Final Reflection

Throughout this blog, I have expanded my understanding and acceptance of Orthodox Judaism, and many of their beliefs. I have a better understanding of why Orthodox Judaism believes the Torah is the word of G-d, and why I cannot be married in the state of Israel. While I wish I could be, and hope to some day be able to, I understand their reasoning for saying my mother’s conversion is not “Orthodox enough.” Also, when I first thought about this blog and the research I would do and understandings I would come to, I did not foresee myself understanding how Jews could be anti-Israel. However, my research has taught why this extremist group believes what they do, and I even found myself relating to many of their beliefs. Overall, I was able to suspend my beliefs throughout my research and gain a better understanding of why Orthodox Jews are as literal as they are. And I feel the most important conclusion that I came to is that Orthodox Jews, specifically the ones I encountered in my first trip to Israel, do not feel superior to me. I appreciate their believes just as they appreciate my dedication to my view of Judaism.

Beth El-Atereth

As my research for this blog comes to an end, I decided to go to Boston to witness another Orthodox service. A large part of my interest in researching Orthodox Judaism, especially in relation to Reform Judaism, originated from my encounters in Israel with the Orthodox community, specifically at Shabbat services. I traveled on Friday night April 18 to Newton, MA to Congregation Beth El-Atereth, not knowing what to expect. I dressed conservatively to be respectful to their beliefs. Upon my arrival, I was immediately welcomed by the entire community, and even the males were friendly to me. It is a more progressive Orthodox community. I took a seat in one of the two women’s sections. I understand their belief that women and men must pray separately, but I respect the congregation because they offered two sections for women. The synagogue is shaped like a semi-cricle with the arc and bimah (where the Torah is read) in the middle. This way women can see it as well. Both men and women pray on the same level; men sit in the middle section and women sit on the two sides next to the walls. Surrounding the men’s section, there was still a mechitza (seperation wall); however, the top half was partially open. This way, women still feel part of the community when praying.
While this synagogue is still different than what I am used to, I have a better understanding of why they pray this way, and I respect the congregation’s effort to create and equality between men and women. Even though I was surrounded completely by women, which is different than the way I pray at home, I did not feel isolated the way I had in Israel. I felt part of a smaller, closer knit community of women who immediately included me in their Shabbat prayers. I enjoyed my experience at Beth El-Atereth, and I felt that they accepted me as a complete Jew. Yes, they do not know my background, but we showed each other mutual respect.

More on Neturei-Karta

When I first learned that these Jews were against the State of Israel, I wondered how they could consider themselves Jews. However, as I have now learned the reasoning for why they are opposed to the existence of the state, and are anti-Zionist, I realize their beliefs fall very much inline with my own.
As I explained in the last blog, Neturei-Karta Jews believe that the State of Israel does not rightfully exist because of the way it came to be. This group is very supportive of Palestine. While I support the State of Israel, I do not necessarily agree with the basis for the formation, or the way Israel is handling many of the Palestinian refugees. While I previously thought that the Neturei-Karta were anti-Zionist strictly for extreme religious beliefs, I am realizing this is not the case. While the group believes that the State of Israel should not come into existence until the messiah comes, their main beliefs have to do with the moral interpretation of the Torah.
Furthermore, the way my friends expressed their feelings after encountering the neighborhood in which the Neturei-Karta reside implied they were ignored because the group felt my friends were “not Jewish enough.” However, I my research has led me to believe that the group does not judge who is Jewish enough or not. They explicitly state that their reason for not supporting Israel has nothing to do with the fact it is a secular state. The group most likely ignored my friends because they would assume that if they were visiting Israel, they must support the country, and therefore, be Zionist. While this is an assumption, and surely some of the reason they were ignored related to their appearance as outsiders, it does have some truth to it. It especially has truth if the Neturei-Karta realized my friends were American because of our country’s support for Israel.

Anti-Zionist Jews?

