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AJN DECEMBER 7, 2018 20 KISLEV 29, 5779 SHABBAT SHALOM COMMUNITIES, LEADERS AND YOUTH RABBI RAYMOND APPLE Progressive Judaism invests in growth PETER KOHN Bernstein sees grassroots growth and the opening of new History and STABLISHING new communities and populating their congregations, find- membership as the driving force of the chanukiyyah ing rabbinic and lay non-Orthodox Judaism in Israel. THERE are many keys to Jewish leaders for these, and Growth on the ground is critical, history. attracting Jewish he said, even as the IMPJ’s advo- Our books, our prayers, our youth are the three cacy arm, the Israel Reform Action songs, our food – certainly our Egoals outlined by Rabbi Danny Centre, continues representing the chanukiyyot. You discover where Freelander, president of the Jews have been by looking at movement on public policy and World Union for Progressive legal issues in the Supreme Court their Chanukah lights. Judaism (WUPJ), when he vis- You find a Moroccan and Knesset. ited Australia recently. chanukiyyah in the shape of He sees incidents such as the an Andalusian mosque and Rabbi Freelander was a special detention this year of Masorti’s European chanukiyyot in the guest of the Union for Progressive Rabbi Dov Haiyoun for con- shape of Gothic cathedrals. You Judaism biennial conference, held ducting a non-Orthodox Jewish get the political picture when from November 15-18, which wedding ceremony, which are out- you see chanukiyyot bearing the saw more than 210 rabbis, can- lawed in Israel, as a direct result of tors, administrators and volun- seals, coats of arms, cyphers and the growing success of non-Or- flags of an array of rulers and teers from among 27 Asia-Pacific thodox Judaism in Israel. regimes. congregations, schools and youth “Because of the success we’re You find musical menorot groups converge on Melbourne to having on a grassroots municipal that play “God Save the Queen” chart the future of the movement Rabbi Danny Freelander (left) and David Bernstein. Photo: Peter Kohn level, the rhetoric against us and and other national anthems, not in Australia, New Zealand and the sometimes the activity against us to forget menorot that play the Asia-Pacific region. As to finding leaders for of Progressive Jewish communities Hatikvah. on a national level by the Chief On the eve of the conference, Diaspora communities, one of the around the globe, which is par- Architectural styles and Rabbinate, by the charedi political the Jerusalem-based rabbi sat priorities is to maintain a flow of ticularly useful when they travel. artistic symbols reflect the parties, by some of the extreme down with The AJN to outline his rabbis, especially into the smaller “Israel and North America are milieu where Jews have lived. people in some of the other polit- movement’s global and regional communities, he explained. But the big centres, but there are two And of course there are Jewish ical parties, is becoming more vision. language and culture barriers are to three million Jews living outside motifs such as Biblical heroes, heightened. palm trees, lions of Judah, the “We try to create new congre- an important issue. “You can’t take of these centres,” he reflected, “and “I think they feel threatened, Ten Commandments, the twin gations wherever Jews seem to an American-trained rabbi and Judaism, particularly Progressive because every time we have a con- columns that stood outside be moving. We work from the drop that person into a Spanish Judaism, is the nexus between the gregation on a local level that the entrance to the Jerusalem theory that Jews always move, or Russian speaking country, so local culture and Jewish tradition.” succeeds, the ultra-Orthodox Temple, the crown of the Torah, sometimes because of antisemi- our work in the last few years has Another high-profile visi- even the synagogue Ark. population at that local level tells tism, sometimes out of economic been to create rabbinical training tor to the conference was David opportunity. The World Union programs, such as at our seminary their politicians, ‘Look these guys Bernstein, a senior executive of the are succeeding here’. We’re see- created communities in the 1930s in Moscow.” Israel Movement for Progressive in Melbourne and Sydney, as well ing heightened rhetoric against us, as in Johannesburg and Sao Paolo, we’re seeing language used against Thirteen per cent of secular Israelis “identify as us that’s worse than we’ve ever during the rise of Nazism. ‘ “But we’re now working to cre- Reform Jews and have encountered us at life cycle heard before by politicians.” ate opportunities just like in the And Bernstein made the point 1990s when we created