Modern Judaism: Issues and Challenges - Province of …

1 Modern judaism : Issues and Challenges judaism , like many other religions, religious perspectives, and traditions is always evolving and responding to, as well as reacting to, social, political, legal, and other developments, incidents, and trends. Although many of the Challenges faced by judaism at this time are unique to judaism , they are very relevant and constitute specific historical and contextual aspects that are important to understand and consider. Who Is a Jew? Multifaith, Multicultural, Multilingual, and Multiracial Diversity in Families The question of who is a Jew is a complex and challenging one as it in part depends on one's definition of a Jew, one's sense of identity, and the perspective of a specific person or group. For some, it means someone who identifies with and is a follower or believer of judaism and observes Judaic practices.

2 For others, Jews are people who have a shared history and identify with the Jewish people Figure 55: Kylie is an Afro Cuban-Danish-Spanish-Sephardi Jew. regardless of what religion, if any, they may practice or follow. Yet for others still, it is a question of genetics and genealogy. Traditionally, to be considered a Jew one must have a mother who is a Jew; it is based on matrilineal descent. Today it may also include converts who have been accepted and gone through a formal conversion process. Intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews, and the immigration of Jews from secular and non-Orthodox Jewish groups from Europe, Africa, and other places to Israel is changing traditional definitions of Jewishness and who has the power to arbitrate such matters for marriage, divorce, conversions, and other purposes.

3 judaism : A Supplemental Resource for Grade 12 World of Religions: A Canadian Perspective 99. A Question of Identity, Shared culture , and History For many persons of Jewish descent, being a Jew is a question of identity, culture , and of a sense of shared common history and experience. They identify as Jews regardless of whether it was their mother, their father, or another ancestor that was a Jew and regardless of their religious practice or beliefs ( , they do not follow the Jewish faith, or are secular Jews, or follow other faiths). One author points to this sense of shared culture , history, and experience in his description of secular Jewishness: The fact of the matter is that secular Jewishness calls on the same folk traditions and learns from the same traumas in Jewish history as does judaism . If it doesn't, it's not Jewish.

4 (Rosenfeld). Secular Jews are not a new or contemporary development. Rosenfeld states that the Lovers of Zion (Chov'vey Tsion), a group of young intellectuals living in Eastern Europe in the 1860s, were the first organized Modern Jewish secularists. Since then, Secular Jews have formed networks, associations, organizations, and congresses to bring them together and support each other in North America and in other countries. For example, the Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations (CSJO ) has 14 different affiliates across Canada and the United States. In Manitoba, there are secular Jewish organizations: the Sholem Aleichem Community and the United Jewish People's Order UJPO. A Question of Matrilineal or Patrilineal Descent? As stated earlier, traditionally, to be considered a Jew one must have a mother who is/was a Jew.

5 Jewishness from this perspective is based on matrilineal descent. Therefore, Orthodox judaism will consider an individual with a Jewish mother to be Jewish, even if that person converted to or was raised in another religion. Today, persons who have gone through a formal conversion process, would also be considered Jews. The tradition of matrilineal descent to determine one's Jewishness contrasts with other traditional Judaic beliefs and practices which are based on patrilineal descent such as tribal affiliation, priestly status, noble status, and so forth. While the Torah does not specifically state that matrilineal descent should be used, Jewish scholars and rabbis believe there are passages in the Torah which clearly propose that the child of a Jewish woman and a non-Jewish man is a Jew, and other passages where it is understood that the child of a non- Jewish woman and a Jewish man is not a Jew.

6 As indicated earlier, the tradition of using matrilineal descent to determine one's Jewishness is changing within judaism . Some Jewish denominations will now accept patrilineal descent, as well as converts who have undergone a conversion with a non-Orthodox rabbi. Reform judaism in the United States adopted such a position in 1983. (However, later Responsa were prepared to clarify the resolution and pointed out that it applied only to children 100 judaism : A Supplemental Resource for Grade 12 World of Religions: A Canadian Perspective raised exclusively as Jews. Children who came from families with religiously diverse faiths, and were raised simultaneously in judaism and another religious tradition, would not be presumed to be Jews and such children would be required to undergo formal conversion before observing bar/bat mitzvah in the synagogue.)

7 Today, all dominant forms of judaism accept converts, although the process and requirements differ between groups and not all conversions are recognized by all branches/denominations of judaism . In Rabbinic judaism , the laws of conversion are based on the classical sources of Jewish law (halakha). Halakha is regarded as authoritative by the Orthodox and Conservative movements. Halakhic requirements for conversion are Q instruction in the commandments Q male circumcision (if the male is already circumcised, a drop of blood is drawn). Q immersion in an appropriate body of water before valid witnesses Q acceptance of the commandments before a rabbinical court Orthodox judaism requires that conversions be performed in accordance with traditional Jewish law, as described above, and recognizes only those converts that have completed the conversion process under the guidance/supervision of an Orthodox rabbi.

8 Conversions by rabbis in other movements are not generally accepted by Orthodox authorities. Like Orthodox judaism , Conservative judaism requires that conversions be conducted according to traditional Jewish law. However, Conservative rabbis generally will recognize any conversion done in accord with the requirements of Jewish law, even if done outside the Conservative movement. The Union for Reform judaism requires converts to study Jewish theology, rituals, history, culture , and customs ; and to begin incorporating Jewish practices into their lives. The length and format of the course of study will vary from congregation to congregation, but most require a course in basic judaism and individual study with a rabbi, as well as participating in communal rituals, home practice, and synagogue life. The Central Conference of American Rabbis of the Union recommends that at least three rabbis be present for the conversion ceremony.

9 The Rabbinical Court of the Israel Movement for Progressive judaism requires an average of one year of study to become conversant in Jewish life and tradition. Following this, converts are required to immerse in a ritual bath, be circumcised if male, and accept the commandments before the rabbinical court. judaism : A Supplemental Resource for Grade 12 World of Religions: A Canadian Perspective 101. The Challenge of Mixed Marriages In North America and the Jewish Diaspora, intermarriage between Jews and non- Jews is becoming more common. In the United States, it is currently estimated that over 50 percent of Jews marry non-Jews. In Canada, based on the 2011 National Household survey, the intermarriage rate was 26 percent, a significant growth from 16 percent 20 years earlier. Some see the acceptance of Reform judaism of patrilineal descent as being in part, at least, a response to this growing trend.

10 However, other movements are increasingly under pressure to change their position and practices. Conservative judaism has acted to make it easier for children of intermarriages to join, subject to the condition that they convert to judaism before their bar/bat mitzvah. Figure 56: Collage Highlighting the Diversity of the Jewish Comunity 102 judaism : A Supplemental Resource for Grade 12 World of Religions: A Canadian Perspective On the other side, there is increasing concern with respect to loss of Jewish identity that may occur as a result of interfaith marriages. As Jews are a small minority in North America and in countries other than Israel, if Jews keep marrying non-Jews, future generations will consist of a smaller number of Jews. And this will mean that Jews in the future will be less likely to find a partner from the tribe'.