ask why
i've read the statistics that capture the assimilation rate, that necessitate jewish choices; jewish babies and jewish development.
but is pressuring a teenager to stay within the {[narrow} scope of his/her faith - (from marriage to child-rearing) - justified?
to the fearful, i'm sure it is. restoring the numbers of world jewry before the holocaust would be a great blessing, a sign of promise and perpetuation for the alien and the oppressed. but would we all wear the same clothes, go to the same shul, speak the same language? i'm sure there are certain jews that would object to the distinct society the assimilation-mongerers are suggesting. as a prospective jewish educator, it frightens me to hear that we are so belittled by statistics - a group of numbers that exalt taboos, xenophobia and warped cultural programmming, numbers which dignify the act of forcing jewish rites of passage on young people. demanding circumscision, an exclusively jewish sex life and restrictive childrearing (re: the kids HAVE to be jewish and cannot practice any other religion or culture) will not ensure our survival, but confirm our demise. before i tapped into my jewish identity, i was certain that the diversity of humanity reflected the diversity of the Divine. since when has judaism put a limit on the Limitless? and why are we neglecting to see the faces behind the numbers?
but is pressuring a teenager to stay within the {[narrow} scope of his/her faith - (from marriage to child-rearing) - justified?
to the fearful, i'm sure it is. restoring the numbers of world jewry before the holocaust would be a great blessing, a sign of promise and perpetuation for the alien and the oppressed. but would we all wear the same clothes, go to the same shul, speak the same language? i'm sure there are certain jews that would object to the distinct society the assimilation-mongerers are suggesting. as a prospective jewish educator, it frightens me to hear that we are so belittled by statistics - a group of numbers that exalt taboos, xenophobia and warped cultural programmming, numbers which dignify the act of forcing jewish rites of passage on young people. demanding circumscision, an exclusively jewish sex life and restrictive childrearing (re: the kids HAVE to be jewish and cannot practice any other religion or culture) will not ensure our survival, but confirm our demise. before i tapped into my jewish identity, i was certain that the diversity of humanity reflected the diversity of the Divine. since when has judaism put a limit on the Limitless? and why are we neglecting to see the faces behind the numbers?