Skip to main content

Anti-Reform Reformers?

I'm really struggling with this one.

During a recent public (and mixed, meaning there were people there who are not Jewish professionals, or better yet, professional Jews) discussion on the relationship between Judaism and nature, a professional Jew who is affiliated with the Reform movement commented on witnessing Reform Rabbinic students at the top of Mt. Sinai during a sunrise tefillah. Many of the students wore tefillin, all wore tallitot/kippot, and all were facing east. Except that *Jerusalem* was to the *north,* yet they were facing *east.*

I heard much derision in the commentator's voice: the voice/words implied they were worshipping the sun and not praying to God, they were obviously ignorant of the fact that Jerusalem was to the north, they were obviously ignoramuses ... leading the audience to infer that the Reform movement is being led by a bunch of ignorant, uneducated morons.

Here are the questions I'm struggling with.

1. Why were these Reform rabbinic students facing *east* and not north? Were they - as was implied by this person - facing the rising sun b/c it was a glorious sunrise and they wanted to watch? Were they ignorant of the reality that Jerusalem (the direction we Jews are supposed to face during tefillah) was towards the *north,* not the east? Did they know and not care - and if so, why not?

2. Why would a Reform professional publicly deride Reform rabbinic students?

3. If derision was not intended, then why tell the story, emphasizing the *Reform* nature of the students?

4. Does it matter, should it matter, should we *care* when our Reform colleagues appear to be making basic Judaism 101 errors (i.e., facing east and not towards Jerusalem during tefillah)? Do these things make Reform Jews look foolish? Or just the Reform professionals who are doing them?

5. Why do some Reform clergy/professionals remain within the Reform movement if they believe - or give the appearance that they believe - that the Reform movement is made up of a bunch of ignoramuses who are simply looking for "Jew lite" or "feel-good Judaism"? Why not move "el al," onward and upward to something more on their own level of observance and (supposed) knowledge?

I think #'s 2, 3 and 4 are the bigger issues. And I struggle with these things.

Comments

BZ said…
In any case, Jerusalem is northeast of Sinai. More north than east, yes, but unlike Muslims, Jews have never been all that particular about getting the direction of prayer exactly precise (one of the few things that Jews are *less* obsessive about than other religions).
August 26, 2008 at 12:14 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Living in a Bad Neighborhood

There are many news media, internet blog and Jewish leadership POV's on Israels "Operation Cast Lead" Gaza campaign. Although you periodically hear some voices from the lunatic fringes that appear to rejoice in or black-and-white condemn Israel's actions, most Jewish leadership take the position that, sadly enough, sometimes war is necessary to protect a nation's citizens. Other than jingoists and Marx Brothers comedies, no one initiates war gleefully. At some point a country must say enough is enough and must respond, especially when its people are being bombed each day. Some voices declare a moral relativism between Hamas' bombing incursions into Israel and Israel's response. Some have insisted that Israel should be delivering a "proportional response." Some imply that if only Israel were to do this or that, then Hamas, Hezbollah and her other avowed enemies would go away quietly. I disagree with all these positions. There is NO moral relativis...
1 comment
Read more

How Dare You Tell Me What To Do?????

No sooner had the weather turned decent than the local newspaper declared "Return of motorcycle season in Connecticut kickstarts old helmet law debate." And just as predictably, the online comments kickstarted the usual "evil nanny Government" responses. Here's how I responded: "You don't want to wear a helmet, jacket, whatever? Fine. But hear this: when you hit the road, your skin will be destroyed along with your limbs. Sound too dramatic? My husband and I were involved in an accident last week when a car turned left in front of us. My husband, the driver, "laid the bike down" and we - and the bike on top of us on its side - went skidding down the rode. My ankle is broken, his leg was badly broken (requiring surgery). The good news? Had we not been wearing helmets, reinforced jackets, heavy-weight pants and boots, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that we would have suffered much, much worse - trauma to our brains and internal organs, ...
1 comment
Read more