Rosenblatt - Silverman dispute goes viral: Judaism is not liberalism
I think you have latched on to politics because you are searching for something to build. There is only so much pulling down one can do without feeling utterly destructive.... You are driven. You are passionate. I pray that you channel your drive and direct your passion to something positive, something that will make you a better and more positive person, something that will allow you to touch eternity and truly impact the world forever. I pray that you pursue marriage and, if you are so blessed, raise children.I noted in my earlier post that Silverman's father had written an obscenity laden comment on JewishPress.com, the site that carried the letter. Now, some larger sites have stepped in (Hat Tip: Benny).
Jezebel writer Katie J.M. Baker reacted to the letter today with a scathing response:The Jewish Press' Stephen Leavitt was surprised by the raw nerve Rabbi Rosenblatt's letter touched.
Why is Rabbi Rosenblatt so threatened by Sarah Silverman? Because — make no mistake — that's exactly what he is. He's clearly threatened by the fact that a 42-year-old childless (gasp!), unmarried (double gasp!) woman (TRIPLE GASP!) wields so much power and influence — and that she actually seems fulfilled by her unorthodox life choices.But most importantly, Silverman's dad took to the comments section on Rosenblatt's post and fired off a couple of warning shots:
Hey asshole: Daughter #1 is a rabbi. Not by your standards. She's reform. How dare she, a lowly woman think god wants her to be a rabbi, created from a mere rib. Her hubby, three times nominated for a nobel peace prize was listed by the Jerusalem Post as the 49th most influential jew in the world built the worlds largest solar field in israel. By the way, Sarah was also on the list. I missed your name. Oldest granddaughter is serving in the Israel Defense Forces. I'm sure you also served.Oh I forgot the orthodox don't do that. You don't fuck with my family.
I propose that many of the Jewish-American commenters got so upset because the Rabbi crossed a line. But the line he crossed was not about his views on motherhood, but rather his views on the role of the Rabbi and of Judaism.
Judaism, to some of those commenters, belongs locked in a box in a synagogue, and should never be allowed out to offer any moral observations, opinions or guidelines that disagree with the most permissive of Western cultural values.
As expressed by some of these commenters, Silverman actually represents “Judaism” to them.
Some of them might have a list of humanitarian/liberal values and call them Jewish values, while taking traditional Jewish values like Shabbat and Kashrut (as well as Judaism’s own social values), and relegating them to archaic, comical, even dark places in the culture.
For them, Judaism is Liberalism. A definition and identity where anything is permitted, alongside a strong pride in their cultural/ethnic identity as Jews, regardless of whether that identity actually represent a Jewish value system, or an accident of birth.
The question is certainly open as to whether the Rabbi was right or wrong in his analysis of Silverman, but one thing is clear, Rosenblatt rattled something deep and painful in the psyches of those who define themselves as cultural/ethnic Jews, without any actual Judaism to go with it.I would add that some of those commenters are outraged because of the guilt they feel at having their 'Judaism' thrown in their face in favor of real, authentic Judaism. Maybe they should try learning something about the real thing. They may be surprised.
Labels: Judaism, liberal Jews, Sarah Silverman
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:14 AM
7 Comments:
I would add that some of those commenters are outraged because of the guilt they feel at having their 'Judaism' thrown in their face in favor of real, authentic Judaism.
Be more honest Carl :)
It's not the Reform that don't accept other 'streams' of Judaism. They don't declare the Orthodox as 'heretics'. However the Orthodox do declare THEM as 'heretics'.
If one were to take this to it's logical conclusion, then one can say the Orthodox are playing at being God and judging.
You and Stephen Levitt overlook or downplay the the prime reason why the Reform are rejected as 'heretics' by the Orthodoxy.
It's not because they're liberal, or sexually more 'open' as Sarah Silverman is. If that were so then the sinning Orthodox would be declared 'heretics'.
The reason the Orthodox and Reform are at each others throats, is because they don't believe in the divinity of the Torah, and that they have atheist Rabbis. They don't believe God exists, some streams of Reform at least.
In any event, being 'sexually' immoral is not as bad as sanctioning murder of your own, which the Reform don't. The Nationalist Religious DO sanction murder of their own, although they don't call it murder, they think they're performing a mitzvah when they declare a President Rabin a 'rodef' worthy of killing by divine sanction, as Yigal Amir believed.
None of the murdering settler thugs are Reform.
instead of giving tochacha to someone who is not going to listen (there are serious issues when doing this), why not give praise to someone like mayim biyalik, who while modern, and having some strange ideas about child rearing...is frum, modest and is raising two beautiful boys
this has nothing to do with liberalism vs judaism and everything to do with a rav trying to get his name in the papers
sarah has never put herself out of the model of a jewess, so im really not sure what the point of any of this is...shes a comic...like lenny bruce
oh, and next time, you might wish to warn your readers if an article is not safe for work
The Rabbi is right in his letter, i love stand up comedians just like most (I hope) but you don't need to be anti religious to be success full,just look at comedians like Russell Peters or John Pinette.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Daj_mijJMCI&feature=related
Looking at the rest of SSilverman family, it is just as well she is not reproducing; she has mental issues and so has dad: aggression masks some problems. I sincerely hope she does not have kids.
Sarah Silverman is half right. Liberal atheist far left faux communist Jew bashing vegan feel good any -ism but Judaism let's condemn the Jews in Israel while raising up the SPCA, gay rights and bake sales for Darfur is the definition of Reform Judaism and more than a negligible swath of egalitarian Conservative Judaism in the US, at any rate.
Reform largely means nothing at all any more whatever the goals it set out to attain a hundred years ago. Nothing specifically Jewish, that is. But if you want a big bag of vapid unassailable platitudes like "It's nice to be nice!", "Meat is Murder!" and so on then Reform is the branch for you. Not only don't you have to actually embrace or believe anything Jewish or anything remotely regarding faith, you don't have to believe anything at all. Just flick on MSNBC and worship the New Messiah Barack Gaius Julius Caesar Marx Obama.
Wow! Muslima biatch Chayma knows less zip about Judaism than could be imagined. This while she proclaims that Islamic drek can play god and judge all they want.
Silverman's wanna be tough guy attitude will get him into trouble. His profane and threatening hand motions aren't taken lightly by the rosenblatt family. The Rosenblatt's will protect first, ask questions later.
The point here is: He and his daughter don't represent Judaism. Our beautiful Torah, outweighs solar panels, reform rabbis and crude jokes. The fact that he and his daughter are influential Jews, is the problem Yaakov was addressing. Bravo Yaakov !!
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