Gandhi? Really?
I’m sure someone else here at Jewschool will have something real to say about this, but I thought I’d toss my two cents in.
The UJC has just launched a very slick-hip new website for young people to get involved with stuff (or whatever) called nextgenjews.org. The thing that struck me is this:
The image is part of the aforementioned hip-slick design of the site (or whatever). So the site is geared at enabling young jews to get involved with hands-on social action projects. Which is good (or whatever). But this little image is flipping me out. We have the whole Tanach, Talmud (Pirkei Avot in particular), and volumes upon volumes of other Jewish texts to go to for pithy quotes about social justice.
And the UJC picked out Gandhi?
Do they think we’re all so disconnected that we’re only impressed with quotes from guys who’ve been reduced to t-shirt icons?
Or whatever. I’m going back to bed.
Well, they’ve read the research that young Jews aren’t comfortable with exclusively Jewy contexts and derive their inspirations from the surrounding culture. At least they’re catching on.
It goes beyond it just being Ghandhi the non-Jewish guy. It goes to him having taken Jews to task for not going even more peacefully than many did, and it goes to him speaking out against Israel, not for Israel’s policies (many of which I have issues with) but for her existence.
Thanks for bringing this to attention.
One of the problems with our community worshiping 20th century social revolution is that nothing and no one before is considered of comparable worth.
3,500 years of civilization just wiped away by the stupid ’60s.
“This is the essence of DLC language: policy proposals are always presented in the context of how those proposals will help Democrats win elections. They do this all the time. The obvious problem with this sort of language is that it causes Democrats to appear to only be proposing policy because it will help them win elections, not because of some set of core values. … Of course, the irony is that publicly stating how your policy proposals will help you get elected will actually make it far less likely that you will be elected. The fact is that people do not like pandering politicians whose only values are getting elected.” –Chris Bowers, Open Left
I wonder if the UJC is suffering from the same problem here. The press release announcing this new site (linked from the site itself) speaks the language of market research:
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“The ‘hands-on’ message is key, because today’s young Jews have shown they want to be deeply involved in social action, and they very much relate to our goal of tikkun olam, ‘healing the world,’” said Cindy Nimhauser, co-chair of National Young Leadership. “But more than in the past, what draws them to an organization is the chance for hands-on experiences.”
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…but “today’s young Jews” are less likely to be attracted to an organization’s social justice activities if they have reason to suspect that social justice is just being used as a marketing tool to bring young people into the organization.
If the co-chair of National Young Leadership speaks of young leaders as “them” instead of “us,” that sort of tells you the whole story.
David: Agreed. There’s just so much beautiful material, and if people don’t recognise it at first, that’s fine. It’s good to learn.
KFJ: Really? All of them, or just the cool kids?
social justice is just being used as a marketing tool to bring young people into the organization
That’s the sound of a hammer coming down on a nail. Millions of dollars spent each year, not to revitalize Jewry, not to educate the (gasp) Torah or at least the 13 Principles of Faith (the minimum meant for a child!), but to pander to the latest fads. Social justice. Give me a break. They’re transforming the shul into a pseudo-political organization with a Magen Dovid watermark.
Marketing Yiddishkeit reduces spirituality to commodity.
This reminds me of Hillel’s branding efforts circa 2004-05, when I still paid attention. What was it… free Hillel keychains? In the booth right next to Hillel, I could get a free keychain with a flashlight signing up for a credit card.
Cheap. Cheap. What a disgrace.
So is the reduction of Yahadut to the 20th-century buzzword of “social-justice” any worse than reducing it to the 19th-century buzzword of “national determination”?
DK, them durned hippies weren’t the only people who disdained the past. Recall that the first halutzim hated Judaism, and wanted to construct a new society in E”Y based purely on Western European ideals.
Besides, quoting Avos is SO overrated.
Besides, quoting Avos is SO overrated.
My local JCC started putting up posters with Avos quotes last year. Nothing too controversial, of course. We’re not going to find, “Like a golden ring in a swine’s snout is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.”
I don’t know what to make of it. On the one hand, Avos quotes are better than some alternative… On the other hand, it feels like wallpaper, for the guests, ya know?
Firouz wrote:
That’s the sound of a hammer coming down on a nail. Millions of dollars spent each year, not to revitalize Jewry, not to educate the (gasp) Torah or at least the 13 Principles of Faith (the minimum meant for a child!), but to pander to the latest fads. Social justice. Give me a break. They’re transforming the shul into a pseudo-political organization with a Magen Dovid watermark.
Ok, that’s actually the opposite of what I was saying. I didn’t mean to diss social justice at all. I’m all in favor of it, and think the rest of Judaism is useless if it doesn’t lead to a more just society. My point is that people are able to perceive the difference between social justice being pursued as a valuable end in itself vs. social justice being pursued because the focus groups said that that’s what will attract the young people. (Also, you don’t want to tout your website’s “bold graphics and lively text” on the website itself.)
I’m all in favor of it, and think the rest of Judaism is useless if it doesn’t lead to a more just society.
Hammer + Nail = WIN
That said, I think Firouz is onto something redeemable. (Yes, Firouz, I just agreed with you on something. Stick with me, it gets better.)
Judaism is a great religion, the Jewish people are a neat civilization, and Jewish culture is beautiful. But it ain’t worth the paper it’s printed on if it don’t do justice. Quite frankly, if our peoplehood is not openly and actively living in order to serve justice for others, then I think nobody will notice if it dies off. Including younger Jews who are bored by it.
Firouz may claim social justice is a fad, but I think we’re all aware there is a sea change in our whole generation as Americans. And a fad? It’s a trend that DK noted started long before us — and I resist the suggestion that it took a break in the 80s or 90s. The acceleration seems to have increased and young Jews, as the research has said in many places and studies, are inspired by UNIVERSAL values.
