| |||
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
Readers of the New York Times must have been surprised to learn this past week that modern Orthodox Jews are some of the most extreme religious fanatics. That at least is the impression left by Harvard University Professor Noah Feldman in his Sunday Magazine article "Orthodox Paradox," as he recounts in heart wrenching detail his enforced estrangement from the Jewish community. Feldman, as he tells us, is a graduate of Maimonides school in Brookline, Massachusetts. Educated in what he refers to as "at once a Lithuanian yeshiva and a New England prep school," the very institution founded by Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik in accord with his philosophy of synthesis between secular and Torah studies, Feldman was a fully committed practicing Jew for a number of years after his graduation. Blessed with brilliant academic achievements, he was warmly embraced as a magnificent role model both by his alma mater and the many Jewish organizations with which he was affiliated. All that changed however when he made one life-altering decision. He chose to marry a non-Jew. With his learned background, he knew that according to Jewish law his children would not be considered Jewish unless his partner converted to Judaism. With full knowledge of these consequences, he nevertheless chose to marry out of the faith rather than perpetuate the Jewish people. And to what he claims is his great surprise and dismay, he no longer found full acceptance by the institutions that educated him. Feldman shares with the Times readers the -- for him -- shocking facts that the alumni newspaper refused to offer him wishes of Mazal Tov upon his marriage or the birth of his children. Indeed, an alumni photograph went so far as to excise him and his girlfriend from a group picture -- an act that he believes is a personal slight beyond comprehension. In his brief about the horrors of Orthodox separatism, he leads us ultimately to the examples of Yigal Amir, assassin of Prime Minister Rabin, and Baruch Goldstein of Purim massacre notoriety. At first glance, it is difficult for anyone with compassion not to empathize with Feldman's pain. Those of us who feel strongly about bringing Jews closer to their heritage by showing them even greater love must hesitate as we consider the wisdom of educators who shun rather than accept, no matter what the transgression. Yet it is precisely a tragic event such as this that must force us to confront the question: Is there ever any line that is crossed that calls for communal condemnation? Does tolerance have its limits? Even if as Jews we strongly believe in the potential for every Jew, no matter how far removed, to become proactively engaged in Judaism, is there not a time that we have to make clear we abhor the act although we still love the sinner?
In a society such as ours which worships at the shrine of "Do your own thing" and willingly accepts any kind of behavior as but another form of permissible personal expression, Feldman's hurt resonates with all too many people. Why be so vindictive? is the knee-jerk response to his marriage out of the faith. Allow me to disagree. Does someone who flaunts behavior that strikes at our most precious beliefs -- and does so not out of ignorance but with full knowledge of the consequences -- continue to deserve communal embrace? Responding with no condemnation, the Jewish world would in effect be condoning. If we cherish Jewish survival, in this instance, that is an impossible alternative. How far can one ignore that his actions have necessary consequences. Listen to Feldman's own words: "Despite my intimate understanding of the mind-set that requires such careful attention to who is in and who is out, I am still somehow taken by surprise each time I am confronted with my old school's inability to treat me like any other graduate...I have not felt myself to have rejected my upbringing, even when some others imagine me to have done so by virtue of my marriage... If this is dissonance, it is at least dissonance that the modern Orthodox should be able to understand: the desire to inhabit multiple worlds simultaneously and to defy contradiction with coexistence." His words bring to mind Solomon Schechter's pithy response to a plea for religious moderation: "It reminds me of the American juror who said 'I am willing to give up some, and if necessary all, of the Constitution to preserve the remainder.' " Refusing to the draw the line anywhere is not an attempt to grapple with contradictions within religion, it is choosing to bring about an end to Jewish identity for his children. Does this not constitute a rejection of his upbringing? Is it really so surprising why his classmates and rabbis refuse to rejoice with him by offering wishes of Mazal Tov? Fascinatingly enough, Feldman admits that not one of his former rabbis would refuse to shake his hands even now. Personally he is not a pariah. For those who wonder why his former school no longer showers him with recognition, the answer ought to be obvious. As an individual, we must still offer him love and convey the hope that some day he will come back into the fold. But as a community, there has to be some expression of antipathy for an action that, if collectively followed, would spell the end of the Jewish people. The Times article has sparked heated discussion and debate. For modern Orthodox Jews, accustomed to being criticized for excessive liberalism and outreach to those not ready for full Torah commitment, it must be strange to suddenly find themselves accused of narrow-mindedness and fanatic adherence to their faith. Perhaps that can serve as a wonderful reminder that even liberals have to have limits. Perhaps by demonstrating how much we care about our survival, we will express to Noah Feldman and many other Jews the need to rethink the possibility that Judaism bears a powerful message worth preserving. Related Article Not Cropped Published: Sunday, July 29, 2007
If you would like to receive "Aish Weekly Update" or other features via e-mail, please enter you email address here:
 
 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Listen to audio by
HOLD IT !!!!!!