Most people, including myself, initially associate Judaism with a love and support for the State of Israel. However, there is an extreme sect of Orthodox Judaism known as the Neturei-Karta who do not believe in Zionism. When I first learned that these Jews were against the State of Israel, I wondered how they could consider themselves Jews. However, as I have now learned the reasoning for why they are opposed to the existence of the state, and are anti-Zionist, I realize their beliefs fall very much inline with my own.
I had my first encounter with them when my friends chose to explore that neighborhood in Jerusalem one Shabbat. I am now further exploring why Jews who primarily live within the State of Israel are opposed to its existence.
The group was founded in Jerusalem, Palestine in 1938. The group was given the name Neturei-Karta, meaning “Guardians of the City” in Aramaic. They are believed to be the guardians of the city from an ancient story in which a rabbi sent two people on a pastoral tour of inspection. In one town, these people asked to the see the guardians of the city and were led to the city guard. The people responded that this city guard was the city’s destroyer, which prompted the citizens to ask who the guardians were. The rabbis answered,” The scribes and the scholars,” referring them to Psalms Chapter 127.
This group, similarly to Orthodox Judaism, believes the Torah is the word of G-d and must be followed literally. The group is not opposed to Zionism or the State of Israel because it is very secular, but rather because they feel it goes against fundamental beliefs and values in the Jewish religion. Neturei-Karta believes that Jews do not have the right to a State until the messiah. While this may seem a bit extreme to some, their believes in why are very altruistic. The Torah teaches to be kind to all, and also does not believe in the use of violence unless in defense. These are values similar to the golden rule that all people should live by. Neturei-Karta Jews therefore interpret the existence of the State of Israel as going against the Torah in the sense that the Zionist movement took the land from the Palestinians.


Source:
2003 “What is the Neturei-Karta?” Electronic Document,
http://www.nkuk.org/, accessed April 17.

Different Beliefs

The main difference between Orthodox and Reform Judaism, other than observant people are, is their views of the Torah. The Orthodox movement of Judaism believes that the Torah was written by G-d and given to Jews on Mount Sinai. The Reform movement, however, believes that the Torah was written by different human sources and then compiled. Therefore, the interpretations vary between the movements. The Orthodox movement follows the Torah and Jewish law much more strictly than does the Reform movement. The Reform movement does not follow the 613 commandments, but rather takes its values and lives by them. Orthodox Jews are much more literal about the Torah and the commandments, and therefore, are strict about observing holidays and keeping kosher.
So why then does Israel not allow people to be married who aren’t Jewish? The state does not have civil weddings; they are all legalized by the Orthodox rabbis. I have begun to understand why these Orthodox rabbis would not allow non-Orthodox converts to be married. Orthodox rabbis and the movement believe that the Torah needs to be taken literally, and the laws need to be upheld as they are stated in the Torah. Therefore, it is unknown how loyal a convert would be to the Torah. The Orthodox movement still acknowledges converts. However, if these converts were able to marry in the state of Israel, the purity of the Orthodox religion could be changed. Also, I am beginning to understand why the Orthodox insist on proving Judaism for marriage. As stated in the article in the New York Times, the high rate of intermarriage, especially in the United States, is changing the way Judaism is practiced. Therefore, Jews, especially who are not from Israel, need to show that they really do value the religion. It is still frustrating to me that I could not be married in the state as of now, but I better understand why the Orthodox rabbis would not allow me to.


Source:
Rich, Tracey R.
1995-2006 “Movements of Judaism.” Electronic Document,
http://www.jewfaq.org/movement.htm, accessed April 14.