It’s a shame that the establishment views values as a tactic for a continuity-producing machine and can’t seem to propose a moral vision for our people. Self-interest is so 1950s. (Was that a slam on Zionism? Oooh, snap!)
Judaism is a great religion, the Jewish people are a neat civilization, and Jewish culture is beautiful. But it ain’t worth the paper it’s printed on if it don’t do justice.
I believe that stance is based on some Jewish prophets from Israel a few thousand years ago, KFJ — you particularist.
I’m all in favor of it, and think the rest of Judaism is useless if it doesn’t lead to a more just society.
Judaism IS the central tenet of justice. Putting on teffilin and feeding the poor are not not mutually exclusive, and are equally vital. Halacha is the will of G-d. How much more just can you get?!
Let’s get some education of basic Yiddishkeit in our shuls, in addition to lobbying for expanded Medicare. Is that really too much to ask, or are a few cherry-picked, politically correct quotes from Avos to be mere window dressing for pseudo-Jewish political machine mobilization?
Judaism is a great religion, the Jewish people are a neat civilization, and Jewish culture is beautiful.
I’m glad you approve, KFJ. I’ll pass it on to the Big Guy – you know, the one who created the world, you, me, existence itself. This is a joke, right? Do you understand how patronizing you sound?
We’re not discussing a religion here, “equal to other religions”. We don’t have a concept of “religion”, of spirituality separate and distinct from the world. The Torah is not a blueprint for what you can’t see and wish for, it is a blueprint for everything – spirituality, physicality, all of it. It is also not “one path among many”. No, it the path G-d chose, not just for us Jews, for the entire world – the Noahide Laws.
Young Jews are interested in social justice because Jews are a compassionate people at their source, and that is of no credit to them – it’s how we were created. What many young Jews don’t have is a grounding in Yiddishkeit, Torah and mitzvos, and without these, their ability to do good will always be limited, because that, too, is how they were created.
Universalism is not a Jewish value. It is a Hellenistic Greek value. Jews recognize spiritual diversity – that every individual, and every nation has its unique spiritual purpose in this world, that no two are alike, that the right hand is not the left, and was not designed to be. We Jews, too, have our unique mission to transform the world.
Only a Jew can put on teffilin or affix a mezuzah. Only a Jew can make a minyan, or schecht a kosher animal. Only a Jew is commanded 613 commandments, and each of them is the purest form of justice, the unadulterated will of our Creator, a transformational act that infuses the physical world with G-dliness in a profound and practical way.
Let’s get to work.
So the site isn’t letting me log in right now. Or whatever.
TO BE CLEAR: My point wasn’t to bash social justice. Or to bash doing your research and knowing that Jews are uncomfortable with Jewy quotes. I’m just lamenting the whole situation. I’m a believer. And I believe in Jewish quotes. Or whatever.
“Young Jews are interested in social justice because Jews are a compassionate people at their source, and that is of no credit to them – it’s how we were created.”
Um. I’m assuming that people are just ignoring these kind of statements, instead of agreeing with them. Unless I missed the discovery of a compassion gene in Jewish DNA.
Firouz, I don’t understand the point of just asserting stuff like this. I suppose you have reasons for making these kind of claims, but at the very least, if it were me, I would start by saying, “in my opinion.” Just stating this stuff as if it were obvious tends to end most conversations (online and otherwise) pretty quickly. Unless that’s your intention?
Unless I missed the discovery of a compassion gene in Jewish DNA.
DNA is a blueprint for the body. Try searching deeper.
“in my opinion”
The statement is not based on my opinion.
Just stating this stuff as if it were obvious
It is not obvious. Start with Tanya.
tends to end most conversations
Looks like you’re starting a different, important conversation.
The Tanya…. isn’t that the sectarian book by Shneur Zalman of Liadi that mis-quotes the Talmud to try to prove that non-Jews are incapable of altruism? And that their souls are built of the refuse of creation?
I think I see where Firouz is coming from now.
I DO agree with the point he’s making, though. There are those who try to separate Tzedaqa and Hesed from Torah and Mitzvot, whether they be the shallow feel-good “social-justice” crowd, or daven-in-Yeshiva-all-day chevre who go through the motions as prescribed by halakha but completely lack any sense of ethics. I think addressing social inequality should go right alongside study and “Yir’at Shamayim”.
“Universalism is not a Jewish value”? Just what do you say at the end of every tefilla? “Letaqen `olam beMalkhut Shaddai, aval kol bene basar lo yitzrekhu likro biShmekha, raq anahnu”?
miri writes:
Um. I’m assuming that people are just ignoring these kind of statements, instead of agreeing with them.
Yeah, that. It’s hard to respond to these statements, because the doctrine of the Jewish soul is as unfalsifiable as the gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
How dare you blaspheme the Flying Spaghetti Monster on this National Day of Prayer?!?!
@BZ:
Actually it’s not so hard…. (1) take all the sources for the equality of human beings from the Torah, Midrash, Talmud, ethics writings, etc. (2) take all the sources for essentialistic Yehudi superiority – don’t worry there are very few – from the Kabbalists and early Chasidim. (3) Show how the latter misquote the former, and/or make up metaphysical assertions w/o proof in tradition. (4) Profit!
chillul Who-
But you’re reading the sources in #1 all wrong! The metaphysical assertions in #3 are what those sources meant all along!
(shrug) BZ, you can’t ever convince those assured of their own superiority and righteousness….. but you can educate and inform those who don’t know any better why not to fall for shallow racialism masquerading as traditional Judaism.