Exerpt from a letter to the NYT from the Orthodox Union :
"The NY Jewish Week, in its August 3 edition, published a report in which Feldman admits having learned in advance of the publication of his essay that his assertion of being intentionally edited out of the photo was FALSE. Moreover, the Jewish Week expose reveals that NYTimes editors were also aware, in advance of publication, that the essay's assertion was false.
On behalf of the leadership and constituency of the Orthodox Union, we write to express our outrage at the decision by the Times Magazine editors to publish Mr. Feldman's slanderous essay when… it became known to the author and to the editors - in advance of publication - that Mr. Feldman's assertion of his being deliberately cropped out of a photograph of his day school reunion - the departure point and narrative framing for his essay - was false. When we read Feldman's article initially, we were offended by the many scurrilous anti-Orthodox characterizations he makes (referencing the murderers Amir and Goldstein; comparing the Tefillin (phylacteries) worn at morning prayers to masochistic devices, etc.), but we could not reasonably expect the editors of the Times to have the knowledge or background to vet such assertions, even though we would expect any intelligent reader of the essay to question Feldman's perspective. But it is another matter entirely to learn that the editors were informed - in advance of publication - that Feldman's representation of the photograph incident was questionable; decide, as reported by the NYJW, to pay for the photographer to travel and retrieve the contact sheets; examine the contact sheets and then determine Feldman's assertion was false and therefore make an editorial decision not to publish the photo! Such editorial conduct is outrageous and we believe demands an apology from the Times."
Read THAT and weep !!
(2) JAMIE 7/30/2007 1:39:00 AM
Rabbi Blech still loves Noah Feldman
Of course on an individual level Jews have an obligation to reach out to Noah and his family. Rabbi Blech is saying that as a community however, we cannot condone intermarriage, certainly not celebrate it and praise it. Striking this delicate balance is not easy, but necessary. We cannot give up on the Noah Feldman's of the world, but at the same time we cannot condone the dissolution of the Jewish people.
(3) joe bernstein 9/18/2007 2:24:00 PM
what a narrow outlook
i've been intermmaried religiously and interracially for over 36 years and any problems we ever had were not related to either race or religion-it's true that my son,daughter,and granddaughter are "lost"to judaism-so what?isn't religion an individual matter?why does it matter if jews continue as a distinct tribe or people?obviously i don't follow the jewish religion nor any other but i believe in a Creator and am in no way an atheist-it seems as though the thought of assimilation scares you-i personally think jews would do better to live their lives without a cloud of "differentness"over their heads(often self imposed)-my belief is that once you're dead it doesn't matter a tinker's damn what you were-i don't know what's next-do you?or anyone for that matter?it is pitiful that "rabbinical scholars" argue over the minutae of "who is a jew"yet those who hate jews fanatically make no distinction-the people of this earth don't appreciate the orld they were given-always fighting over issues like religion and race-i was in a war and it never made a minute's sense-those who preach divisivness and blow the war trumpet should be the first to go-i don't believe in one world,just individual choices,not racial/religious determinism