Differences between Conversions

The fundamental differences between Orthodox and non-Orthodox conversions are the way the sects interpret the Commandments. The Orthodox movement in Judaism believes that the Torah is the direct words of G-d, and that all 613 commandments must be abided by. Reform Judaism on the other hand believes it is the choice of the individual.
The conversion process for Orthodox Judaism takes a long time because in the initial stages, the Rabbis generally persuade people converting so that only those truly genuine about the conversion go through with it. If the rabbi agrees to oversee the conversion, the individual then must study and confirm he or she believes in the Torah and the commandments and will publicly observe Jewish Law. There are then two basic ceremonies in the conversion process. Men must undergo a mila (circumcision), and tevilah (an immersion in a ritual bath). These procedures must be overseen by a religious court of three people known as the Beit Din. To be considered a valid witness for the court, the individual must observe all Jewish laws, especially Shabbat. Orthodox Jews believe this is the only way a conversion can be done because we cannot change the way of the Torah.
In Reform Judaism, an individual, like in Orthodox Judaism, must study to decide if he or she indeed wants to convert. However, the convert is generally not required to have a mila, or tevilah, although they are allowed to if they choose so. Converts are not required to publicly observe all 613 commandments, but they are encouraged to join and participate in a synagogue to show they have concern for Jewish values. To officially convert to Reform Judaism once these steps and agreements have been made, one much declare orally and in writing in the presence of a rabbi and two other witnesses from the community that they accept the Jewish faith and plan to live in accordance to the commandments.
Orthodox Jews, from my understanding, do not feel they are better than reform Jews, and they do appreciate the sincerity of converts to others sects of the religion. However, Orthodox Jews feel much more obligated to follow the Torah as it is stated; they do not allow for as much room for interpretation. I respect that Orthodox Jews do not try to impose their believes on others. I also appreciate that they do not let just anyone join the religion. Even though I am not “Jewish enough” to be married, divorced or buried in Israel, I still take my religion very seriously and do not want just anyone converting to it. All converts should be genuine and truly observe Jewish values, something Orthodox Jews rightfully uphold. In my next blog, I would like to further explore differences between reform and orthodox Judaism, as well as why non-Orthodox converts are not able to be married in Israel.

Sources:
2007 “The Conversion Crisis.” Electronic Document,
http://rac.org/Articles/index.cfm?id=1740&pge_prg_id=8114&pge_id=2918, accessed April 2.

2008 “Conversion.” Electronic Document, http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/Conversion.html, accessed April 2.

Who is a Jew?

The Issue of conversion has existed since the formation of the State of Israel. In June of 1947, David Ben-Gurion, the chairman of the executive committee of the Jewish Agency, asked Agudat Israel to join a coalition that would constitute the first government of the state. Ben-Gurion offered some agreements about the role traditional Judaism would play in the society, primarily that, the Jewish Shabbat would be the official day of rest for all Jews, Kashrut (dietary laws) would be followed in all public institutions, religious schools and secular schools would remain separate but both receive funding, and the rabbinical courts applying halakah would decide matters of personal status. In 1950, the Law of Return allowed all Jews to immigrate and claim citizenship to Israel. However, in 1952, the idea of nationality arose and ID cards now said religion and nationality on them. A definition of being a Jew then became necessary. The halakic definition was given as “a Jew is born of a Jewish mother or who converts according to the halakah.” The idea of nationality is less of an issue in regards to the Law of Return but is relevant when discussing proper marriage partners and the legitimacy of the children. In 1960, the definition of a Jew was changed to “a person born of a Jewish mother who does not belong to another religion, or who has converted in accordance with religious law.” The issue of who is a Jew also arises when discussing specific communities who have deviated from traditional Judaism, such as those Jews in Ethiopia.
The fact that the definition of who constitutes a Jew has been changed over time shows that this is a much debated issue. I understand that for Orthodox Jews, nationality and religion go one in the same, especially when born in Israel. To me, this helps explain why most Orthodox are opposed to allowing non-Orthodox, especially those who converted, to become citizens of the state, and especially be married, divorced and buried. However, I also feel that as an American Reform Jew, if I were to go to Israel, I would still consider myself American and my religious status would be Jewish, but it would not be Orthodox. I still have more research to do to better understand the differences between Orthodox and non-Orthodox conversions. This research will help me better understand why I would not be considered Jewish to many in the state of Israel.


Source:

The Israel "Who is a Jew? Controversy." Electronic Document,

http://countrystudies.us/israel/46.htm, accessed March 22.

