A call to alms
OVER the last few years, I have been involved in dozens of meetings aimed at getting more people actively engaged in the Jewish community. These discussions always end up being brainstorming sessions on different programs that will hopefully encourage a strong Jewish identity.
OVER the last few years, I have been involved in dozens of meetings aimed at getting more people actively engaged in the Jewish community. These discussions always end up being brainstorming sessions on different programs that will hopefully encourage a strong Jewish identity.
A strong Jewish identity is not easy to create in this postmodern world. In an era of individualism, secularism, and materialism, identity is far more complex than ever. Identity is not something people are born with. It is constructed, and incessantly cultivated.
My birth certificate says I am Jewish and my passport says I am Australian, but these documents mean nothing unless I act upon those identities and make them relevant and meaningful. Being a proud and active Jew is a choice, and it is a choice that fewer people are making.
Many communal organisations have different ideas about how to create a vibrant, dynamic and inspiring Jewish identity. Rabbis encourage more frequent attendance at synagogue, Zionist leaders encourage a long-term visit to Israel, the Jewish museums call for more effective Holocaust education programs (and hopefully Maccabi will try set up a rugby union team in Melbourne).
All these organisations are doing their best to strengthen Jewish identity and many of their programs have proven to be successful. However, it is evident that many Australian Jews are not interested in either religious expressions of Jewishness or living in Israel.
We need to be more innovative and open-minded in the programming we provide our fellow Jewish community members. For those who find no meaning in the limited traditional models of Jewish engagement currently offered and validated by the community, disaffiliation and rejection is the logical response. This trend is becoming more common as witnessed by rising assimilation rates. By validating alternative expressions of Judaism, the community will empower members to take an active role in Jewish life.
Previous generations had unifying causes, which rallied the Jewish masses into action. We appear to be lacking in the great central campaigns that once energised the Australian Jewish community. Inspiring causes, such as the creation of a Jewish state and saving European, Soviet, Arab, and Ethiopian Jewry, all injected a sense of pride and passion into community members, but what are the causes of our generation?
We are living during turbulent times and reading the world news is very rarely an uplifting experience. There is so much injustice and suffering in the world and many of us have become desensitised, or even worse indifferent, to the suffering of others. Elie Wiesel implores us not to retreat to the convenience of being overwhelmed: “Sometimes we must interfere.
When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Whenever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the centre of the universe.”
I strongly believe that social justice activism is the unifying mission that will mobilise Australian Jewry, similar to the American Jewish community. By committing a portion of our time and charitable resources to international development, humanitarian relief and the expansion of human rights around the world, we are embracing the fundamental Jewish value of tikkun olam (healing the world), and we are acting as responsible and committed citizens of the world. This social justice revolution has the potential to engage many members of our community and help nurture the Jewish identity of coming generations.
Every generation has the responsibility to examine what it means to be Jewish for itself.
Pursuing social justice is deeply rooted in Jewish tradition and is a key expression of my Jewish identity. While anti-Semitism continues to exist in the world and threats from Iran and others occupies our attention, we should not let these define who we are. What will matter is not what Jews fear or remember, but what they affirm — and not what our ancestors died for, but what we want to live for.
Our parents and grandparents worked hard to build a life for themselves in this country. Many endured great hardships, yet courageously held on to their Jewish identity and sense of community. Let us take advantage of the privileged position we find ourselves in and commit to making a sustainable and real difference in the world, and to implementing our ideals as proud, actively engaged and socially aware Jews.
As the great sage Hillel said “If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am not for others, what am I? And if not now, when?”
Gary Samowitz is the CEO of JewishAid Australi.