I spend a lot of time at Jewlicious and sometimes I feel like the resident Reform Jew. I point out when folks don’t quite get it right–I don’t mind if you hate the movement I’m in, but hate it for the right reasons. (Okay, I do mind if you hate, but still prefer you get the facts straight.)
This week CK wrote about Rabbi Yoffie and said that Rabbi Y counsels his flocks to eat treyf. I commented that the reform movement doesn’t counsel people to eat treyf, instead to educate themselves and decided–yeah or nay on each mitzvah. (Update: CK later retracted his statement.)
That’s the background….
This morning I got to thinking, “You know, some of those commenters have a good point. The Reform Movement does put the responsibility on the individual, but how does it support the individual learning the mitzvot.” How do any of us learn the mitzvot? It is ingrained for some Jews, it is never considered for others, it is legend, it is important, it is old school….
What about a Mitzvah Study Group? Now I don’t want anyone coming to sell me on keeping strictly kosher, but a lively discussion about why the tradition says we should keep kosher, the arguments for and against–that I’d be down for. Or a lively discussion on why and how people keep Shabbat. Ways to make the day holy even if you aren’t shomer shabbas.
At the end of a year of Mitzvah Study Group, I bet I’d be differently observant than I am now. I bet a lot of people would be differently observant and it would be a much better conversation with Jews from all streams than just Jews from one stream.
I don’t know if I could lead such a group (I’m starting to study for my Bat Mitzvah and starting a new job) but I would be interesting in participating in one.
Anyone else?
Three issues: First, you can join a text study group and slowly take in Hilchot (laws) and then decide for yourself. Its discussion at an intellectual level.
Second, you’re right about no learning process. One of my complaints about Jewish life (with theexception of Chabad) is that everyone expects yo to show up and know what you’re doing. Even if you’re becomming more observant, one tends to learn more from being in the presence of peers and adopting their ways in an ad oc fashion.
I think Conservative Jews have the same issue as the Reform movement, the difference being that though we might be taught that there are certain mitzvot we should observe, making them ritual, teaching us to do them. Growing up (or as we’re converting in your case) we’re often taught about being Jewish or how to be Jewish, but the truth is that we’re rarely tuaght the most important thing: how to live Jewish. Its a hands on religion, and many mitzvot have an emphasis on the everyday things that everyone does- eating, drinking, sleeping- it infuses every aspect of life with another level of meaning.
And that’s my third point. While we have a great tradition of study and intelligent debate, Judaism is a faith not of academe but of action. Studying with a group is a nice way to start, but to really understand it, you have to do it. Naaseh v’Nishmah, we do it and we hear it. In fulfilling the mitzvahs, we learn their meaning in a more personal way.
If there were more lessons on how to do and emphasis on living Jewish, by all movemments, the movements’ adherents might have more in common… My two cents.
I totally agree, it was doing Jewish that was most important in my conversion process. But there was always some studying that went hand-in-hand with the doing Jewish.
I sent the post the my Rabbi and he offered to lead the discussion. He’s a “vegetarian kosher reform rabbi” also known as Rabbi Michael Zedek.
Hello Leah
Interesting post you have here.
From a pedagogical point of view I think discussion and group study is always an essential part of any educational endeavor. I myself really like what you’re proposing for a couple of reasons.
There is no (official) standard of observance within Reform Judaism so there’s little infrastructure in place to assist individuals become more literate, especially on topics related to the Mitzvot and their observance. The personal freedom and accountability angle is a great one however it seems that all too often leads to a laissez-faire educational approach, at least when it comes to helping Reform Jews become educated enough to properly make “informed choices” around things such as the Mitzvot.
Secondly going back to our telephone conversation what you’re proposing is an excellent example of what I was referring to as “the real world application” of Web 2.0 grass roots type education/activism and I think it’s great and it helps support my thesis research.
Suffice it to say you can count me in on the study group that is if it’s open to people outside Chicago.
