Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel

Tonight’s blog is a combination of local Jewish politics, linguistics, and a garden variety of mishmash. If the material sounds rambled, please forgive me. Writing helps me process conflicting emotions; it’s very good for finding clarity and peace of mind.

It is ironic in a sense. I could not help not notice the new NY Jewish Week’s article on: “Who’s inside the ‘Big Tent?’ It happens to be the theme for the upcoming Jewish Federation Conference in Denver.

The “Big Tent” is a lovely metaphor that suggests inclusive Jewish communities working together. I wonder why the JFC decided upon this theme. Were they concerned that they needed to reach out to all Jewish communities, but perhaps had failed to do so? Do the Jewish Federations across the country already feel they have reached this goal for the most part? If it is the latter, I dare say they are suffering from hubris.

Well, if the local Jewish Federation of San Diego is any realistic indicator, I must say JFSD has failed miserably. Furthermore, it perpetuates the mythos of factionalism,[1] which has arguably been the “Original Sin” of Jewish tradition, since the time of the Second Temple.

Without intending to be disrespectful, I must admit that the “Big Tent,” and Jewish Federations sounds like an oxymoron. I am, of course, basing my observations upon the San Diego Jewish Federation, which recently sent me a solicitation for their organization, which I politely refused.

I wanted the local president of the Jewish Federation to understand why we as a synagogue decided not to give anything to the Federation. The San Diego Jewish Federation does not believe in the “Big Tent” ideal at all; instead, it perpetuates a doctrine of favoritism—for all the local and wealthy congregations.

When our board members met with Steve Morris, the local president of the JFSD, we pointed out a variety of reasons why we have no interest in supporting the Jewish Federation or the La Jolla JCSD. After meeting with him, some of us felt that the La Jolla JCC is really an acronym for the “La Jolla Jewish Country Club” since there is nothing communitarian about its philosophy. As most of you know, country clubs appeal solely to people of financial means and as such, generally have a closed membership.

President Steve Morris honestly informed our board that he has met with many other Jewish communities in the surrounding area and to his surprise, they too felt that their communities were being ignored and marginalized. If I were on the Jewish Federation board, I would seriously ask myself: Why does this common perception persists?

It is a pity that the local Jewish leaders think solely in terms of the bottom line; favoring the strong over the small and struggling congregations is a disturbing reality that needs to be acknowledged. In our day, the Occupy Wall Street consortium applies not only to the economic institutions of our society; in some ways it also applies to the religious organizations that claim to be concerned with the welfare of Jewish posterity. We can and must do better . . .

One last thought:

In Biblical Hebrew, the term for זָר (zār ) “stranger” or “enemy,” often has a negative connotation pertaining to anyone who is on the “outside” and the noun is related to the noun, זֵר (zēr) “border,” or “edge”—perhaps because the stranger is always standing at the edge. This is a most intriguing etymology worthy of serious reflection.

C.G. Jung observed how etymology represents the unconscious side of human language. I believe he was absolutely on target. As human beings evolved, our ancestors tended to think of their own families in different terms from other family clans. Despite tens of thousands of years of human evolution, we still tend to divide the human family into “insiders,” vs. “outsiders.” Nothing much has really changed. In many ways, we remain as primitive and psychologically backward when it comes to our perception of the Other. Somehow, I think God expects more from us as Jews. We must transcend the parochial vision of our ancestors.

The concept of the “Big Tent,” is a great idea, but like all great ideas, it needs to be embodied as a reality.

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Notes:

[1] It’s funny how attitudes of exclusivity are enshrined in the Hebrew and Greek languages. Just look at the names the Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative are using. “Orthodox,” in Greek, is ὀρθός, (orthos) which means, “straight up, upright,” or “right, true, correct” and δόξᾰ (doxa), signifying “opinion,” or “judgment.” Basically, it is a negation that is tantamount to saying, “I’m right, and you’re WRONG!” By the same token, “Reform,” means, “means to put or change into an improved form or condition; to amend or improve by change of color or removal of faults or abuses, beneficial change . . .” Put in different terms: “reform” is a negation of the “Orthodox.” Lastly, “Conservative,” means favoring the preservation of established customs, values, etc., and opposing innovation. Thus, “conservative” is a double negation of Orthodox and Reform. Jews tend to define themselves more by what they are not, rather than by defining their identity in affirmative and positive ways.