tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7898782635470765614.post3738839224031961172..comments2023-09-11T17:58:13.764-04:00Comments on The Rebbetzin's Husband: The Increasing Irrelevance of the American Jewish CommunityThe Rebbetzin's Husbandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14977193945074906534noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7898782635470765614.post-34007529053233499572008-07-06T16:04:00.000-04:002008-07-06T16:04:00.000-04:00This is certainly true, but I would hate to think ...<I>This is certainly true, but I would hate to think that the only reason for community was a reflex for protection.</I><BR/><BR/>Me too. But it seems to me that we can find lots of examples of this happening throughout history.<BR/><BR/>How many German Jews lost their lives because they thought of themselves as Germans.<BR/><BR/>One of the challenges of our generation is how to keep Israel relevant to the community and vice versa.Jack Steinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16625864271071630940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7898782635470765614.post-51329894774627983102008-07-06T07:24:00.000-04:002008-07-06T07:24:00.000-04:00Jack-This is certainly true, but I would hate to t...Jack-<BR/>This is certainly true, but I would hate to think that the <B>only</B> reason for community was a reflex for protection.The Rebbetzin's Husbandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14977193945074906534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7898782635470765614.post-56335044021087576072008-07-03T17:26:00.000-04:002008-07-03T17:26:00.000-04:00Part of the challenge is that much of the communit...Part of the challenge is that much of the community has lost the fear we carried around.<BR/><BR/>Our grandparents survived or knew first hand stories about pogroms, the Holocaust and quotas.<BR/><BR/>With the loss of the ghetto mentality many people feel less need to be part of a group.Jack Steinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16625864271071630940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7898782635470765614.post-19990497619752619062008-07-03T13:04:00.000-04:002008-07-03T13:04:00.000-04:00Jameel-Thanks! And they also gave to resettlement ...Jameel-<BR/>Thanks! And they also gave to resettlement programs and to start-up kibbutzim, and they bought Israel Bonds. Not to mention the fundraising done by Golda Meir and other diplomats in the early days.<BR/><BR/>Tzipporah (first comment)-<BR/>I'm not sure I agree. Much of the headline intellectual work being done in the Conservative movement seems to be originating on the Israeli end of their operation. The American end seems to be focussed more on trying to keep the boat afloat. Reform is still struggling with its self-perception of its position in Israel. I don't know much about the Recon position on this.<BR/><BR/>Tzipporah (second comment) - Perhaps. It's certainly a central factor.The Rebbetzin's Husbandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14977193945074906534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7898782635470765614.post-22408688556975619452008-07-03T12:10:00.000-04:002008-07-03T12:10:00.000-04:00American Jews seem to be more committed to the wel...<I>American Jews seem to be more committed to the welfare of the individual than the welfare of the community.</I><BR/><BR/>I think this is really the root of all the other items you name, and is definitely connected to the larger American context, which sees only individuals and the state as legitimate, and all other affiliations as intrusions into this primary relationship.Tzipporahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08807511259582331073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7898782635470765614.post-32511251392604804982008-07-03T12:04:00.000-04:002008-07-03T12:04:00.000-04:00For education of our children, for Birthright conn...<I>For education of our children, for Birthright connections, for halachic guidance, for the leadership of institutions which address issues of modernity in the context of Judaism, we look to the Israeli Jewish community.</I><BR/><BR/>This is true, but only if the "we" and the "Jews" in your statements are all Orthodox (of whatever flavor).Tzipporahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08807511259582331073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7898782635470765614.post-29386322360342690242008-07-03T10:36:00.000-04:002008-07-03T10:36:00.000-04:00Excellent, excellent analysis!Think back to great-...Excellent, excellent analysis!<BR/><BR/><I>Think back to great-grandparents who had little to spend on food, and yet they gave money to Hebrew Loan Funds and to support mikvaos, and contributed their time to Jewish community infrastructure; </I><BR/><BR/>They also contributed to JNF...Jameel @ The Muqatahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15890095633246557332noreply@blogger.com