new con- events and on chagim. that Israeli Progressive Judaism gregations in the former Soviet ’ is now an authentic expression With regard to the next gener- of Israeli culture, not, as some Union. Right now we’re working Judaism (IMPJ), who sat with The to create Jewish communities in ation, Rabbi Freelander sees the of its Orthodox critics claim, an AJN to explain new developments. Asia, in Spain, Portugal, parts of challenge as “how do we get young American transplant. The term he The latest survey by the Jewish A London silversmith of 1712 Italy, where there haven’t been people to turn on to creating their uses is “Israelisation” -- in fact, People Policy Institute showed created a menorah that shows Progressive Jewish communities or own Progressive Judaism, not just some of the Israeli synagogue that 13 per cent of secular Israelis the prophet Elijah explaining to any Jewish communities at all,” he what they inherit from their par- music developed in recent years, an Israelite woman how to fill her noted. ents”, and he sees youth move- “identify as Reform Jews and have by cantors and composers such vessels with oil. Rabbi Freelander described ments such as Australia’s Netzer encountered us at life cycle events as Boaz Dorot, is becoming pop- After the First World War Israel, with its 50 Progressive syn- as the key. and on chagim”, he said, and the ular at Diaspora synagogues. He someone designed a menorah in IMPJ has set a critical-mass target which the candle-holders were agogues, five more than last year, The rabbi is enthusiastic about a sees this as a sure sign that Israeli of some 800,000 members for its spent bullet cases. Earlier, 18th “as one of the World Union’s suc- new Find A Community app that Progressive Judaism has come of century menorot were made cess stories”. lets users connect with a wide array Israeli communities. age. from the metal hats of soldiers who fought in the Seven Years’ War, and some bore military THE PARASHA: insignia. Not that European countries allowed professing Jews to serve as soldiers, though there were Jewish traders who Redefining aspects of our past supplied the wants of the troops. In Britain it was not until the “Don’t judge yourself by your past – our past, we can choose to rede- easily achieved. To be sure, many late 1880s that professing Jews you don’t live there anymore”. RABBI fine it. Some of the greatest Jewish have tried and failed. But failure could officially enlist in the army, leaders in history emerged from is not an indication that it’s time which basically removed the S Jews we must live with YAAKOV GLASMAN the darkness of a bitter youth or final restriction on Jews in public the past but not in the to quit – it’s a life experience life. past. We are not defined a broken childhood. They went which fosters growth, resilience The defiant symbol of the by our mistakes. We found within himself an unpar- on to build nations, inspire the and determination to continue try- yeshivah in Sderot, the town A masses and empower the weak and ing until we finally get there. are not chained by our negative alleled resilience. He grew from under fire at the Gaza border, is a experiences. his negative experiences, rose to vulnerable. The Kotzker Rebbe famously menorah fashioned out of spent If there was ever a Jewish leader unprecedented power, earned the Judaism teaches us that just as said: "When you see two people rocket cases. who embodied this theme not only trust and respect of all who knew Joseph transformed his life in this on a ladder, one on the bottom as a philosophy in life but as a way him and helped millions of people week’s portion, we all have the rung and the other on the top, of life, it was the central charac- along the way. ability to move forward in our lives don't judge them until you see ter of this week’s Torah portion, Indeed, this week’s portion, in a positive and meaningful way. which direction they're going”. Joseph. Miketz, affords us a glimpse into We are afforded the opportunity It’s not about the destination but Joseph lived with this belief the gift psychologists refers to as of Teshuvah – returning to God the journey along the way. Joseph every day of his existence. “cognitive reframing” — the abil- and to our core. We are equipped understood this and became an Orphaned at nine, kidnapped ity to reframe our negative past with the ability to break away from inspiration to all. Let us all aspire at seventeen, falsely accused of experiences into transformative our past and map out our future to emulate Joseph as best we pos- rape and wrongfully incarcerated, lessons whose sole purpose is to according to our own terms and sibly can.

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