Download Jewish spirituality

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I !o it for us, because we're not about spiritual cerainty; we're about living authentically and emiracing the riches of our heritage in a world where
here are no certainties—only possibilities. In reading out to expand our movement and its influence,
ve must be true to ourselves and what we have
o offer.
freedom, and commitment to meaningful observance of the Jewish renewal movement are important to revitalizing Judaism. If we work at it, we
can help American Judaism rediscover the spiritual
strength to survive. •
Let What Works for Us now Work for Others
Jewish spirituality
lere are the challenges we face:
Edward
1) We must reach beyond our own generation. For
dds shaped by Walkman, He-Man and Reagan, we
nust find forums and language to communicate the
possibility of personal empowerment through comnunity. We must tell kids (including our own) as
:amp counselors told us, don't imitate us: create
Vour own Judaism.
"Each person experiences God through the gates of
his own heart." —Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav
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!) We must break out of language and mindsets
hat were narrowly relevant to the 1960's, and keep
>ur focus on what is universal about our model of
.piritual search. Neo-mystical groups need to shake
)ff the language of 1960's experiments with Eastern tradition and drugs and speak to the hunger for
•ranscendent experience and spiritual connection
vhich still exists among young people today. And
hey must grow beyond dependence on a charisnatic leader. P'nai Or has dispersed responsibilties and expanded, but Rabbi Zalman Schachterihalomi is still the key.
1) We must reach out to unaffiliated Jews and the
arger community in ways that fit with our decenralized style, which is our strength. Havurot must
:reate more accessible, open services. We should
§o where the people are: instead of having study
; groups in our homes, we should organize them in
workplaces, downtown offices, senior centers. We
ihould develop partnerships: with synagogues for
study, with senior citizens for celebration, with
:ommunity groups for service. Feminist groups,
which are often closed for the sake of intimacy and
anpowerment, should consider new ways to absorb
people and give them models, such as "seed" conferences and workshops.
Reaching out is worth it. There is a spiritual crisis
m American Judaism. Many Jews aren't aware of
s,iheir own spiritual needs, and wouldn't dream of
' trusting their deepest spiritual hungers and doubts
to any institutionalized gathering of Jewish people.
As intermarriage and assimilation increase, we
can't rely on ethnicity to bond Jews. If we don't refiscover the spiritual core of Judaism, and translate
it to an idiom that Jews of the post-modern generation can understand, the Jewish community could
; be less than half its present size by our grand; children's day. The community, intensity, spiritual
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i.
Hoffman
The subject of Jewish spirituality is both exciting
and elusive. In a self-conscious way, it is also quite
new. Few individuals would have even used the
term, much less deemed it of significance, more
than ten to fifteen years ago. Rather, to those at the
forefront of the American Jewish experience
through much of the post-World War II era, the
building of institutions seemed the vital task. To
this end, impressive synagogues, recreationalsocial Jewish community centers and Hebrew
schools sprouted throughout the United States. During this period of rapid suburbanization, the
"brick-and-mortar" approach to Judaism stood virtually unchallenged. The question of exactly what
would transpire within the brand-new buildings was
decidedly secondary, if asked at all.
In many ways, this dominant outlook was worthwhile. Jewish gathering places became established
in even the most affluent American communities.
The visible presence of Judaism undoubtedly
helped legitimize it, along with Catholicism and
Protestantism, as one of the "three basic faiths" in
the United States. As a result, in part, antiSemitism dramatically decreased and Jews were no
longer viewed as "strange" or even particularly
"different" from other Americans. Employment
barriers and then social barriers concerning Jews
eased tremendously. But the negative side of this
encouraging development was, of course, accelerated Jewish assimilation.
Whatever its ultimate accomplishment, the "brickand mortar" era of Jewish expression eventually
came to a decisive end. Here and there, new communities in outer suburbia or the Sunbelt found the
need —and the means—to establish new synagogues and other institutions predicated on the
EDWARD HOFFMAN is a licensed clinical psychologist practicing in Smithtown, NY and the
author of several books, including The Way of
Splendor: Jewish Mysticism and Modern Psychology, and The Heavenly Ladder.
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same model that had dominated in previous decades. But clearly, the American Jewish community
had reached the demographic point when continued
expansion was over.
