SPECIAL COMMENTARY

Making Jewish Renaissance Happen

A

Renaissance period, has two faces. The
s the new millennium
first looks back to the past with a new
looms ever closer, the Amer-
appreciation of, respect for, and desire
ican Jewish community is
to appropriate, the core values and
approaching it with a cau-
achievements
of classical civilization
tious optimism far different from the
— in this case classical Jewish civiliza-
somewhat panicked desperation about
tion. The drive to expand dramatically
the future so prevalent earlier in this
Jewish literacy — our ability to
decade. The cautious optimism
knowledgeably and
springs from a sense that we
thoughtfully access the
have perhaps turned a corner.
riches of the Jewish past,
While challenges to Jewish
our
texts, our history, our
continuity remain in abun-
values, the rhythms of Jew-
dance, the last years also have
ish life — is central to this
made clear that there are
first face of Jewish renais-
manifold opportunities for a
sance.
far-reaching renewal of Jewish
The
second face of renais-
energy, commitment and cre-
sance
looks outward and
ativity — a "Jewish renais-
forward.
It seeks to bring to
sance" in the current parlance
JONATHAN
bear
on
the
task of Jewish
— if we have the will and the
WOOCHER
renewal all of the arenas of
sagacity to take advantage of
Special to
human talent and capacity:
these.
the Jewish News intellectual, artistic, eco-
The question is: What will
nomic, socio-political and
be required for this renais-
spiritual.
The unleashing of
sance to flourish and spread? I'd like to
human
creativity
along
multiple
suggest a strategy built around three
dimensions
to
give
contemporary
Jew-
pairs of possible directions to take, in
ish life a richness, vitality, depth and
which both elements in the pair must
color that is vibrant, exciting and chal-
be pursued simultaneously.
lenging is also central to today's Jewish
First, "looking back, and looking
renaissance.
forward."
The second pair is, "seeing the
Jewish renaissance, like history's
whole, and focusing on its central
part.
Jonathan Woocher is executive vice
Jewish renaissance points to a holis-
president of the Jewish Education Ser-
tic, integrated vision of Jewish life and
vice of North America. He can be
activity. It is about reconstituting a
reached via e-mail at:
Jewish community that finds its pur-
jwoocher@jesna.org
pose and inspiration not in external

bright future for peace? Unfortunate-
ly, little that has ensued is encourag-
ing. While Israel has been releasing
substantial amounts of "land for
peace," the Palestinian Authority has
failed to institute their responsibilities
and obligations under the Oslo
Accords.
Take, for example, the lack of com-
pliance in these areas:
• Fighting terrorism. Terrorism
continues almost unabated. Basic pre-
ventive measures, such as preventing
the terrorist Hamas from operating in
PA areas, has not happened. There is a
revolving door of arresting known ter-
rorists and then quietly releasing them
shortly afterward. Suicide bombers are
openly idealized and continue to be
encouraged.
• Political settlement. Arafat con-
tinues to talk out of both sides of his

mouth — on the one hand, claiming
that he accepts the state of Israel
(usually in English) while, on the
other hand, explaining to his follow-
ers (usually in Arabic) that any peace
agreement is just a first step along
the way to the eventual destruction
of Israel.
• Hate propaganda. Contrary to
the Oslo accords, which prohibited
hate propaganda, all PA schoolbooks
include racist messages that charac-
terize Jews (not only Israelis) as
demons and thieves. Maps are pub-
lished that show a Palestine that is
all Arab and that does not include
Israel.
• Boycotting. Threats of boycotting
have once more emerged. The PA has
supported Arab threats of boycotts
against some American firms; these
threats have been successful with corn-

threats (whether in the form of anti-
Semitism or assimilation), but in the
eternal drive to be a community that
embodies Jewish values (Torah, tzede-
ka and chesed, in Barry Shrage's influ-
ential formulation) in everything that

Today's Jewish
journeys, we
know, tend to be
circuitous and
idiosyncratic,
full of surprising
twists and turns.

it does. Becoming a vibrant, diverse
community of caring and responsibili-
ty, lifelong learning and spiritual vital-
ity, is the point of a Jewish renais-
sance.
To get there, however, we need to
focus on what lies at the heart of
today's renaissance endeavor: a resolute
effort to restore Torah in the form of
inspired and inspiring Jewish educa-

panies taking actions anathema to
Israel.
This then is the past Oslo track
record. It certainly questions whether
any real progress has been made. Win-
ston Churchill once said, "Those that
appease the crocodile will simply be
the last to be eaten.

Joseph F. Savin
Birmingham

What Cost
For Peace?

Stirrings of detente are heightened
by Prime Minister Ehud Barak's
indication that he is prepared to
withdraw from most of the Golan
Heights in exchange for peace with
Syria ("Golan, Golan, Gone," Oct.
8).

tion to a central place in Jewish life. In
the classic talmudic debate as to which
takes precedence, study or action, the
consensus of the rabbis falls on study
— because it leads to action. In truth,
our experience teaches us that it can
work both ways.
But, even for those whose personal
Jewish renaissance has begun with
Jewish activism, they have come
increasingly to understand that to sus-
tain the Jewish character of their com-
mitment to doing, they must go "back
to the sources." Quality Jewish educa-
tion is the most powerful and effective
force in shaping a life of Jewish
involvement and meaning. This is why
Jewish learning will be the driving
impetus for the Jewish renaissance, or
we will not be able to sustain the
hoped-for renewal.
Which leads to my last pair: "build-
ing pathways, and joining journeys."
What must we do to ensure that we
have the kind of Jewish education
needed to fuel the renewal of Jewish
life? First, we must maximize partici-
pation in what we know to be the for-
mative and transformative experiences
that form a well-paved pathway to
lifelong Jewish commitment.
There is little mystery as to what
these experiences are. They include
growing up in a home where Jewish-
ness is part of the fabric of family life;
formal Jewish learning throughout
one's youth in a day school or congre-

RENAISSANCE ON PAGE 38

Professor Itamar Rabinovich, head
of Israel's delegation to Syria from
1992 to 1995, will likely expand on
this in his address Nov. 14 at the Jew-
ish Community Center's Book Fair in
offering his latest Waging Peace: Israel
and the Arabs at the End of the
Century. But what is the price and
what are the risks?
Involved are 16,000 in 32 corn-
munities in the Jewish Golan whose
farms supply produce, dairy and
wine for the country and whose
industries manufacture plastics, elec-
tronics and machinery. Also supplied
is a fresh-water system servicing
Israel's major cities. Years of Jewish
history are here. During Syria's 21-
year control of the Golan, Israel's
northern communities were regularly

LETTERS ON PAGE 38

11/12

1999

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