Start with Why: 21st Century Judaism
Rosh Hashanah 5784
Rabbi PJ Schwartz

 

 

In 2021, the Pew Research Center released its Jewish Americans study that explored the changing nature of Jewish identity in America.  The study found that American Jews are overwhelmingly proud to be Jewish, but their Jewish expression is more diverse than ever before.[1]  No longer is being Jewish solely a matter of religiosity  we all may have neighbors, friends, and family members who have largely left the institution of Judaism behind.  They don’t belong to a synagogue, they may have abandoned most Jewish practices, and they probably are not attending services this evening.[2]  However, they do gather together every Rosh Hashanah to get a taste of Grandma Betty’s brisket, light the Chanukah menorah, and even bring out the Maxwell House Haggadah for Passover.  Regardless of one’s Jewish practice, one’s connection to Judaism remains deeply rooted and founded by a sense of community and belonging.

 

What is clear is that 21st century Judaism is one in which every element of our Jewish identity is a choice, and that choice is a blessing. It means that when we choose to embrace Judaism, to associate ourselves with the Jewish people, it is a personal commitment and not one forced on us.  Identity is more fluid, people want more customization, and there is a strong sense that being Jewish is not necessarily synonymous with affiliation.

 

Our ancestors likely had little choice in the matter of being Jewish.  Their Jewishness was shaped by the ties of history, living in ghettos, and anti-Semitism. The concepts of survival and Jewish survival were one in the same.[3]  As a result, our ancestors felt bound by a sense of obligation and “commandedness”. By holding on to the traditions, customs, and practices that guided them during times of trial and tribulation, our ancestors could be resilient.

 

What I am sharing with you this evening is not new, nor is it surprising.  But it tells us something about the nature of the age-old “Why be Jewish?”. question: we are able to articulate the varied degrees of what Judaism means to people, and we are able to even identify how Judaism plays a role in one’s life.  What is lacking is the answer to the why.

 

The challenge of finding our “why” of our Jewish identities is similar to that of organizations or our careers.  We all know what we do – the products we sell; the services we offer or the jobs that we do.  And we even are able to express how we do it ‚Äì the things that we think make us different or stand out from the crowd.  But very few of us can clearly articulate why we do what we do.

 

At least this is the premise of Simon Sinek’s book, Start with Why. He asserts that it is difficult to define why because why challenges us to understand more deeply and more thoughtfully what motivates and inspires us.  It is the purpose, cause or belief that drives every organization and every person’s career.  It answers why the companies we work for exist, why we get out of bed each morning, and why should anyone care.

 

[4]So, too, our Judaism.  All of us have reasons for being Jewish, let alone affiliating with a synagogue.  Us simply being here on this Rosh Hashanah evening suggests that we may have stake in the game of being Jewish, but why?  Tonight, we are all Jews by choice, and are brought here because Judaism brings something essential to our lives, something that animates and drives and comforts us.  Perhaps we are here because our parents or grandparents brought us here when we were younger.  Perhaps we are here because we are on a new Jewish journey. Perhaps we are here because we want to hear the familiar music and prayers at this time of year. Perhaps we are here because the message of these Days of Awe resonate with us. But it is not a question about what Judaism can do for us – we know these answers. It can bring us community, a connection with God, and give us meaning and purpose.  But why do these things matter to us?[5]

 

The why of being Jewish, then, is about the feelings that are evoked because we choose to embrace our Jewish identity, regardless of what that identity may look like.  When we gather together during our Passover Seders and retell the story of the Exodus, do we feel a sense of connection?  When we sing Shehecheyanu together during times of celebration, do we feel a sense of joy?  When we are in pain, mourning the loss of a loved one, experiencing our own illness, do we feel a sense of comfort and solace knowing that we are not alone?  When we witness the suffering of others, do we feel a sense of commitment to them and are compelled to act on their behalf?  Discovering our why is about finding meaning and purpose in something greater than ourselves, something that transcends time.

 

As Reform Jews, we know that even the ancient teachings of our tradition on the surface can offer something for each of us if we choose for it to.  Our why is about making the choice to expand our comfort zones, our sense of awareness of ourselves and others, and taking a leap of faith to consider alternative expressions of the values that define us.

 

All of this is true for our congregation as well. We know the power of community, the importance of being there for each other in good times and bad, being part of a place to celebrate, and count, and share the many sacred moments in our lives. Too often do I think congregations focus on the what and overlook the why. Ron Wolfson, in his book Relational Judaism, notes that it is only after a congregation truly defines it’s why that the programming, services, budget, and even what type of oneg we have really matters.

 

We are a community because we believe that each and everyone matters, has gifts and talents to share.  Our why is about belonging and connectedness, the relationships we have, and the space for each of us, as Sinek describes, to pan for gold and discover the treasure of ourselves when we are at our best.  We believe we are sacred and at our best when we show up for each other and show up for the community at large.  We believe we are sacred and at our best when Judaism deepens our lives in some way, inspires us to improve the world, encourages us to find joy in our lives, and demands of us personal growth. 

 

Our why is about embracing the collective name Yisrael, which literally means ‚Äúone who struggles with God.‚Äù  Each of us has the right to eternally argue and grapple with ideas and questions.  And, if we are unable to get the answers we seek, we are encouraged to ask again.  We are called to not be afraid to challenge the status quo and our willingness to grapple and not remain stagnant is a very Jewish thing to do.

