Define ‘Conservative’ Sir, – In commenting on Dr. Steven Cohen’s research into attitudes of rabbinical students toward Israel, Elliot Jager (“Are young rabbis turning on Israel?,” Jewish Ideas Daily, October 31) deduces that Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) students today have reconciled their Zionism with “universalist ideals and, in extreme cases, Left-liberal dogma that is anti-Zionist.”Reading the same report, I accepted Cohen’s conclusion that rabbinical students are “no less connected” and committed to Israel than previous students, although more critical of the current government. The reason for the difference between my interpretation and that of Jager may well be that for him, liberalism is to be frowned upon while for me, liberalism is a positive value that defends human rights, freedom of speech and conscience, and other democratic values.In his concern that if its future rabbis hold liberal political positions the Conservative Movement will no longer be able to “occupy the center” position in religious Judaism, Jager confuses our centrist theological position with a conservative political position.Conservative Judaism is not a political movement and has never been characterized by conservative political positions. Its most outstanding theologian, Abraham Joshua Heschel, was not only a leader of Zionist activities and the movement to free Soviet Jews, but was heavily involved in the American Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War protests.If rabbinical students are critical of some of Israel’s policies today, that only places them together with Israeli citizens who make up the opposition to the current government. Does this make all the parties to the left of the Likud, beginning with Kadima, liberal and anti-Zionist as well?There is no basis for stating that “Seminaries and professors have been unable or unwilling to provide their students with the moral compass needed....” Certainly, professors such as the current chancellor of JTS, Arnold Eisen, cannot be accused of neglecting morals and Jewish- Zionist values in their teachings and writings.Conservative Judaism has always stood for an attempt to preserve the Jewish tradition and Jewish law – hence the term “conservative” – while at the same time adapting Judaism to new times and new knowledge. That is where it stands today, and Zionism still forms a central part of its ideology, as it has since the days of its founders, Zecharia Frankel and Solomon Schechter.REUVEN HAMMER Jerusalem The writer is a former president of the Conservative Movement’s International Rabbinical Assembly and a columnist in The Jerusalem Post MagazineNothing academicSir, – I was shocked by Prof. Julio Pino’s malicious outburst at Kent State (“Kent State president lambasts Israel-bashing professor,” October 30). Shouting “death to Israel” in an academic forum is utterly unacceptable and comes dangerously close to endorsing a hate crime.Political slogans constitute freedom of speech, but “death to Israel” does not constitute a political slogan. “Death” implies violence against one or more persons and is not used in American politics when discussing institutions and states. More importantly, “Israel” is not merely a state: It is a concept intimately tied to Jewish history. “Israel” is also a people, an ethno-cultural community – not just a place on the map.
November 7: What's in a name
If Israel decides to take wider action against the Gaza Strip to stop attacks on soldiers and civilians, I appeal for a name less bombastic and arrogant than Operation Cast Lead.
Define ‘Conservative’ Sir, – In commenting on Dr. Steven Cohen’s research into attitudes of rabbinical students toward Israel, Elliot Jager (“Are young rabbis turning on Israel?,” Jewish Ideas Daily, October 31) deduces that Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) students today have reconciled their Zionism with “universalist ideals and, in extreme cases, Left-liberal dogma that is anti-Zionist.”Reading the same report, I accepted Cohen’s conclusion that rabbinical students are “no less connected” and committed to Israel than previous students, although more critical of the current government. The reason for the difference between my interpretation and that of Jager may well be that for him, liberalism is to be frowned upon while for me, liberalism is a positive value that defends human rights, freedom of speech and conscience, and other democratic values.In his concern that if its future rabbis hold liberal political positions the Conservative Movement will no longer be able to “occupy the center” position in religious Judaism, Jager confuses our centrist theological position with a conservative political position.Conservative Judaism is not a political movement and has never been characterized by conservative political positions. Its most outstanding theologian, Abraham Joshua Heschel, was not only a leader of Zionist activities and the movement to free Soviet Jews, but was heavily involved in the American Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War protests.If rabbinical students are critical of some of Israel’s policies today, that only places them together with Israeli citizens who make up the opposition to the current government. Does this make all the parties to the left of the Likud, beginning with Kadima, liberal and anti-Zionist as well?There is no basis for stating that “Seminaries and professors have been unable or unwilling to provide their students with the moral compass needed....” Certainly, professors such as the current chancellor of JTS, Arnold Eisen, cannot be accused of neglecting morals and Jewish- Zionist values in their teachings and writings.Conservative Judaism has always stood for an attempt to preserve the Jewish tradition and Jewish law – hence the term “conservative” – while at the same time adapting Judaism to new times and new knowledge. That is where it stands today, and Zionism still forms a central part of its ideology, as it has since the days of its founders, Zecharia Frankel and Solomon Schechter.REUVEN HAMMER Jerusalem The writer is a former president of the Conservative Movement’s International Rabbinical Assembly and a columnist in The Jerusalem Post MagazineNothing academicSir, – I was shocked by Prof. Julio Pino’s malicious outburst at Kent State (“Kent State president lambasts Israel-bashing professor,” October 30). Shouting “death to Israel” in an academic forum is utterly unacceptable and comes dangerously close to endorsing a hate crime.Political slogans constitute freedom of speech, but “death to Israel” does not constitute a political slogan. “Death” implies violence against one or more persons and is not used in American politics when discussing institutions and states. More importantly, “Israel” is not merely a state: It is a concept intimately tied to Jewish history. “Israel” is also a people, an ethno-cultural community – not just a place on the map.