Proving Judaism

In a recent edition of the New York Times Magazine, there was an article titled “How do you prove you’re a Jew?’ The article tells the story of a young secular Jewish woman named Sharon who grew up in Israel and wanted to be married there. She and her husband went to the Tel Aviv Rabbinate to tie the knot because there are no civil weddings in the country. When she got there, she was told she needed to prove she was Jewish. To Sharon, this was equivalent to asking her to prove she was Sharon. She never before had been asked to prove she was Jewish. Like Sharon, I have always thought of Judaism as a religion and a belief system; I would not know how to prove my Judaism to the rabbinate. In Israel, the article explains, the Orthodox rabbinate as become stricter than ever when asking one to prove their Judaism. “Judaism, traditionally, is matrilineal: every child of a Jewish mother is automatically considered a Jew…’large extended family’ that accepted a covenant with God…Converts were adopted members of the clan. Today the meaning of being Jewish is disputed — a faith? a nationality? — but in Israeli society the principle of matrilineal descent remains widely accepted. Sharon’s mother was Jewish, so Sharon knew that she was, too. And yet it seemed impossible to provide evidence that would persuade the rabbinate.”
To me, it seems ridiculous anyone would need to prove he or she is a Jew. Judaism, in my opinion, is something to believe in, and beliefs are personal. This reminds me of cultural relativism, but in this case, personal relativism. I don’t feel anyone has the right to question my Judaism. So why is it so important to prove you’re Jewish to be married in Israel? The article explains that the rabbinate has become stricter recently. The rabbinic courts are part of the justice system, and their primary duties are divorce and marriage. The positions in the state rabbinate are traditionally “parceled out as patronage by religious political parties.” These Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox members of the rabbinate have become stricter because of the era of intermarriage, denominational disputes and secularization.
Orthodox Jews feel Jewish law cannot be changed and because many movements have reinterpreted certain aspects, they do not feel they are Jewish. As I read this article, I personally felt angry that I could not be married in Israel. My mother’s reform conversion would not be enough to prove my Judaism to the rabbinate. However, my friend Stuart, who was present as I read the article, would be considered Jewish enough to be married in Israel. The reason I was angry is because he could be married there even though he has not been to synagogue in five years, and I go at least monthly, and am very imvolved in my community. Why does it matter if your mother is Jewish? I understand where these Orthodox come from; they don’t want people to claim they are Jewish when they do not practice the religion. However, I feel Reform and Conservative conversions should count just as much as Orthodox conversions. I will continue to explore why Orthodox Jews do not believe or consider people who are not Orthodox or ultra-Orthodox Jewish.


Source:

Gorenberg, Gershom

2008 How do you prove you're a Jew? Electronic Document,

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/magazine/02jewishness-t.html?_r=1&incamp=article_popular&oref=slogin, accessed March 4.

My Second Encounter

My second trip to Israel was for Passover in my senior year of high school. The purpose of this trip went beyond touring; our goal was to better understand and experience the culture in the country. The trip was part of a year-long program in which I participated in. The program had four pillars: Israel, Judaism, community service, and leadership.
We spent Shabbat in Jerusalem, attending synagogue on Friday night and walking through neighborhoods on Saturday. For the Friday night service I chose to go back to an Orthodox synagogue similar to the one I had attended on my previous trip. However, this specific synagogue was more liberal and progressive – the men and women were still separate, but instead of isolating the women in a shielded balcony, women stood on the same level but behind the men on the other side of a sheer curtain. It was still a different experience than what I am used to at home, but it felt more comfortable than what I had expected. This to me was a more logical way to interpret the idea that women distract men and therefore cannot pray in the same place. In some really progressive synagogues, women and men even stand next to each other with a simple curtain separating the two sexes.
The following day, we had the choice of what neighborhood to walk through and observe. I chose to walk through a religious neighborhood, but one that had a much younger, liberal population. However, four of my friends chose to expose themselves to the most extreme they could; the Neturei Karta neighborhood. Neturei Karta is a small sect of ultra-Orthodox Jews who reside primarily in Jerusalem. My friends spoke of their experience. They first noticed their extremely conservative attire – everyone was wearing only black and white and no one showed skin other than their faces. The men had beards and wore large black hats. The next thing they noticed were the posters on the walls. They were anti-Zionist posters written in Yiddish rather than Hebrew. This drew the attention the language these Neturei Karta Jews were speaking; they were speaking Yiddish, as well. In a future blog, I am going to explore the reasons for these practices.
Anyway, my friends expressed the reactions they got. While they all dressed respectfully and did not show their ankles or wrists, it was still clear that they were not native to the neighborhood. The members of the community did not even acknowledge their presence, which they said was hurtful.

