An army captain was trying to determine the religion of his men for their dog tags,. He called each one's name and each stepped up and answered affirmatively: "Jones, Catholic, sir...O'Donnell, Protestant, sir...Smith, Unitarian, sir...then Davidson was called. Davidson! The private got up and stammered, "well, sir, you see, my family wasn't really religious, we did some of our traditions, but mostly we... and the captain interrupted and said, "Jewish!"
I suppose if we were to go around the room today and ask individuals the question, “What makes you Jewish?”, we would hear many different answers. Some might say I was born Jewish. Others might say I chose to become Jewish. Still others might say that they feel Jewish in their hearts even though they do not participate on a regular basis with the organized Jewish community.
I remember once years ago, when an individual was approached to give money to the Federation, his response was, “I’m only Jewish because of an accident of birth.” It may not have been the kind of answer I would have hoped to hear, but it certainly was an answer to the question, “What makes you Jewish?”
Of course we have lots of jokes about gastronomic Jews, those who are tied to lox and bagels, blintzes, and challah. And we have many adults for whom being Jewish is just a pleasant childhood memory. Their active involvement in “all things Jewish” stopped after they left the ranks of their religious school.
Many in this room might say that their Jewish identity is strongly tied to their support of the State of Israel. Others might say that their Jewish identity was strengthened once they had children whom they felt obliged to teach about Jewish customs and traditions. Then there are also those who learned the hard way about Jewish identity through the ugly experiences of anti-Semitism.
Then of course once individuals identify themselves as Jews, they are often pegged by other Jews as belonging to one denomination or another. He’s an orthodox Jew, she’s a conservative Jew, they belong to the reform movement. He’s a reconstructionist, she’s Chasidic, he calls himself a member of a group called humanistic Judaism. Oh, yes, and then there’s the non-affiliated Jew. And if that isn’t enough, we can also mention someone’s ethnic background category of being Ashkenazic or Sephardic.
It all gets quite confusing. The bottom line is that we know we are not a race, although more than 65 years ago Hitler would have like to have convinced the world of that. We know that we are a complex people. When I speak to non- Jewish groups, I often use Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan’s definition of Judaism: We are an evolving religious civilization with our own legal system contained in the 5 Books of Moses and expanded upon by Rabbis throughout the centuries; we have our own way of eating called kashrut; our own lunar calendar with holy days set aside throughout the year; we are tied to a land, namely Israel; we have our own language, Hebrew (which is the language of our ancient texts and Israel); our own visual symbols and artforms (think about mezuzahs and menorahs); and our own ways of dress, such tallit, kippot, and tefillin.
Of course the real sticky issues start when we try to determine who is a Jew and who is not. As members of a conservative synagogue we adhere to the principle of matrilineal lineage. Yet we know that down the street from us, the South Street Temple accepts patrilineal lineage in addition to matrilineal lineage.
With so many complex definitions lying before us, maybe we need to change the question we ask about Jewish identity from “what makes you Jewish to what does your Jewishness mean to you? Is it part of your everyday life? What kind of influence does your Jewishness have upon your decision making processes. When you interact with others does your Jewishness come into play? Do you consider yourself a serious Jew?
Sometimes when we try to define ourselves, we end up speaking about ourselves in a hyphenated manner. We might use wording like “I’m an American-Jew or a Jewish- American.” How you phrase it might depend on how you understand the meaning of those combinations. Is Jewish American someone who cherishes being an American and will always remain so even if America one day is no longer friendly to the Jews? Is an American Jew someone who knows that without a doubt they will always proclaim their Jewishness no matter where they live although they feel happy to be living in America at this time?
Some of us remember when Golda Meir and Henry Kissinger were alive. During her time as Prime Minister, Golda Meir appealed to Henry Kissinger for increased American support for Israel. The Prime Minister marshaled many reasons for assisting Israel—the country’s geo-strategic importance, its promotion of democracy, its attitude toward the Soviet Union, etc.—but she also appealed to Kissinger’s identity as a Jew. Unimpressed, Kissinger responded, “I would like to inform you that I’m first an American citizen, second Secretary of State, and third a Jew.” To which Meir replied, “In Israel, we read from right to left. When Henry Kissinger was being chastised by Golda Meir for not being "Jewish enough" she was emphasizing her belief that being Jewish should inform one’s relationship with one’s life work and country.
If being Jewish informs your relationships and your mission in life, then it not only informs your beliefs but also your actions. Ethical behavior is your norm. Performing acts of tzedakah and g’milut chasadim (acts of loving kindness) are a natural part of the rhythm of your life. Being responsible for the well-being of all Jews no matter where they live is part of your consciousness. When the Jewish community needs your participation, you equate it to your family needing your presence. The ebb and flow of your life is aided by Jewish life cycle events and the Jewish calendar.
I do believe that when our Jewishness is taken seriously, when we let it inform every facet of our life, when we see the world through our Jewish eyes, we help not only ourselves but the rest of the world. I love that Judaism is oriented towards the ethical treatment of all human beings. I admire that Judaism allows us to wrestle with our faith in G-d but does not allow us to stop our pursuit of justice in the world while we are wrestling. I am glad to be part of a religious civilization that learns from the past and holds hope for the future. As we enter this high holy day period, may we all find ways to take our Jewishness seriously as individuals and collectively. Let’s not put labels on one another such as he’s religious or she’s observant. Let’s all strive to be the kind of Jews who recognize that being Jewish is a blessing.
Amen.
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