"What now?" has therefore become a vital question, and to many the answer seems more individualistic-spiritual than social-political in content.
Nearly all perceptive observers of the contemporary Jewish scene have come to this same conclusion. Hence, in a way, the reason for Sh 'ma's
present focus on the subject of Jewish spirituality.
Beyond Achievement to Lasting Meaning
Having been active as a writer and lecturer on this
intriguing topic for the past decade, I would like to
share a few observations. These are not definitive,
but do reflect consistent impressions. Certainly,
such impressions are based on my direct contact
over the years with thousands of spiritually-seeking
Jews who are often unaffiliated and alienated from
mainstream Judaism within the United States. Initially, many whom I encountered were fellow
"baby-boomers," with definite involvement in the
1960's counter-culture. Today, though, they are far
more diverse in age and background, yet possessing the same keen interest in authentic spirituality.
The following four points therefore seem most salient to me:
1) A sizable proportion—if not a majority —are extremely disaffected with what I have earlier termed
the "brick-and-mortar" approach to Judaism.
Many of these Jews have been strongly influenced
by the "small is beautiful" outlook that arose in
the 1960's. As a result, they could care less about
joining synagogues that are huge architectural masterpieces. In fact, "the bigger, the worse" is probably their unspoken perspective. They feel much
more comfortable when meeting at each other's
homes, or in an informal communal setting. I am
not suggesting that we raze our large institutional
buildings, only that they have a negative, and not
even a neutral, image for many spiritually-seeking
Jews nowadays. "Why, I haven't been inside a synagogue in years!" is an oft-repeated exclamation to
my ears.
In this respect, the fledgling havurah efforts over
the past fifteen years certainly represent a welcome
development. Yet, few synagogues in the United
States have embraced this approach, and I know of
no Federation programs that have actively done so.
Why there is such reluctance to de-institutionalize
is an interesting question to me. Does it stem from
a fear of losing power, influence, or just of the unknown? In any event, unless the "small is beautiful" orientation takes hold, I scarcely see
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mainstream Judaism effectively reaching out to
these spiritually-seeking, unaffiliated men and
women.
2) To most whom I meet, "Jewish spirituality" is
something they wish to incorporate into their busy
adult lives. Nearly all of the spiritually-seeking
Jews I encounter today are active professionals with
work, family, and community responsibilities. In
this capacity, they are hardly in quest of instant
"peak-experiences." They correctly perceive that
Judaism has always been a here-and-now religious
tradition, designed to guide those deeply involved
with the everyday world. It is a good thing that we
as Jews have never embraced a monastic way of
life, and the unaffiliated whom I meet find this im- !
mensely reassuring.
Seeing our Tradition as Spiritual Nurture
Yet, here too, few synagogues or Federation pro'
grams are meeting this legitimate need to relate
Judaism's teachings to personal concerns. For
example, the occasional, well-meaning lecture offered on "Jewish parenting" typically contains almost nothing rooted in actual Jewish concepts or
methods. With regard to more troubling and widespread psychological difficulties like depression or *
marital discord, the situation is even more prevalent. When these issues are addressed by the main- stream Jewish community, they are rarely if ever
placed in a spiritual context. Likewise with health
problems and those involving livelihood.
To the extent that this failure to connect Judaism
with day-to-day life issues persists, many sincere
individuals will continue to seek—and find—guidance from other spiritual traditions, Eastern or
f
Western. At the risk of immodesty, I must say that
my own approach to the Kabbalah has always been
to relate classic writings like the Zohar or early
Hasidic tales to contemporary interests.
Why aren't more rabbis and Jewish educators even
attempting to connect Judaism with the problems
facing youngsters and adults in our confused society today? Many religiously disaffected Jews who®
I meet clearly state, "I quit joining a synagogue
because it just didn't pertain to my life at all." Or;
"I found myself attending Jewish activities less an»i
less, and eventually, I just stopped going altogether." Is anyone in the Jewish mainstream really hearing these people? If so, what is anyone doing
about it?
