Who Is A Jew?

Meryl Hyman

Description

Sure to generate great controversy as it provides new insights, "Who Is a Jew?" courageously takes on this timely and controversial question. It provides the full range of perspectives necessary to let us draw our own conclusions. A seasoned journalist, Meryl Hyman weaves her own life experiences into this complex and controversial subject, exploring profound and highly personal questions of identity in conversations with Jew and non-Jew. The daughter of a Jewish father and a Christian mother, she set out to find out why so many Jews say she is not a Jew, even though she has practiced Judaism and identified herself as a Jew since birth. She found a people struggling with its own history, customs, and laws; a people who fear that their unity may be sacrificed. Featured in "Who Is a Jew?" are leaders from all parts of the Jewish world, eminent scholars, and others from all spectrums of belief—from Israel, England, and the United States—who speak out on the subject and delve into such questions as: What are the many-faceted "answers" to this seemingly simple question? Why are these answers crucial for all Jews? Why does Jewish identity have a bearing on all cultural, religious, and ethnic groups? Why and how does Israel's answer to the question matter to Jews everywhere in the world?

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie
• Jewish studies
• Jewish history
• Judaism
• Religion

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 28 janvier 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781580237871
• Langue: English

Extrait

W HO I S A J EW ?

Conversations, Not Conclusions

Meryl Hyman
JEWISH LIGHTS PUBLISHING
Woodstock, Vermont
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In memory of
LeRoy J. Hyman, M.D. 1916-1976
This book is for his family.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction: A Jew s Daughter- A Personal Quest for Identity
1
Who Is a Jew? and the Status Quo Situation in Israel.
ISRAEL
2
R ABBI N ACHMAN B ULMAN
Mashgiach Ruchni (Spiritual Leader) and Dean of Students, Ohr Somayach Yeshiva, Jerusalem. (Orthodox)
3
R ABBI B ENJAMIN S EGAL
President, Seminary of Judaic Studies, a Conservative institution in Jerusalem. (Conservative)
4
R ABBI R ICHARD G. H IRSCH
Executive Director, World Union for Progressive Judaism, an international organization that aims to promote and sustain liberal Judaism, Jerusalem. (Reform)
5
R ACHEL G OLDBERG
A Jewish bride from the United States speaks of her marriage in Israel, Jerusalem. (Orthodox)
R ABBI E MANUEL F ELDMAN
Editor, Tradition: A Journal of Orthodox Jewish Thought , Jerusalem. (Orthodox)
6
C HIEF R ABBI Y ISRAEL M EIR L AU
Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi and President of the Chief Rabbinate Council of Israel, Jerusalem. (Orthodox)
7
R ABBI D AVID H ARTMAN
Founder and Director, The Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem, and Professor Emeritus of Jewish Thought and Philosophy, Hebrew University, Jerusalem. (Orthodox)
8
D R . Z VI Z OHAR
Senior Research Scholar and Director of the Center for Contemporary Halakha, The Shalom Hartman Institute, Jerusalem.
9
A VRAHAM B URG
Chairman of the Executive, the Jewish Agency for Israel/World Zionist Organization, Jerusalem.
10
M ENACHEM R EVIVI
Director General, United Israel Office, Jerusalem.
(Orthodox)
11
B OBBY B ROWN
Diaspora Affairs Advisor to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Jerusalem. (Orthodox)
12
R ABBI E INAT R AMON
Director, Information Bureau of Masorti, the Conservative movement in Israel, Jerusalem. (Conservative)
Z AMIRA S EGEV
Executive Director, Hemdat, the Council for Freedom of Science, Religion, and Culture in Israel, Jerusalem.
13
R ABBI U RI R EGEV
Director and Counsel, The Israel Religious Action Center, and member of the Neeman Commission, Jerusalem. (Reform)
14
T HEODOR K OLLECK
Former Mayor of Jerusalem.
15
E LI P ELID
Chief Guide, Isram World of Travel, Caesarea.
ENGLAND
16
J ACKIE G RYN
Trustee of the Balfour Diamond Jubilee Trust and wife of the late Rabbi Hugo Gryn, a leading Reform rabbi in the United Kingdom and Rabbi of the West London Synagogue, London. (Reform)
C HIEF R ABBI D R . J ONATHAN S ACKS
Chief Rabbi, The United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, London. (Orthodox)
R ABBI D AVID R OSEN
Former Chief Rabbi of Ireland and Director of Interfaith Relations and Co-Liaison to the Vatican, Israeli office of the Anti-Defamation League of B nai B rith, Jerusalem. (Orthodox)
17
R ABBI P ROF . J ONATHAN M AGONET
Principal, Leo Baeck College, the Progressive (Reform and Liberal) rabbinic seminary in Europe, London. (Liberal)
18
R ABBI R ODNEY M ARINER
Convenor of the Bet Din of Liberal/Reform Synagogues of Great Britain and Europe, the Jewish law courts that oversee conversions, London. (Reform)
19
R ABB I T ONY B AYFIELD
Chief Executive, Reform Synagogues of Great Britain, London. (Reform)
20
R ABBI S HMULEY B OTEACH
Founder and Executive Director, L Chaim Society, an Oxford University student society that offers a wide range of classes about Judaism at many colleges, London. (Orthodox)
21
R ABBI D R . A BRAHAM L EVY
Rabbi, the Spanish Portuguese Synagogue, London. (Sephardi Orthodox)
UNITED STATES
22
R ABBI E RIC H. Y OFFIE
President, Union of American Hebrew Congregations, the congregational arm of the Reform movement in North America, New York City. (Reform)