PS how about a link exchange I’ve already got you guys added to my blogroll.
TTYL
Leahj- Excellent, excellent point. I grew up in the Reform Movement and, looking back, one of the things that frustrates me the most about my Reform education was the lack of information about Judaism (i.e. Torah in-depth, Talmud, Midrash, Halacha). We learned plenty about modern Israeli culture and the Holocaust, and a bit about the superficial aspects of Chanuka, Passover, and Purim, but that was about it.
Like JewishFringe said, “Naaseh v’Nishmah.” But you can’t even start to do, if no one ever tells you what there is to do. If CK said that certain Reform leaders actively encourage their congregations to eat treif, it may be that those leaders simply don’t educate AT ALL about kashrus, and in effect, are encouraging the eating of treif.
I think having learning sessions about kashrus or shabbos or whatever with no strings attached is a great idea, for starters. Hatzlacha raba with that.
The Trefa banquet aside (the celebratory banquet for the first Hebrew Union College graduating class which feaured clams, shrimp and crab), I corrected my error. That having been said, I’d love to her how your mitzva study group progresses - which mitzvas will resonate and be followed and which will be cast aside? It’s actually pretty exciting. Please keep us updated about how this goes down. When is the first study group going to meet? What will the first topic of discussion be?
CK-Oops. I definitely wrote this after you corrected yourself, my bad. I was trying to give a brief background of how I got to thinking about the study group and that was the roadmap. I really appreciated that you corrected the statement and apologize for thinking faster than I type over here.
G-d Squad–As a convert, I’m in a different place than a lot of people who were raised in the reform movement. Huh? A lot more study was required of me and a love of Jewish study was imparted. Funny–Holocaust studies and Israel studies weren’t a part of my studies. Religion, hebrew, and doing Jewish were.
TG-If there is a speakerphone, I’m so dialing you in! And I’ll see if I have linking authority.
I come from a reconstructionist background and felt my sect of judaism fall victim to the same attacks as yours. I feel that many people in the religous community are very quick to dismiss us. I was very upset the President of Israel refused to call the head of the reform movement rabbi. I think for myself I would like to become more observant, but feel so turned off by the observant communities view towards more secular jews. I have always felt the more emphasis on individual responsibilty is one of the strengths of the more secular sects.
I would be very interested in participating in a open forum group and hold the same reservations as the Leah.
Good luck on your Bat mitzah studies
leahj: Well, if you intend on raising your children Reform, you’ll have to participate very heavily in their Jewish education to impart to them the same love of Jewish study, because they’re probably not going to get it from the local synagogue.
Thepedanticputz: The observant community’s view of secular Jews, and its view of the Reform/Reconstructionist movement is very different. Here is a quote from a discussion I found on an internet forum (Chabad) about the topic:
The reason we do not to think of most non-observant Jews as evil, is because they do not know any better. In Halacha, there is a category of Jew defined as Tinok Shenishba, which refers to a Jewish child that was kidnapped by Gentiles and raised by them. Such a person is considered a victim of circumstances, as opposed to someone who chooses evil.
Since most of the non-observant Jews of our generation, received little or no Jewish education, and often received anti-Jewish education, they are considered in the same category, as the “captive child.”
However, those who knowingly choose to do wrong, and particularly those who encourage others to do wrong, are in fact, evil (although their pnimiyus is still pure and holy).
[…]
In Summation: Those who do not know any better, we only have the greatest love and pity for them. Those who should know better, we condemn their behaviors and not the person. Both of the above we try to influence and bring them close to Yiddishkeit.
Those who do know better, and knowingly work to pull others down, we condemn them and their actions, and fight them in any way we can.
The Rebbe has taught us, that sometimes the best way to fight them, is not by waging a defensive war, but to go on the offensive and influence for the good the very same people they are trying to influence negatively.
[…] I’ve been hiding in my secret Jewish lair, redesigning my home blog, planning events with Schmavis*, and reading emails upon emails upon emails. […]