Studies in the Meaning of Judaism (JPS Scholar of Distinction Series)

2 / Creating Commitment in Our Religious Schools

2 / Creating Commitment in Our Religious Schools It is a sign both of some modest success in Jewish education and of some emerging maturity in the ranks of Reform Jewry that we can devote ourselves to this particular problem: the creation of commitment in our religious schools. It is not so long ago that we Jewish educators would have felt happy if we were transmitting to each child the facts of Judaism. Let the child know the Ten Commandments and memorize some of the more beautiful passages from the Bible. Let him be familiar with the prayer book and be able to read at least its more important prayers in Hebrew. Let him be acquainted with the history of our people, the cycle of its religious year and the important events in each man’s life. Indeed, this list of information is impressive and there are many who would still consider this their sole goal. But a little reflection reminds us that there is a considerable gap between the mind and the soul. It is one thing to know the facts of history , the terms for our ceremonies and the words of our prayers, and quite another to want to live by them. It did not take long for Jewish educators to recognize that more important than information was attitude— and the attitude of most Jews to Judaism in our society was decidedly negative. If the Jew was unhappy in his Jewishness he could scarcely be receptive or retentive, nor would he allow what Jewish information he absorbed to enter into his life. More important, the addition of knowledge would not of itself change the attitude, and unless a change was made, the system was self-destructive. 17 1956 POSITIVE JEWISH CONDITIONING So Jewish educators and Jewish parents (the true Jewish educators) set to work to condition a generation of Jews positively to Judaism. The Jewish holidays became the focus of this effort. Chanuko became a major Jewish festival as did Purim, and every Jewish pleasure from hakofos (synagogue Torah scroll circuits) to homontaschen (Purim pastries) was brought to bear upon our impressionable charges with wonderful results. By and large our children today have a sense of security in their Jewishness and, more than that, a positive attitude toward things Jewish. This success, let me add, stems not so much from the ingenuity and talent of Jewish educators as it does from two other essential factors. First, the very decision of our parents to relate their children affirmatively to their Jewishness and hence to take a stand themselves; and second, the innate value and worth of the Jewish heritage itself which, given a chance to be heard, has again asserted its ability to speak with meaning to us as it did in the past. But this in turn has brought us to our present embarrassment. Is Judaism a psychological gimmick we use to counterbalance our sociological maladjustment, an emotional sinking fund we lay up to offset the deficits we incur by being different—a means to self-delusion by which we hope to achieve some peace of mind? Or is Judaism today what it was in the past, a faith to live by, a set of values to judge by, and our primary source of truth about God, man, and the universe? If Judaism is more than a means toward adjustment, if it is more than an analgesic for our minority status, if it is an end in itself, if it is still meaningful, if it is still true, then we cannot settle for conditioning. Instead we require commitment. WHAT IS MEANT BY RELIGIOUS COMMITMENT? We require a Jew whose Judaism is a part of his very self, his identity, his life—one whose Judaism is no separate bundle of feelings or emotions which stands apart from what he is. We require a Jew whose Judaism is not something special or additional in him, but an essential part of him, as inseparable from him as his sense of duty, his reaction to beauty and his attitude toward right and wrong. His Judaism is what he is, because he has committed himself, his life, his talent, his knowledge, his hopes, his fears to Judaism, and, through it, he will live his days. Jewish educators who believe in Judaism are dedicated to making every child in their schools become this kind of devoted Jew. 18 A Glimpse The goal of...