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Friday, October 30, 1998

Judaism solves challenges through religious, cultural awareness

Face modern dilemmas by honoring history, community

By Lev Ginsburg

When I was asked to write this piece for the Daily Bruin on what religion means to me, I was attracted to beginning with the following conundrum: If having a well-developed cultural and religious identity is an answer, what was the question?

How does an awareness of one's ethnic traditions and histories satisfy students who are immersed in the secular world and concerned with the more pedestrian issues of career selection and time management?

My attempt to resolve these questions is the basis of my identity as an American Jew. I experience Judaism as a perpetually challenging engagement with learning and Tikkun Olam (Repairing the World).

Confronting the most challenging intellectual and moral dilemmas characterize the history of Jewish thought. For me, Judaism is predicated upon continuing and honoring a tradition of study and education.

Judaism demands that its practitioners never blindly accept any teaching but that learning be perpetuated as an interactive process. Progress is achieved only insofar as one's questions and answers become more challenging and more comprehensive. What captivates me are the debates with my peers and my teachers; any conclusions that I may come to are secondary (and rare!).

The act of formulating and presenting my position defines much of what it means for me to be Jewish. This learning process has taught me that self-enlightenment of any sort does not "come easy." Any literate mind can read, memorize and recite ancient words, but it is my conviction that in order to do justice to those wisdoms - and to honor those scholars who generated them - one must directly confront one's culture and histories and continue to critically evaluate those legacies while mining them for nuggets of significance to one's self and to one's community.

As a Jew, I have always been encouraged to point out the strengths and weaknesses of an idea and grow intellectually from my appreciation of any dialectic tensions which may arise. This approach is as challenging as it is rewarding. These skills are beneficial in all sorts of endeavors.

The other major aspect of my developing a Jewish cultural identity is the notion that all people have a responsibility toward improving the condition of the world and bettering the lives of others. These contributions are individual but must include teaching and practicing a lifestyle which tolerates diversity and is open to change. As a guiding motif, Tikkun Olam accepts the premise that imperfection is inevitable, but efforts toward improvement are compulsory. My Judaism is one which is concerned with providing social services to human communities, regardless of religious background. It is about valuing those whose opinions may differ from mine and being committed to protecting and defending their ability to maintain those differences.

My Judaism is also about the strengthening of in-reach programs within the Jewish community. Irrational exclusivity weakens the brilliance of the world's religions. Insularity is simply an untenable posture for life in the 21st century.

We are responsible for each other by default. In an age of uncertainty, when the world faces increasing levels of self-destructive group-particularity, people are losing the ability to talk with one another. Barriers to intercultural communication prevent the positive learning engagement which I describe.

Just when technology can finally begin to meet our almost ridiculous demands for speedy communication, we all too often elect to present ourselves as self-sufficient islands in a sea of independence. My background has taught me that we are creatures of dependence, and we hold each other's lives in our hands. All we have is each other. Part of repairing this world - irrespective of what one may believe about even the existence of any other "world" - is mending the fissures in the lines of communication between groups who won't accept how truly similar and complementary they are and can be.

One thing all good people must share is a commitment to presenting ourselves as tolerant and patient souls, who want to listen as much as we want to be heard.

The greatest challenge to American Jews is that of preserving a vibrant, historical past in an uncertain social present. In the absence of external enemies of any alarming significance, my Jewish identity has formed at a time in which Jews are free to promote themselves as the representatives of an ancient faith which can resonate with the lessons of both antiquity and modernity.

Question: After a history of persecution, how can contemporary Judaism forge a future of learning, virtue, responsibility and righteousness?

Perhaps this question is the resolution to the conundrum I posed to you at the beginning.

Comments, feedback, problems?

© 1998 ASUCLA Communications Board[Home]

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