My First Encounter

I have traveled to Israel twice in my life. The first time was during the summer going in to my junior year of high school. I traveled with 110 other students my age from around the San Francisco Bay Area to familiarize ourselves with the country primarily through tourism.
My first experience with Orthodox Jews was on my first trip. We spent our last Shabbat in Jerusalem. In three smaller groups, we went to different synagogues to participate in services. My group went to an Orthodox synagogue in a very religious neighborhood. We were told before we left the hostel that we had to cover our knees and elbows. As we walked through the neighborhood, we got many condescending looks from residents of the neighborhood. As we approached the synagogue, there were many children playing outside the synagogue. All of the children had peyas (religiously uncut hair before the ears) and wore black and white. As we walked by, we tried to be friendly and smile at the young boys and girls. I clearly remember one boy, who couldn’t have been more than three or four, turning his head and running the other direction. He had been raised not to look at people like us because we are women and we are not religious enough. I felt personally offended as this little boy ran away. He was non-verbally telling me that I wasn’t good enough. I understood that he was young at it was the way he was raised, but I couldn’t help but feel hurt – I consider myself Jewish, so why can’t they?
I felt even worse after walking into the synagogue. All of the women in my group had to walk upstairs, while the men could stay on the floor close to the Torah and Rabbi. I knew that this would be the case when I left for this service, but I had convinced myself that it wouldn’t feel as isolating. I knew the logic was that women distract men from their prayers and therefore need to be separated. However, I felt like an outcast. We were trapped in a balcony behind shades that we couldn’t see out of. I felt like a prisoner. In my synagogue that I was raised in, I am counted as a member of a minyan (ten or more Jews gathered together for prayer), but here I didn’t even feel like a person. While I was able to follow the service in this Orthodox synagogue, it felt more like a different religion than a different sect of the religion I grew up practicing.

Background and Plan of Action

I was born and raised Jewish; however, neither of my parents can say the same. My mother was raised in a pretty non-religious Protestant household, celebrating only the major holidays. Her best friends growing up were all Jewish so she was very exposed to the religion and would often go with her friends to Sunday school. Upon her graduation from college, she officially converted to the reform sect of Judaism.
My father was born into a slightly more religious Presbyterian family who attended Church occasionally, and attended Sunday school regularly. His maternal great-grandmother, however, was Jewish, but she married a Presbyterian man, and the children were all raised following his religion. Today, my dad still considers himself a Presbyterian, and while he does not actively practice the religion, he does attend Church on Christmas Eve.
In Judaism, it is said that the mother’s religion determines that of the child. Therefore, according to Israel’s law of the right of return, my father is eligible to claim citizenship, and be married and buried within the country. My mother, on the other hand, would be able to become a citizen, but would have to convert to Orthodox Judaism if she wanted to be married or buried in the state. This thought is troublesome to me because while my father currently works at my Jewish elementary school and has been supportive of my Judaism, he does not consider himself Jewish, but can become a citizen with all the rights of an Orthodox Jew. While I am happy that he is able to become a citizen, my mother, who spends a significant amount of time there every year and considers herself Jewish cannot be buried there without an official Orthodox conversion.
When I was in Israel this past April, I began to wonder what my status is if I were to choose to make Aliyah (claim citizenship). My mother converted before I was born and I was raised Jewish and had a bat mitzvah, but my mother is not considered “Jewish enough” according to the state’s religious law.
For my cultural encounter, I want to learn more about my status according to the country of Israel in terms of the views of very Orthodox Jews. I have not have very many interactions with Hasidic Jews, but they almost practice a different religion than the Judaism I practice. I am curious to learn more about their views and beliefs. I plan to do this through the few experiences I have had, as well as research and possibly attending a service and speaking with someone who practices the religion if they are willing to talk with me.