Two pieces caught my eye as appropriate responses to A.B. Yehoshua. One is by Natan Sharansky. The other, was written for the latest issue of Jewish Action, but is right on target. It's by Rabbi Moshe Grylack, the most intriguing Haredi journalist and intellectual I have ever met.
Yair Sheleg, however, misses the point.
The question on the table is whether both Diaspora Jews and Israeli Jews will commit themselves to being Jewish, and be willing to pay the price of that commitment.
Myobiter, I don't see why such a big deal is being made over the comments AB made.
ReplyDeleteHe made them most irrascibly, as is his wont.
Not only did he deliver his message not in the best of taste, he did it in an inappropriate forum.
This being said, I think he expressed a sentiment that many Israelis, of all stripes, feel in one way or another.
That is, Jewish life can really only be experienced in Israel. Should something tragic occur to Diaspora Jews (God forbid), then, what can we say, they had millenia of experience with this, and they made this lifechoice.
What was most remarkable about the entire symposium was the almost total disregard for religious observance. AB, or anyone else for that matter, never really addressed deeply religious observant Jews outside Israel vs. secular Jews within Israel (though of course I know what his attitude would be...), but I think this would have been a very interesting branch of discussion.
I agree that ABJ's remarks were not surprising. I'm only grateful that he offered them so openly and obnoxiously.
ReplyDeleteI disagree that most Israelis would agree with him. Most Israelis see themselves as Jewish first and Israeli second. The troule is that the elites agree with ABJ, and they work overtime to advance that agenda. See Amnon Lord's column in this week's Makor Rishon (not yet on-line).
Perhaps I was not clear enough.
ReplyDeleteAB was rather extreme in his formulation of the position, but I think his basic premise holds for much of Israel, religious or otherwise (possibly excluding Hareidim).
I have found tha that premise, that to be a good Jew all you need, basically, is to live in Israel and (possibly) serve in the IDF, is widespread.
I think to your typical (???) non-religious Israeli, a good deal of his/her Jewishness is defined and marked by living and participating in Israel.
For much of the RZ community the centrality of Israel needs no words from me. I have the sense of their at least slight contempt for Jews, especially Orthodox ones, who do not live in Israel.
And according to my reading, Israeli Hareidim see American Hareidim as 'Hareidi lite' or otherwise hareidily deficient.
Myobiter, has this not been your experience? Are you not aware of these sentiments within yourself?