My first response to Gary Wexler’s column “When Jewish is too Jewish” (above) was: “Shame on you, Gary.” As accurate as that answer is, it’s a bit shy on content. So, here’s the rest.
Shame on you, Gary, for jumping to so many conclusions. In the communities that I surround myself with, here in Milwaukee, our Jewishness is thriving and doing well — both in and of itself and in how it relates to others as well.
Our relationships with other communities are flourishing, as seen in our Interfaith Conference, Catholic-Jewish Conference and Association for Interfaith Relations, to name just a few. We meet regularly, share ideas and act to better ourselves through classes, panels, workshops and volunteer opportunities.
As the immediate past president of the Milwaukee Jewish Council for Community Relations, I have experienced dozens of such events, and know that we are forever working to do more.
Judaism should rightfully be proud that it can walk so easily in so many different worlds. I have no problem being a Jewish vegetarian who enjoys swimming, running and biking.
I read books on spirituality and enjoy dozens of intellectual conversations with a host of different people from varied backgrounds. As someone who likes to read more than one book at a time, I usually am reading at least two books that are not Jewish, and two or more that are. And I do all this as a Jew.
Welcoming the disillusioned
For several years, during what have become known as the Oslo/Madrid years, when peace seemed attainable for Israel, many of us were able to redirect some of our attention to other than Jewish/Israel preservation issues and participate more in other areas of so-called “non-Jewish” life.
Unfortunately, however, we now face different times again, and too often find ourselves in the defensive position of justifying Israel’s right to exist and our right to be supportive of Israel. We also are increasingly worried about the challenges our fellow Jews face in Europe. G-d willing, all this too will change, and peaceful futures await us.
When that happens, we will again be able to readjust our aims and goals. Maybe when the world allows us to be a little less “on guard” and more “at ease,” we will afford ourselves some of the luxuries you seem to think we are missing out on now.
But it would be foolish to disregard your opinions completely, Gary. I believe that many Jews are disillusioned by their perceptions of the organized Jewish community. But if they are that bothered and yet such proud Jews, then they should do something to change their “realities.” I welcome any of them to become more active in their synagogues, federations, community relations councils, family service agencies, JCCs or sacred burial societies to name just a few.
To help young Jews do that and to learn about the values our people have handed down over thousands of years, I teach an eighth-grade class about our community at the Milwaukee Jewish Day School. I take Jewish texts and apply them to the community in which we live.
For example, we would discuss that we are all created in G-d’s image, and then a guest speaker would teach about the Jewish Community Food Pantry and the dignity it provides its clients while helping them to survive.
Another day we would discuss the imperative of not casting off the senior members of our community, and a guest would speak about the Jewish Home and Care Center. Still a third topic deals with our attitude toward death and burial, and the students would hear a speaker from our Milwaukee Jewish Sacred Society (Chevra Kedisha).
To hear the graduation speeches of these students at the end of the year is to know that they have learned their lessons well. So, Gary, I invite you to my class, to hear these kids and to listen to their hearts. They may choose to learn about Hinduism some day, but Jewish they remain and Jewishly active they can and will be.
Finally, at the many meetings and events held by not-for-profit agencies both inside and outside the Jewish world that I have attended, I have been moved by several great speakers who are Jewish as well as by those who are not.
I also know from my involvement that the percentage of Jews participating in the non-Jewish world is disproportionate to our numbers. Why? Because we care. And I am very proud of that — a very proud Jew.
As Jews, we don’t have to choose between a Jewish life and a universal one; they can be, and, in many cases, are one and the same.
Marty (Moshe) Katz is a Milwaukee-area activist and Jewish educator.
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