 

In a world filled with its complications and complexities, we may often forget that regardless of how we may connect with our Jewish selves, our why is best discovered when we are in relationship with ourselves, with others, and with God.  Rabbi Asher Knight reminds us that authentic and genuine Jewish living is about growing and becoming who we are, at every stage of life, in relationship with one another.  When we discover our why, and share that why with others, we can foster deep, enduring and meaningful relationships that transform our synagogue from a place of transaction to a home of transformative experiences.[6]

 

Edmund Fleg was born in Geneva to an observant family.  Overtime, he drifted away from Jewish practice.  Speaking of his childhood, he explained that religion was so much part of his life that he could not differentiate between what was religion and what was simply being a human being.  Like any adolescent, he began to criticize his upbringing and distanced himself from his Jewish identity.  However, his connection to Judaism increased as he watched Alfred Dreyfuss be convinced of espionage and sent to prison.[7]

 

In 1927, Fleg wrote his now famous “I Am a Jew” for his soon-to-be grandchild, wanting to ensure that his Judaism could be passed down to future generations.  His words are now codified within our prayer book, Mishkan Tefillah and are read to supplement the morning blessings:

• I am a Jew because the faith of Israel demands no abdication of my mind.
• I am a Jew because the faith of Israel requires all the devotion of my heart.
• I am a Jew because in every place where suffering weeps, the Jew weeps.
• I am a Jew because at every time when despair cries out, the Jew hopes.
• I am a Jew because the word of Israel is the oldest and the newest.
• I am a Jew because Israel’s promise is the universal promise.
• I am a Jew because for Israel, the world is not completed; we are completing it.
• I am a Jew because for Israel, humanity is not created; we are creating it.
• I am a Jew because Israel places humanity and its unity above the nations and above Israel itself.
• I am a Jew because above humanity, the image of the divine Unity, Israel places the unity which is divine.[8]

The affirmations that Fleg wrote for his future grandchild perhaps echo the why for many of us this evening.  As such, in the end, each of us must find our own truth and our own why.  Why be Jewish, and why be part of a congregation for that matter?  It is a question that I often ask myself, and I often struggle with discovering my own answers.  There are moments in which I know that I am Jewish because it enriches my life and provides a framework for how I live.  There are also moments in which I, too, feel distant from Judaism, unsure whether or not tradition, practice, ritual fulfill my own needs.  Discovering my why, like yours, begins with what we feel in our kishkes.  It is through our why that we can act, that we can identify the how, that we can experience a deepened connection with each other and even God.

 

I am Jewish because Judaism allows for my answer to “Why be Jewish?” to be incomplete.  Just as our sages taught us that we are not required to complete the work of creation and wholeness in our world alone, but we are also not permitted to abstain from it, as so long as we strive for completion and strive for discovering our answers to why, we are participating in a chain of tradition that has been passed down to us.

 

I am Jewish because I want to be another link in a chain that spans hundreds of generations, because I believe that to be Jewish means to bridge the past and future, a bridge over which all of us can pass.

 

I am Jewish because we are a tradition of action rather than belief.  My Judaism is defined not by my beliefs, but by my relationships, the connections I make with others, the everlasting bonds that are formed, and the gift of seeing a world full of wonder.

 

I am Jewish because we are a people proud to be an outsider, a people taught to identify with the stranger, widow, and orphan.  We are a people taught to embrace what is unique and different in each of us, taught to believe that each of us share divine sparks within, because each of us were created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God.

 

I am Jewish because its values are universal values, and provide assurance that we do not need to journey on our lives alone, that our lives can be transformed into sacred moments and sacred opportunities, and guide us when we are lost.

 

I am Jewish because to be Jewish is a gift that I have been given directly from my parents, who were given it by their parents, who were given it by their parents, and so on.  Judaism is a gift that cannot be returned, but always comes with the warranty that as long as it is well cared for, it can last lifetimes.

 

As Rabbi Alan Lucas wrote, “It is just not good enough to be Jewish out of stubbornness, sentiment, or fear.  We must be Jews out of knowledge, commitment, faith, and love.” We need our own answers to why, and if we don’t feel that our answers are good enough, if we feel that they are somehow inadequate, there perhaps is no better way of spending these High Holy Days, these hours of introspection, than formulating the answers to why.

 

This is the choice we all make – a choice to live proudly, passionately, and joyfully as a Jew, in a variety of different expressions.  To be in a relationship with each other, to connect with each other, to hear and be heard, and to know and be known.  Ken Yehi Ratzon.  May it ever be so.

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[1] https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/05/11/jewish-americans-in-2020/

[2] “Why Be Jewish?” by Rabbi Michael Friiedman, High Holy Days 2017.

[3]  “Why Be Jewish?” by Rabbi Michael Friiedman, High Holy Days 2017.

[4] Simon Sinek, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action, Penguin Books, New York: 2009, p. 39

[5] “Why Be Jewish?” by Rabbi Michael Friiedman, High Holy Days 2017.

[6] See Relational Judaism Handbook, Ron Wolfson.

[7] https://www.beth-israel.org/rabbi-lyons-blog-8_30_2019/

[8] Mishkan Tefillah, p. 41