OPINION

Pluralism Is A U.S. Export
That Israelis Won't Accept

DAVID LANDAU
Special to The Jewish News

IV by is there no Jewish
pluralism in Israel, the
second largest and soon-
to-become the largest
Jewish community in the world?
The answer that most people give,
almost instinctively, is: because of the
Orthodox monopoly, exercised
through the political process. But that
begs the question. Why does Israel
have an Orthodox monopoly,
enshrined in its laws, when the major-
ity of the people are — and always
were — secular?
The real answer, which American
Jews are loath to accept, is that Israelis
aren't interested in pluralism per se.
Many are deeply interested in fighting
and removing the Orthodox establish-
ment's powers over key aspects of pub-
lic and private life. And to that end,
some make common political cause
with the Reform and Conservative
movements.
But, as these two movements' tiny
followings in Israel prove, non-Ortho-
dox Israelis are not drawn to the
American-based non-Orthodox
denominations of Judaism.
Of course it can be argued — and
always is argued by Reform and Con-
servative rabbis — that these two

David Landau is Jerusalem bureau
chief of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency
and an editor of the Israeli daily news-
paper Ha'aretz.

a chief rabbi into his blueprint for the
tradition of political democracy did
movements don't get a fair shake in
Jewish state — though he cautioned
Theodor Herzl, David Ben-Gurion
Israel. They are discriminated against
that the rabbinate must stay out of
and the other Zionist founding fathers
legally and politically — and that is
statecraft.
look when they sought to fashion a
why their decades of effort have failed
Israel, like so many European-style
constitution (albeit an uncoded con-
to bring in more than a handful of
nation-state democracies, has an estab-
stitution) for the Jewish state? To
adherents.
lished religion — in Israel's case,
America, founded in the spirit of reli-
But a more dispassionate look at
Orthodox Judaism — embedded
gious dissidence, where the disestab-
modern Jewish history and geography
deeply in its political culture. This
lishment of religion is a fundamental
provides a more realistic explanation
spells problems, as it spells in
of the deep difference between
..countries
like Italy and Spain and
,
Israeli Jewry and American Jewry,
I Argentina — and even the United
a difference not just of religion,
Kingdom, where the queen's
not just of politics, but of reli-
;,divorced daughter, Princess Anne,
gious and political culture.
had to cross into Scotland to
Whereas most American Jews,
marry a second time in a church.
like most American Christians
Israel, and its established religion,
(though less so), are religious to
need to grapple with those prob-
some degree, most Israeli Jews,
lems in their own indigenous and
like most European Christians,
authentic way. Importing an alien
are irreligious. Their lives, howev-
and quintessentially Western-
er — and here is a profoundly
Diasporic religious culture is not
paradoxical product of Zionism
merely no solution. It is a selfish
and Jewish statehood — are suf-
and short-sighted step, a deliber-
fused with Jewish, originally reli-
ate extension of the war between
gious, symbols and ceremony.
Orthodoxy and non-Orthodoxy
On Sept. 1, 1939, the day
in America, uncaring of Israel's
when 1,000 years of Jewish life
needs, future, cohesion and
ended, how many Reform and
strength.
Conservative synagogues were
Let's be honest; the battle for plu-
there in Poland, home to 3.5 mil-
All kinds of Israelis wait together to enter the West-
ralism will not stop with conver-
lion Jews? The answer is, none.
ern Wall tunnel. Can American Jews and Israelis
sion. It will go on endlessly, over
How many in Russia? In Moroc-
get along religiously?
marriage, over divorce, over
co? In Iraq? Same answer. Many,
recognition and funding. And
probably most, of pre-Holocaust
quite understandably so, from the
tenet of national life? Or to the mod-
Eastern European Jewry were non-
Reform and Conservative rab-
em European nation-state, where the
observant. But they were not Reform.
binates' viewpoint. These rabbis want
established Church has been an inte-
They were secular.
These were the Jewish communities gral part of the evolving national ethos full equality in Israel, and they will
not settle for less.
for centuries?
from which Israeli Jewry is drawn.
Herzl, the totally secular Jew, wrote
Another critical question: To which
PLURALISM on page 35

LETTERS

immediate removal of a plaque honor-
ing a contributor who was involved in
a scandal regarding nursing homes
which he owned.
In his response,-the school's princi-
pal, a noted rabbi and social activist,
kindly reminded him of the admoni-
tion of our Jewish sages that: "He who
shames his fellow man in public is as
if he spilled his blood." Pirke Avot (the
Ethics of the Fathers), an invaluable
repository of Jewish wisdom and guide
book to moral behavior, also addresses
this phenomenon as it says: "He who
shames his fellow man in public has
no share in the world to come."
Two unequivocal exhortations of
wise men of old whose relevance to
today is perhaps greater than ever and
they should be listened to carefully.
Rachel Kap en
West Bloomfield

2/20
1998

32

Renovation Plans
Are Upsetting

As both health club and general mem-
bers of the Jewish Community Center,
we are very upset with the proposed
renovation plans to eliminate all but
two racquetball and two squash
courts.
These courts are why we and many
like us belong. If they appear under-
utilized, consider the fact that they are
mainly used in the early mornings,
evenings and on the weekends. Did
the proponents of reducing the num-
ber of courts check out the use during
those times, or from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on
a weekday?
Fewer courts also would make the
league matches much more difficult to
schedule. Perhaps utilization would
increase if there were no dust bunnies

in the corners of these courts, if all the
lights worked, if the wood floors did-
n't need repair, if the court walls were
ever painted, if the shower floors were
cleaned more than once a day, if the
showers had soap all day long and if
the towels weren't like sandpaper (fab-
ric softener can't be a budget breaker).
Maybe membership would grow if
we weren't embarrassed to bring
friends into a facility that we have
grown to accept and tolerate. Mem-
bership should be something that we
brag about. With happy members
touting the benefits of the JCC, there
should be a waiting list to get in,
rather than an exodus. It also should
be noted that these same courts slated
for elimination are used for table ten-
nis, wally ball, baton twirlers, soccer
practice and can be used for karate,
dance and other uses.

There also has been some talk of
charging for court time. It is generally
agreed that almost all clubs that offer
indoor tennis courts charge for court
time. The JCC has never had a fee for
squash and racquetball. If a fee is to be
charged, it only follows that
weightlifters, runners, swimmers, bas-
ketball players and aerobics partici-
pants should likewise be charged a
per-use fee in addition to their mem-
berships. It would not be fair to single
us out.
Good decision making and well-
thought-out planning with attention
to the members' needs will make the
JCC attractive to new members and
keep the current ones.
Money should be spent for growth
and expansion. Let's get it right the
second time. A new athletic entrance
PLANS on page 34

