Re: Kol Isha

[Eliezer Kaplan <zelwel...>]

I wasn't blaming liberal movements-
I was just pointing out that talking about how 'Judaism has survived only
because it has accepted change' doesn't mean that every change is good.
Because it seems that if we change too much, too quickly, the center ceases
to hold.
                                EK



----- Original Message -----
From: "Alex J. Lubet" <lubet001 (at) maroon(dot)tc(dot)umn(dot)edu>
To: "World music from a Jewish slant" <jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org>
Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2001 1:17 PM
Subject: Re: Kol Isha


> Responding to the message of <004601c099c8$11187ba0$c4a7aec7 (at) ELNzelwel>
> from jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org:
> >
> > > In my view (and many others agree), Judaism has survived only because
it
> > has
> > > accepted change,
> >
> > Marvin- 2 words- Intermarriage Rate. I don't think Judaism is really
> > surviving in America!
> >
> Like Halachah, the reasons behind the high rate of intermarriage are
subject to
> many interpretations.  We're getting way off the subject of music, so I'll
be
> brief.
>
> The liberal movements in Judaism preceeded the recent wave of
intermarriage by
> many decades and thus they cannot in and of themselves be the reason for
it.  It
> is entirely possible that the liberal movements in Judaism are one of the
> reasons American Jewry has flourished as long as it has.  Couldn't it be
that
> the some of the more rigid elements of Jewish practice and attitude are
what
> drive some Jews out of the faith and into relationships that jeapordize
their
> continuing relationship to our community?
>
> A case in point.  The first rabbi whom I and my now-wife (who is Gentile
> emeritus and a Jew-by-choice) approached about her converting gave us a
look
> like we'd asked him to eat treyfe organic fertilizer.  It took us years to
get
> up the nerve to try again, this time with a rabbi who said 'great!'  (Both
> Reform rabbis, btw.)  Sixteen years and two Jewishly-involved children
later,
> we're very active in our shul, musically and otherwise.  Our congregation
is
> flourishing and grows every year.  There are many Jews-by-choice who are
very
> involved, some in leadership positions.  They bring a great deal of
passion,
> vigor, and new life to our community.  You get back what you give.
>
> Intermarriage is the problem you make it to be.  You want people to stay,
give
> them every reason to want to be involved and don't give them a reason to
leave.
>
> I wish I had something to offer on the issue of Kol Isha, especially since
> non-music items don't always get posted or get dissed.  But I'm wondering,
since
> I teach on Wednesday nights, if anybody caught the Barbra Streisand
concert and
> how was it.  I've always admired her dedication to tzedakah.
>
>
>
> Alex Lubet, Ph. D.
> Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor of Music
> Adjunct Professor of American Studies
> University of Minnesota
> 2106 4th St. S
> Minneapolis, MN 55455
> 612 624-7840 612 624-8001 (fax)
>
>
>

---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+