3) Among those seeking greater spirituality in their
lives, there is a lot of willingness nowadays to explore sacred texts. The mind-set generated by the
1960's has gradually vanished, and most people art
no longer looking for "instant inspiration." They
are willing to read, to ponder, to analyze. But as a
corollary to my second point, the teaching effort
must become personally relevant rather than academic in tone. Thus, several rabbinic and lay
educators whom I know are utilizing such
psychologically-provocative works as Pirke Avot
("Ethics of the Fathers") or early Hasidic tales as
the springboard for discussions encompassing Jewish spirituality. In my own classes, I have recently
begun using Rabbi Moshe Luzzatto's The Way of
God, a marvelous Kabbalistic text of the early
eighteenth century, translated into English several
years ago.
Most Jews I encounter want to grapple with these
works, using their heads and their hearts. They
are interested in study groups, even doing a little
homework if they can fit it into their busy sched•• ules. They are definitely looking for continuity and
j growth in their spirituality; the era of the "quick
fix" is over.
i Reaching for Right Brain Judaism
j4) Finally, it has to be said that many of these men
and women especially rebel against the hyperrationality of contemporary Judaism in the United
States. In a time when even mainstream psychology
and counseling are finally recognizing our needs
for transcendental experience, most in the organized Jewish community are still personally embarrassed by the subject. For instance, seminal
psychological thinkers like William James and
Abraham Maslow convincingly argued that mystical or noetic experiences are basic to human nature.
!.- They found indisputable evidence that ordinary
people, in the course of everyday life, sometimes
undergo exalted states-of-being that offer intensely
meaningful vistas concerning human existence. Our
. sages have recognized this truth for millennia, but
in today's Judaism, one would hardly know it. Even
most mainstream classes on "Jewish mysticism"
are dry and pedantic, without even a shred of experiential activity. It is as if we Jews have never
danced, sang, told stories, laughed or cried.
Why this obsession with employing only our rational mode? Few of us, except for academicians or
scholars, really experience spirituality solely
through intellectual endeavor. In researching my
new book-in-progress on childhood spirituality, I
am finding this to be particularly so concerning our
early years. Thus, when asked to recall a key or
formative spiritual experience from their childhood, what many Jews remember with fondness is
not a classroom but a beloved grandparent, not a
didactic lesson but an encounter with aesthetics or
with nature.
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I am convinced that unless Jewish spirituality is approached by non-rational modes including the arts,
it will be correctly perceived by many unaffiliated
individuals as just another irrelevancy. There are
historical reasons for the academicizing of Judaism. That is, most modern institutions of Jewish
training in the Western world, outside of the Hasidic, are derived from the Germanic academicrationalism of the nineteenth century. From what I
hear, this situation is finally beginning to change on
the rabbinic-training level, but rather slowly.
In conclusion, let me attempt to define—in one
sentence and standing metaphorically on one foot—
what Jewish spirituality means to me: "Experiencing God and the sacredness of existence in every
moment." I am an optimist by nature, and I am
convinced that those concerned about Judaism today can effectively transmit our inspiring tradition
in the new era of challenges that lies before us. •
A venture in synagogue spiritualities
Joel E. Rembaum
A few years ago our congregation's ritual committee decided to make some minor modifications to
our Yom Kippur day service to accommodate an experimental two-hour study period between Musaf
and Mincha. A survey sent to the membership after
the holidays indicated that very few congregants
were upset by the change. One member, however,
not only expressed his displeasure to me personally
as well as in writing, he reminded me of it every
time I saw him in the months that followed. This
gentleman, a member for over two decades, comes
to services sporadically during the year. Though he
is very committed to traditional Jewish practice in
marking life cycle events (brit milah, weddings,
bereavement) he does not present himself as a
"spiritual seeker." The High Holidays are very special spiritual moments for him, however, and Yom
Kippur, in particular, is sacred time which is to be
spent, in its entirety, in prayer. Every year this man
arrives early Yom Kippur morning and does not
leave the synagogue until the shofar is sounded after sundown. The two hour break in the services,
with its study session and discussion, represented a
desecration of his sacred time. He had suffered an
affront to his spiritual sensibilities.
When we talk about a Jewish spiritual revival we
usually do not have Yom Kippur or this gentleman
JOEL E. REMBAUM is Senior Rabbi at Temple
Beth Am in Los Angeles, CA.