[COMMUNITY views

Curbside Judaism
Is Not To Be Perpetuated

RABBI AMY B. BRODSKY
Special to The Jewish News

At the Book Fair held
at the Jewish
Community Center
buildings last
November, I was priv-
ileged to hear author
Gil Mann's presenta-
tion. His discussion
dealt with the ever-
important question,
"Why be Jewish?"
Mr. Mann shared his own thoughts
about the "state" of being Jewish in
America today. He also told stories
\ gathered from focus groups and inter-
,=/iews with more than 150 Jews
around the United States. Mann con-
ducted these interviews in preparation
for a book he was writing titled How

to Get More Out of Being Jewish Even If
A. You are not sure you believe in God,
B. You think going to synagogue is a
waste of time,
C. You think keeping kosher is stu-
pid,
D. You hated Hebrew school, or
E. All of the above!
The point of his book, and the
point of the presentations he makes
across the country, is, as he notes in
the book's introduction, "to help you

Amy Brodsky is assistant director of

the Ecumenical Institute for Jewish-
Christian Studies and b'nai mitzvah
and adult eaucation teacher at Temple
Kol Ami.

EDITOR'S
NOTEBOOK

/-

Tolerance In Israel
Has An Effect
At Home

ALAN H ITS KY
Associate Editor

Our Close Up story
this week (page 56)
deals with the reli-
gious pluralism issue
in Israel. The ramifica-
tions for all Jews,
including the Jewish
community in
Michigan, are tremen-
dous.

start or continue
a search of how
Judaism can add
meaning to your
life ... where you
decide to go with
your Judaism is a
personal matter.
What is impor-
tant about this
book and
Judaism, for that
matter, is the
journey."
One thing
Mann spoke at
length about was
what he termed
"curbside
Judaism." This, as
one might guess,
is the type of
Judaism which
consists of a par-
ent dropping off and picking up chil-
dren at the synagogue for religious
school, worship services (this is partic-
ularly prevalent around bar/bat mitz-
vah age).
Mann reminded us that children
learn by what they see. If they see
their parents and grandparents in the
synagogue, worshipping, taking cours-
es, participating in social action pro-
jects, involved in sisterhood and
brotherhood, then the young people
will know that Judaism is important.
If adults only practice "curbside
Judaism," what type of Judaism — if
any — will their children and grand-

children practice when they are adults?
Mann noted that many adults prac-
tice "curbside Judaism" because they
feel inadequate in the synagogue. One
of the interviewees (Mann calls her
Amy) notes that she feels "like an
incompetent klutz at the synagogue ...
She compares this to how she feels in
her professional life where she feels
like a competent and capable person.
I've met many people like Amy.
People who tell me they are proud to
be Jewish; they want their kids to be
Jewish, but they don't know what it
means to be a Jew. They really don't
know how to live a Jewish life, usually
because they did not receive an ade-

quate education at home or in reli-
gious school. Others are not sure what
they believe and thus feel uncomfort-
able in the synagogue. They don't real-
ize that there is a wide range of beliefs
within Judaism and that our religion
calls upon us to explore these beliefs
openly.
We have to educate ourselves and
act as role models for our children.
Learning more about the many
facets of our wonderful religion is
important for us. It is critical that we
pass on to future generations our pride
in being Jewish. We can only do that
if we take the time to learn, to truly
appreciate the beauty of Judaism. ❑

But the story ignores a major point:
What is the status of Jewish pluralism
here? And why should we care?
All too infrequently, Jews of differ-
ent denominations come together here.
And when we do — for the Walk for
Israel, the Apples and Honey event for
Rosh Hashanah and other annual com-
munity-wide programs — we attend as
individuals. We don't represent our-
selves as Orthodox Jews, as
Conservative, Reform,
Reconstructionist, Humanist, secular,
etc. We come together as Jews.
Then, after a few hours, we leave.
We go back to our niche, rarely having
crossed the boundaries separating the
Jewish factions.
Several groups in Detroit have made
small efforts to build understanding
between the denominations. There are
youth events, such as the Kornwise
Weekend and Teen Mission, the Jewish
Community Council's annual Unity

Shabbat, the yearly men's clubs dinner.
But nothing is done routinely to bring
about a continuing dialogue between
Jewish religious leaders or Jewish lay-
men.
The Michigan Board of Rabbis is
made up of Conservative and Reform
rabbis. Two or three Orthodox rabbis
regularly attend its monthly meetings.
But none of the Orthodox attendees
are pulpit rabbis, and the number is a
far cry from the more than 20 who
comprise the Council of Orthodox
Rabbis of Greater Detroit.
And the Council of Orthodox
Rabbis does not meet with its Reform
and Conservative counterparts to dis-
cuss these issues.
A spokesman for the Board of
Rabbis pointed to a Unity Shabbat
statement signed two years ago by 32
Detroit area rabbis. The simple state-
ment quoted the Talmud — "All Jews
are responsible for one another" — and

stated that "Jewish tradition teaches
that we are obligated to care for one
another. We must build bridges of
understanding between Jews and
strengthen the ties which bind us
together."
The statement concluded by urging
the community to participate in Unity
Shabbat.
Not all of the area's Reform and
Conservative rabbis signed the state-
ment. But neither did the vast majority
of the Orthodox rabbis. The four who
did represented the Young Israel move-
ment, the Lubavitchers and a kosher
supervising agency.
Did the Michigan Board of Rabbis
do a poor job of contacting their
Orthodox counterparts? Did the
Orthodox not care?
We can get into the my-way-or-the-
highway attitude of most Jewish

TOLERANCE on page 28

1/9
1998

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