thoughts on the consultation on conscience
I spent the past 3 days in DC at the RAC's consultation on conscience. it was an absolutely incredible program, best conference i've been to all year. here's some of the writing i did during the conference itself, just my thoughts as things went on...some of it is scattered, doesn't make sense out of context, or is really cheesy. had to give the disclaimer :). at the end there are also some funny/sensible quotes from various speakers.
(sorry, my LJ cut isn't working)
March 13
This IS American Judaism. I davened shacharit this morning in the Cannon Caucus Room, one of the largest rooms on Capitol Hill. I am living it. This is why the immigrants came, in 1654, in the 1820's, in the 1880s-1924. Yes, people feel an obligation to make aliyah because they can now. But I can, and do, live a life of freedom here in the US that so many others hoped for.
March 14
I needed these 3 days for me. To be out of the Brandeis bubble, and back in the URJ bubble. I needed to revitalize my Reform Judaism, to be reminded that I am on the right track. I needed to see good, vital, veritable role models, doing REFORM JEWISH things. Like the HUC students, the LAs, etc…I needed to see all these issues that are important to me from a Reform Jewish lens. My Reform Judaism isn't strong at Brandeis, because when I start observing more, I am labeled as something else. And Reform Judaism/the URJ are attacked, delegitimated, not Jewish enough. I'm afraid of losing my Reform identity as I experiment, because I don't have the constant reminder that that experimentation IS Reform. At Brandeis, it's “becoming Ortho.” It's not just the Jewish community that's derisive of Reform Judaism, but the Reform community that doesn't support increased observance. You get pushed off to BUCO, even if your beliefs are 100% Reform.
I feel like the Reform movement drilled its ideology into me throughout high school, and then cut me off in college. I am floundering. Kesher isn't enough. There aren't enough resources, role models, or just strong contact with Reform Judaism. But on the other hand…it's like NFTY and the URJ gave me the tools to live a Reform Jewish life for the past four years. And then they set me free, to see how I'd do on my own. They gave all the tools, babysat, and then some independence. I check back in every now and then. The resources are still there, it's my choice to call Rose or Molly. Just like my parents. They gave and taught me everything they could, but then set me free. And I still call them.
I think, to some extent, I've been too taken in by K'lal dialogue. Leora's post-denominationalism is not for me. Last week's discussion was good…the melting pot is overrated. We're all different colors, part of a big picture. I am blue, 100%. But I know that there's purple and red and green in the picture, and they're pretty too.
March 15
The RAC and college students: Machon Kaplan isn't enough. Social action is how to keep us active, because many college students, Reform Jewish ones, care about these issues. But they're not getting it from a Reform view at a NFTYevent every 3 months. How can we get Reform students involved on these issues from a Jewish point of view? Why isn't there an LA liaison to Kesher?
Some quotes:
“I think the President is a very transparent figure. I meant that in a positive way.” -Noam Neusner, White House liaison to the Jewish community
“I'm Al Vorspan, and I'm here because I invented the name 'Consultation on Conscience.' I also think I invented the name David Saperstein.” -Al Vorspan
“That is a weapon of mass destruction, when you kill 10% of your own people.” -Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS), on North Korea
“No scientist wants to make people, we want to make people better.” -a participant
“Global warming might be good for the ice cream business, but it certainly isn't good for the ice cream.” -Rabbi Josh Davidson
“If we had justice, we wouldn't need charity.” Ben Cohen (as in Ben & Jerry)