"When I started walking to shul, people there started calling me Orthodox" That sounds like a suburban phenomenon. In Brooklyn's liberal Jewish community in general and its Conservative congregations in particular (three of which I have belonged to over the past 38 years) a wide range of observance is accepted without judgement. In NYC walking is the norm and driving the exception on weekdays and certainly on Shabbat.
This is very true, but I suspect that it's less because of diversity in observance than it is about walkability itself. In the suburbs (where I grew up), walking to shul is an obvious sign of being too observant to drive because of the significantly added effort involved. In cities like New York and Philadelphia (where I currently am), walking is the norm largely because it's the norm for EVERYONE. Even Conservative synagogues in major cities tend not to have parking lots and tend to be more annoying to drive to than to walk or take less visible forms of public transportation to. So walking to shul (or appearing to walk to shul after getting out of the subway) does not signal observance one way or the other. It's just part of city life. Are some of those who walk in the city also traditionally observant? I assume so. But most just do it because that's what you do in the city.
I think October 7th has brought into relief long standing dogmas across all denominations that continue to divide us along political lines. Too many vested interests unwilling or unable to see the new reality we face as Jews both in Israel and Diaspora. Keep up the thoughtful writing, Rabbi. You are a welcome voice of sanity in a sea of confusion
How does Perke Avot have any authority? How do the rabbis that wrote it have any authority? How do you have any authority to promote it? Torah law says none of you have authority to rule on Halacha. Halacha states that the Davidic King rules on disputes in halacha. What are you all doing sitting on MY throne making rulings over MY people?
"When I started walking to shul, people there started calling me Orthodox" That sounds like a suburban phenomenon. In Brooklyn's liberal Jewish community in general and its Conservative congregations in particular (three of which I have belonged to over the past 38 years) a wide range of observance is accepted without judgement. In NYC walking is the norm and driving the exception on weekdays and certainly on Shabbat.
This is very true, but I suspect that it's less because of diversity in observance than it is about walkability itself. In the suburbs (where I grew up), walking to shul is an obvious sign of being too observant to drive because of the significantly added effort involved. In cities like New York and Philadelphia (where I currently am), walking is the norm largely because it's the norm for EVERYONE. Even Conservative synagogues in major cities tend not to have parking lots and tend to be more annoying to drive to than to walk or take less visible forms of public transportation to. So walking to shul (or appearing to walk to shul after getting out of the subway) does not signal observance one way or the other. It's just part of city life. Are some of those who walk in the city also traditionally observant? I assume so. But most just do it because that's what you do in the city.
I think October 7th has brought into relief long standing dogmas across all denominations that continue to divide us along political lines. Too many vested interests unwilling or unable to see the new reality we face as Jews both in Israel and Diaspora. Keep up the thoughtful writing, Rabbi. You are a welcome voice of sanity in a sea of confusion
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This emoji can mean many different things so I'll just like it and comment here to let the algorithm help the piece travel until more is said :)
Oh, it’s about the state of Conservative Judaism, not my opinion of the piece! 😅
Great article. And thanks for the shoutout. :)
My pleasure!
How does Perke Avot have any authority? How do the rabbis that wrote it have any authority? How do you have any authority to promote it? Torah law says none of you have authority to rule on Halacha. Halacha states that the Davidic King rules on disputes in halacha. What are you all doing sitting on MY throne making rulings over MY people?
https://edwardnathanschwarz.substack.com/p/who-is-a-jew?r=5e930t