R ABBI S HELDON Z IMMERMAN
President, the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion; the intellectual, academic, and spiritual center of North American Reform Judaism, Cincinnati, Ohio. (Reform)
R ABBI A MMIEL H IRSCH
Director, Association of Reform Zionists of America (ARZA), New York City. (Reform)
23
R ABBI H AROLD M. S CHULWEIS
Rabbi, Valley Beth Shalom congregation, Encino, California. (Conservative)
R ABBI J OEL H. M EYERS
Executive Vice President of the Rabbinical Assembly, the professional association of Conservative rabbis in the United States, New York City. (Conservative)
R ABBI D R . I SMAR S CHORSCH
Chancellor, The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, the academic and spiritual center of Conservative Judaism worldwide, New York City. (Conservative)
24
R ABBI D AVID A. T EUTSCH
President, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Wyncote, Pennsylvania. (Reconstructionist)
25
R ABBI N ORMAN L AMM
President, Yeshiva University, New York City. (Orthodox)
R ABBI A VI S HAFRAN
Spokesperson for Agudath Israel in the United States, a broadly based Orthodox Jewish movement, New York City. (Orthodox)
After Words
D R . E UGENE J. F ISHER
Associate Director, The Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, National Conference of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference, Washington, D.C. (Roman Catholic)
J IM S IBLEY
Coordinator of Jewish Ministries, North American Mission Board, Southern Baptist Convention, Dallas, Texas. (Southern Baptist)
Reflections at a journey s end.
Epilogue
Appendices
About the Author
Copyright
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Acknowledgments
This book was blessed by many people whose enormous generosity will be apparent to the reader. To those in particular who overcame doubt that a book on this subject was possible, or even desirable, my great thanks. If it has even partially succeeded it is only because they took the time to help the reader understand the issues.
Others whose help was immeasurable are less obvious. Throughout the world are a legion of, mostly, women, identified as secretaries and assistants who keep the great institutions (and their leaders) running. Invariably, they make themselves known only by first names, and only when asked. To all of them-Iris, Irit, Dot, Malka, Jean, and many more-my thanks and admiration. So too my thanks to extraordinary people who devote themselves to the care and use of Jewish libraries, among them Henry Metzger and Roy Segal.
I am blessed with intelligent and caring family, friends, and mentors whose belief in this book and time-consuming help played as great a part in its accomplishment as anything I did.
My thanks and love to Amy Hyman, who, when she married my brother, did not know she was also marrying this book, which would not have happened without her transcriptions, research, commentary, advice, and enthusiasm.
And to Moshe Samet, whose research and discussions on the Who Is a Jew? issue gave me a place to start.
Thanks for their help and guidance to Dr. William and Gloria Lewit, Rabbi David Ellenson, Diana Marshall Weissberg, Rabbi Louis Jacobs, Rabbi Lionel Blue, Shoshana Cardin, Rabbi Amy Klein, Rabbi Shaul Feinberg, Marilyn Henry, Debra Nussbaum Cohen, Ira Rifkin, Anat Ben-Dor, Sasha Treuherz, Victor Gelb, Manfred Moses, Mark Michaels, Karen R. Klestzick, Susan and Augie Hasho, Davie Hyman, Seymour Feldman, Bette Greenfield, Daniel and Wendy Greenfield, Nancy Q. Keefe, Mary Carr, Jonathan E. Freeman, Kim Kavin, Louise Tutelian Morgenstern, Jean Patman, Elemir Horvath, and Janet and Loring Pratt. And to my mother, Betty Fisher Grundies, who lovingly answered my questions and supported me in this quest though it renewed sometimes painful memories.
My thanks to Gary Sherlock, Robert W. Ritter, Kenneth Paulson, Laurie Thomas, Bill Madden, Jeff Walsh, and all the staff, managers, and executives of Gannett Newspapers who extended themselves to give me time for this book.
At Jewish Lights, special thanks to Antoinette Matlins, Arthur J. Magida, and Sandra Korinchak.
When I mentioned to Stuart Matlins, the publisher of Jewish Lights, that I was thinking about writing a work of fiction on the subject of Who Is a Jew?, he said, It s too important to be a novel. May all writers know the pleasure of working with a publisher whose first goal is to change the world.
Some may take issue with all or part of this book. Such complaints should be directed to me. The persons who helped with this book are in no way to blame for its shortcomings.

Jews live throughout the world. I chose to look at this question intensely in three places: Israel for obvious reasons; the United States because it contains the greatest number of Jews and because I am American with a particularly American identity problem; and England because, while its Jewish population is small, it is a highly visible minority in an overwhelmingly Christian society.
A note about the conversations:
I do not speak Hebrew. Fortunately for me, and for the reader, educated Israelis speak wonderfully colorful English, generally with American accents and idioms, and Hebrew-Israeli inflections and cadences.
Almost everyone included in this book was interviewed in person, with few exceptions. Because these were conversations rather than straight question-and-answer interviews, I deleted most of my own sta