Guest Blogger: How U.S. Jews Can Best Help Israeli Jews

Today's guest blogger is Joshua M. Z. Stanton, a 2007-2008 Interfaith Youth Core Fellow and graduate of Amherst College. He is now a first-year rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College in Jerusalem.

Three weeks ago, I came to the holy city of Jerusalem prepared to convince fellow first-year rabbinical students at Hebrew Union College (affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism) of the importance of inter-religious tolerance. Yet every student I approached seemed very emphatic about the need to improve relations between Jews, Christians, and Muslims en route to a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. In fact, the only harsh words that I heard were not about Muslims, Christians, or members of any other religion, but fellow Jews – namely the Ultraorthodox, whose numbers continue to climb rapidly within Jerusalem and whose practices and political clout frustrate the day-to-day activities of other, less traditional Jews.

As I spent more time in the city, I realized that such feelings of hostility between progressive and traditionalist Jews are not confined to the halls of seminaries. While standing in line for tickets to the Jerusalem Wine Festival, I received a flier from a secular Jewish Israeli that equated the Ultraorthodox to the Taliban. With a picture of two women wearing burquas looming in the background, it asked a number of provocative questions about why, for example, the theater was not permitted to remain open on Friday evenings in Jerusalem. I also learned that women are strongly advised to avoid certain neighborhoods if they are not dressed according to Ultraorthodox standards of modesty, and that there had been incidents of violence when such standards were not met.

According to many Israelis, the Ultraorthodox meet Eboo Patel’s definition of “religious totalitarians.” They see no room for compromise with members of their own religious community, much less those of other religions. And the divide between them and mainstream Israeli society continues to grow, as Israel’s dot-com and biotechnology companies propel the country to the forefront of science, and its cultural icons – including Yitzhak Perlman, Natalie Portman, and Amos Oz – receive acclaim well beyond the bounds of the Jewish community. While many Israelis pride themselves on being at the cutting edge, a large number of Ultraorthodox bide their time considering the merits of a possible third temple which, it just so happens, would be built on the same real estate as the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa Mosque. It is not possible to simply ignore the intra-religious divide, particularly given the repercussions, both within Israel and internationally, but few have devised any strategies for handling this sort of problem. Can dialogue work? Or must a new tactic be developed for handling rifts within a religious community?

I think that perhaps the best example of intra-religious problem solving is taking place at present within the Muslim community. According to Dr. Sayyid M. Syeed, Director of the Islamic Society of North America’s Office of Interfaith and Community Alliances, European Muslims are finding it more difficult to adapt to life in Western-style democracies than their American counterparts. In part this may be due to the greater prejudice that they face in Europe. Yet, irrespective of cause, he notes that “‘They perpetuate the same mentality and same approach in Europe”’ as the one to which they were accustomed in their countries of origin, while American Muslims have quickly espoused civic engagement and participation. In this way, Dr. Syeed holds, American Muslims serve as models for their coreligionists in Europe.

Much as the American Muslim community can provide an example to its European counterpart, it might be possible for the American Jewish community to model intra-religious tolerance for Israeli society. Certain behaviors on the part of the Ultraorthodox must be dropped unequivocally – notably any plans to build a third temple at the expense of two mosques and all violence against women deemed to be dressed immodestly. However, it may be possible through dialogue and the articulation of a common set of goals to at least mitigate the most heated disagreements. If transplanted back in Israel, a common agenda and set of strategies for arbitrating disputes could provide a basis for intra-religious cooperation and reduce the tensions that might otherwise lead to internecine strife over the issue of Israel’s identity.

The content of this blog reflects the views of its author and does not necessarily reflect the views of either Eboo Patel or the Interfaith Youth Core.

By Eboo Patel  |  July 23, 2008; 2:54 PM ET Save & Share:                 
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