loud buzz that's supposed to than anyone in the world; noth-
signal a theft. ing could compel me to humili-
The only one with a key to ate someone dear to me in front
turn the buzzer off was the of a mere acquaintance.
The second issue involves
drugstore manager. As the noise
sounded yet again, just as I was congregants and rabbis, virtu-
paying he came from the back ally always a testy subject. Why
of the store and began to ad- is it that temple and synagogue
monish the cashier. "I can't keep members feel they have the
doing this! You better learn how right to get up and stroll around
to do it right because you're during the middle of a rabbi's
sermon? Sometimes they just
wasting my time!"
My eyes darted about the have the urge to walk around, I
room, and I smiled clumsily at suppose; sometimes they want
the cashier, who clearly was hu- to chat ("How 'bout those
miliated. I felt uneasy for hours Tigers?") with a friend across
afterward and vowed not to re- the room.
I have said time and again
turn to the store.
that
you couldn't pay me any
I hear a great deal about the
coarsening of American life, amount — and I do mean any
evinced by this troubling episode — to be a rabbi at a Reform,
at the drugstore. We seem, each Conservative or Orthodox con-
day, to fall lower and lower into gregation in any state, in any
some kind of crude abyss, where country, in any universe. Good
"Shut up!" and "You're an idiot!" grief. You're expected to be
are acceptable day-to-day lan- learned, a social worker, a
guage, where writing a thank- skilled teacher, a confidante, a
you note is optional, and where gracious host, a best friend, up-
simple, polite acts of kindness to-date on everything from
are so unusual they almost Russian politics to senior golf
seem out of place, indeed suspi- tournaments and an enthralling
cious (someone offers to help you speaker. And then, you don't
carry your groceries; what does even receive the most basic hu-
man courtesy when you rise to
he really want?).
Pm bothered by the way this speak to all those congregants
coarsening has made progress who spend so much time belly-
into the Jewish community. aching about everything from
Not that we are immune to ig- your clothes to your taste in
noble behavior; this is not one home furnishings.
The final incident was at a fu-
of those, "Face the facts! We in
the Jewish community have neral service, and though it hap-
our problems, too!" lectures. pened months ago I remember
But there are such specific each detail, like some disturb-
guidelines about proper Jewish ing dream. It was so utterly in-
behavior, and they are as de- congruous.
I did not know the deceased,
finitive and certain as restric-
tions against eating something but am friends with his grand-
along the lines of say, a shrimp- daughter, with whom he had
and-bacon casserole topped been extremely close. Among
with cheese. those delivering a eulogy that
Yet at the same time, they morning was my friend, who
are remarkably simple. spoke eloquently and lovingly
Three recent incidents I find and often wept as she recalled
especially disconcerting. small moments when her
The first is the story of a cer- grandfather had held her in his
tain gentleman — call him arms, or sent her a birthday gift
Michael — who was on his way (the doll she always wanted), or
home from synagogue, engaged took her for a ride in his car on
in a conversation with another a warm fall day, and it was just
man. For whatever reason, the two of them.
I heard her words, but only
Michael's wife already was far
ahead. He called out to her for because I struggled to do so. Two
her to wait, but apparently she rows ahead of me was a young
didn't hear and so continued woman chewing — actually,
walking. Michael turned to his chomping is the more appropri-
companion and said, "She's such ate word — gum. And yes, she
a pain in the a—." was even blowing (and popping)
Like any married couple, my bubbles.
husband and I occasionally dis- JEWRY page 28

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