EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK
Is Pluralism Good?
T
he richness of Detroit Jewry lies in its diversity. And
in this diversity lies controversy.
We're a multi-stream community — 96,000 Jews
strong. And we span the spectrum in our religious
beliefs. So it's not surprising if someone at one end of the
spectrum looks critically at the other end.
Such was the case in an e-mail letter sent to me last week by
Jay Shayevitz of Oak Park. A critical-care pediatrician, he
talked about his bad teshuvah — his return to an observant
lifestyle. He insisted that Jews for Jesus is not the threat to
Judaism that we made it out to be in our Aug. 20 cover story
on the well-financed, conversion-minded
organization. The San Francisco-based orga-
nization's Behold Your God campaign targets
vulnerable Jews. The campaign ends Sept. 21
in metro Detroit and Ann Arbor.
Shayevitz stunned me by saying that I
should be more concerned about "the hetero-
dox streams of Judaism," including the main-
stream Reform and Conservative movements.
ROBERT A. Most local Jews who identify with a stream
identify with these two. Heterodox implies
SKLAR
not being in sync with an acknowledged
Editor
standard, like strict traditional teachings.
"For the heterodox leaders and clergy to
claim that the flavor of Judaism that they promote is Torah
true is pure deception," he said.
"How can leaders with the knowledge and
education that they possess claim that they
advocate for Jewish belief and practice as it has
been handed down in the chain of mesorah
[tradition] from generation to generation, par-
ent to offpspring?"
He pointed out that sexual abstinence among
public school pupils is now the norm. "Perhaps
with enough exposure, funding and advocacy"
he said, "we can achieve the same thing with
Torah. Why should we Jews continue to accept
heterodoxy as the norm?"
Strong stuff.
Let me affirm that it's our role as a Jewish
newspaper to reflect our community's religious
Jay Shayevitz
pluralism. We strive to be responsible and
responsive, knowing we walk a communal
tightrope.
U.S. Jewry thrives because of a pluralistic approach.
Statistics show that 45 percent of Jews who affiliate are
Reform, 40 percent are Conservative, 10 percent are
Orthodox, 3 percent are Reconstructionist and smaller
streams fill out the other 2 percent, reports the New York-
based Conversion to Judaism Resource Center.
Bridging The Divide
Chasms still exist, but I see hope. More non-traditional Jews
are expressing respect for devout traditionalists and more tra-
ditional Jews are becoming more open with their less-obser-
vant brethren.
Shayevitz wonders how non-traditional clergy can "be so
presumptive" to believe the Oral Law is no longer binding.
"How is it that these latter-day Rambams' and 'Hale's, in
their great wisdom, claim to have developed systems that
should supercede the ones that have sustained us through the
darkest periods of our history?" he asked.
The short answer is that they don't claim to be modern-day
Rambams or Hillels. Their streams became inclusive and
appealing in response to growing spiritual voids. Deception
isn't a part of how these rabbis operate. Rather, they offer
opportunities to assimilate but also keep a sense of Jewish
identity and ritual. To dismiss Reform and Conservative
Judaism as disengenuous risks alienating most U.S. Jews.
Shayevitz argues that the best way "to assure immunity from
Jews for Jesus and other cults that nibble at our margins, and
to minimize the risk of intermarriage, is to ensure that every
Jew receives an education in Torah from teachers who know
Torah and act) mlly believe in Torah and remain true to our
3,000-year-old tradition."
He's right, too. His argument nicely lays out how to assure
Jewish continuity from one generation to the next. Leaders of
the Reform and Conservative movements recognize this and
are working hard to upgrade their teaching corps and improve
training so each teacher is better at immunizing students. The
movements have some teachers with star power — learned
teachers who make Torah resonate for even the religiously illit-
erate. Still, they don't have nearly enough.
Jews who choose these streams know going in they're not in
perfect lockstep with our tradition. But that they opt to affili-
ate with a synagogue to experience Jewish communal life is a
positive. I don't see it like Shayevitz does, as a breakdown.
Ties That Bind
For 62 years, the Detroit Jewish News has been the one com-
mon thread in the Detroit Jewish community. Each week, it
provides a mirror-image glimpse of Detroit Jewry
in all its diversity. I truly believe every stream bene-
fits from reading about the others. No stream
would be better off by being insulated.
It's a plus to see so many liberal Jews send their
kids to public schools and afternoon synagogue
schools yet believe in and donate generously to the
Orthodox day schools, a bedrock of Judaism.
Visit the Yeshiva Beth Yehudah's Partners in
Torah session in Southfield or the Machon
•Torah's Jewish Resource Center in Ann Arbor
and you'll find that most of the students at these
Orthodox-run programs are less-traditional Jews
eager to learn more and engage more. They're
accepted as they are and taught at their comfort
level. The programs prove that pluralism can work.
Orthodox schools and programs seek funding from
Federation's Annual Campaign yet most Campaign contribu-
tors aren't Orthodox. The Orthodox community welcomes
the funding and other Jews are glad to give it. Again, plural-
ism in action. That's telling.
We sit together at fund-raisers, work out together at the
JCC, stand together with Israel and pray together for less-priv-
ileged souls the world over. And we're the better for it.
When all Jews were Orthodox in belief, many chose martyr-
dom over acceptance of heterodox teachings — or of Jesus
Christ, Shayevitz said.
"These Jews," he said, "were our ancestors. How ashamed
would they be to look upon us today to see how the Jews of
our time accept the beliefs that they were killed for refusing?"
I respect Jay Shayevitz and his convictions. And I appreciate
his willingness to be quoted. He's genuine. But clearly, we
view Jewish life through a different lens.
Diversity is real. It's part of who we are as Am Yisraeh the
Nation of Israel. Our heritage links us.
Diversity can be divisive, even destructive. But it also can be
uplifting, inspiring and uniting despite our differences — if
we let it. I-1
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