Friday, October 30, 1998
Judaism solves challenges through religious, cultural
awareness
Face modern dilemmas by honoring history, community
By Lev Ginsburg
When I was asked to write this piece for the Daily Bruin on what
religion means to me, I was attracted to beginning with the
following conundrum: If having a well-developed cultural and
religious identity is an answer, what was the question?
How does an awareness of one’s ethnic traditions and histories
satisfy students who are immersed in the secular world and
concerned with the more pedestrian issues of career selection and
time management?
My attempt to resolve these questions is the basis of my
identity as an American Jew. I experience Judaism as a perpetually
challenging engagement with learning and Tikkun Olam (Repairing the
World).
Confronting the most challenging intellectual and moral dilemmas
characterize the history of Jewish thought. For me, Judaism is
predicated upon continuing and honoring a tradition of study and
education.
Judaism demands that its practitioners never blindly accept any
teaching but that learning be perpetuated as an interactive
process. Progress is achieved only insofar as one’s questions and
answers become more challenging and more comprehensive. What
captivates me are the debates with my peers and my teachers; any
conclusions that I may come to are secondary (and rare!).
The act of formulating and presenting my position defines much
of what it means for me to be Jewish. This learning process has
taught me that self-enlightenment of any sort does not "come easy."
Any literate mind can read, memorize and recite ancient words, but
it is my conviction that in order to do justice to those wisdoms –
and to honor those scholars who generated them – one must directly
confront one’s culture and histories and continue to critically
evaluate those legacies while mining them for nuggets of
significance to one’s self and to one’s community.
As a Jew, I have always been encouraged to point out the
strengths and weaknesses of an idea and grow intellectually from my
appreciation of any dialectic tensions which may arise. This
approach is as challenging as it is rewarding. These skills are
beneficial in all sorts of endeavors.
The other major aspect of my developing a Jewish cultural
identity is the notion that all people have a responsibility toward
improving the condition of the world and bettering the lives of
others. These contributions are individual but must include
teaching and practicing a lifestyle which tolerates diversity and
is open to change. As a guiding motif, Tikkun Olam accepts the
premise that imperfection is inevitable, but efforts toward
improvement are compulsory. My Judaism is one which is concerned
with providing social services to human communities, regardless of
religious background. It is about valuing those whose opinions may
differ from mine and being committed to protecting and defending
their ability to maintain those differences.
My Judaism is also about the strengthening of in-reach programs
within the Jewish community. Irrational exclusivity weakens the
brilliance of the world’s religions. Insularity is simply an
untenable posture for life in the 21st century.
We are responsible for each other by default. In an age of
uncertainty, when the world faces increasing levels of
self-destructive group-particularity, people are losing the ability
to talk with one another. Barriers to intercultural communication
prevent the positive learning engagement which I describe.
Just when technology can finally begin to meet our almost
ridiculous demands for speedy communication, we all too often elect
to present ourselves as self-sufficient islands in a sea of
independence. My background has taught me that we are creatures of
dependence, and we hold each other’s lives in our hands. All we
have is each other. Part of repairing this world – irrespective of
what one may believe about even the existence of any other "world"
– is mending the fissures in the lines of communication between
groups who won’t accept how truly similar and complementary they
are and can be.
One thing all good people must share is a commitment to
presenting ourselves as tolerant and patient souls, who want to
listen as much as we want to be heard.
The greatest challenge to American Jews is that of preserving a
vibrant, historical past in an uncertain social present. In the
absence of external enemies of any alarming significance, my Jewish
identity has formed at a time in which Jews are free to promote
themselves as the representatives of an ancient faith which can
resonate with the lessons of both antiquity and modernity.
Question: After a history of persecution, how can contemporary
Judaism forge a future of learning, virtue, responsibility and
righteousness?
Perhaps this question is the resolution to the conundrum I posed
to you at the beginning.
Comments, feedback, problems?
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