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| Egalitarian service at Cong. Kol Ami in Tampa, Florida - photo credit: Kol Ami |
This time it is a complaint in the Forward from an unlikely source – Jordana
Horn, an observant Conservative Jew. I say unlikely - not because it is
unlikely that she would complain, but because of her identification as an
observant Conservative Jew. And by observant, I mean Shomer Shabbos. It is that
particular Mitzvah that has in the past always been definitive of
observance. At least in America I suppose that’s because it was so difficult
to keep Shabbos during the great influx of European immigrants in the late 19th
and early 20th centuries.
There were plenty of Jews that immigrated to this country then
who were observant in Europe and wished to stay observant. But because of the
work ethic of the times, many of them succumbed to the pressure of working on
Shabbos – even while keeping the other Miztvos (like Kashrus)to the best of
their abilities. Many Jews felt that it was either working on Shabbos or
starving.
That concession cost them greatly in their children. In many
if not most cases their children abandoned the ritual observances of their
parents in part because of the melting pot spirit of the times… but perhaps
equally as important, because they saw their fathers working on Shabbos. They
considered it hypocritical of their fathers to insist on their children keeping
Shabbos when their fathers worked on that day.
I am not judging that generation. Times were tough. These
are just the sad facts of reality. We lost a lot of Jews of the subsequent generation
to assimilation back then. Of course
this is not the only reason we lost them. The utter lack of any meaningful
Jewish education in those days had something to do with it too.
On the other hand there were a lot of Jews who toughed it
out and did not work on Shabbos. They kept getting fired from their jobs when
they didn’t show up for work. Or they somehow found jobs that did not require
working on Shabbos even when it meant lesser pay. They were in the minority.
But their kids for the most art stayed Shomer Shabbos too – as well observant
of other Mitzvos.
Others may differ but this is why I think Shabbos is the
defining characteristic of observant Judaism. Which brings me back to Ms. Horn.
She is observant. She is Shomeres Shabbos. She admits that this is a relative rarity
in the Conservative movement and although there are more than a few like her - I
think it is safe to say that the vast majority of Jews in the Conservative
movement are not Shomer Shabbos.
She complains that Mr. Brooks ‘waxed rhapsodic’ only about
Orthodox Jews. …that her observance of Judaism is just as legitimate as in that
of Orthodox Jewry.
The obvious question is, what makes her Conservative if she observes
Shabbos? That is a very good question. In fact, if there were no labels like
Orthodox and Conservative… we would all just be Jews with different levels of
observance. (This is the way Sephardim live. This is one of the things I am
envious of about them.)
Alas, there are labels. Labels that identify
ideologies. In some cases those
ideologies contradict Halacha and Mesorah. The problem I have with Ms. Horn is that she
sees egalitarianism as an essential feature of her life. So much so apparently
that she cannot imagine Judaism without it. She believes that equality of the
sexes in all areas of life including religion is so important that Halacha can
be changed to accommodate it. And she has found a movement that agrees with her
and even encourages that kind of thinking.
The Conservative movement has done away with all Halacha that
does not bow to egalitarianism. They have changed the entire nature of the
Halachic process from one of adhering to Halacha as laid down before us by the
sages as recorded in the Talmud and finalized in the Shulchan Aruch and its commentaries…
to one of changing it to fit with the
spirit of the times. Egalitarianism drives Halacha in the Conservative Movement
- instead of Halacha driving egalitarianism.
The claim by Conservative thinkers is that if Chazal were
alive today, they would see what we see and respond along the same lines they
do. Thus they do away with Halachos they see as being influenced by the ‘incorrect’
spirit of Chazal’s times. Wouldn’t
Chazal do that too if they lived today?
Well intentioned though they were - even the walls of
Shmiras Shabbos were breached by the Conservative movement. By their own
admission that has led to disastrous results. The permit they gave to driving
only to Shul (if they were already driving) has morphed into driving anywhere
they want. Their intention of keeping their
flock observant by guiding them into shuls has by their own admission been a
massive failure. Which they say is the primary cause of their attrition
problem.
They believe that the breakdown of cohesive religious neighborhoods that
are characteristic of Orthodox Jews are the result of the driving permit. Conservative
Jews no longer had to live together in order to be close to a Shul. They could
live wherever they wanted and drive there.
These problems do not even address the difficulties with
some of their theology that allows for a denial of the events at Sinai. Or the
exodus from Egypt. Or even the divinity
of the Torah!
It is one thing if an individual thinks this way. But when a
movement does, it gives cover to anyone who does so bolstering their ranks with
believers in heresy.
As an individual Ms. Horn’s her egalitarian ideas would
probably not have stood in the way of full acceptance as an observant Jew. In
any case she would not have any way to put her theories into practice. But when
an entire movement justifies it and offers ways to facilitate those beliefs that
is a horse of an entirely different color. Furthermore belonging to Conservative movement
means not only accepting the ritual changes, it means accepting the movement’s theology
as well.
This is very sad and troubles me greatly. Ms. Horn is a sincere Jew who truly believes that
her observance is in concert with authentic Judaism. Most of her observances
probably are. I would love to consider all people who observe Shabbos as observant.
That was once the case. It truly grieves me to say this but through no fault of
her own she is mistaken in her belief that buying into the doctrines and practices
of the Conservative Movement are in concert with authentic Judaism. They are
not.
This does not mean that I do not fully accept her as a Jew or respect her any less. I do. Especially her commitment to Shabbos. But as a believer in Emes, this is the way I see her state of observance.
