Jewish life in North America won’t survive if it continues to be mired in the past and fixated on the Holocaust and denominational divisions.

 

This was the key message delivered by Toronto author David Bezmozgis and Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) chancellor Arnold Eisen in a engrossing and at times provocative discussion hosted by Beth Tzedec Congregation Oct. 6.

 

“Where Do You Think You Are? A Dialogue About the Future of Jewish Life in the Diaspora” drew close to 200 people to the synagogue’s banquet hall and was moderated by Holy Blossom Temple’s Rabbi Yael Splansky. 

 

Beth Tzedec’s Rabbi Baruch Frydman-Kohl introduced the speakers, each of whom emphasized a somewhat different approach to reinvigorating Diaspora Judaism for future generation.

 

Bezmozgis, the acclaimed, Latvian-born novelist and filmmaker whose latest book, The Betrayers, has been shortlisted for this year’s Scotiabank Giller Prize, proposed Hebrew language and literacy training as a way to draw young North American Jews to Jewish and Israeli culture.

Eisen, an American writer and one of the world’s foremost authorities on American Judaism, spoke of finding ways to better communicate across generations and denominational lines.

 

“Anyone touring [former centres of Jewish life in Europe] will mostly see a lot of cemeteries. This type of shtetl-based, Yiddish-language Judaism is, for all intents and purposes, gone,” Bezmozgis said, adding that the future lies with the Hebrew language.

 

“We should be teaching Hebrew even to Jews who aren’t religious… to hear the culture, go to the land, listen to the music. If I was in charge of North American Jewry, I’d say, ‘Here’s a bunch of money, let’s put it toward teaching [young Jews] Hebrew.’ I would give less to Holocaust education, which I don’t think is the priority now, and less money to Israel. We in North American need it more than they do, I think.”

 

While Israel has clearly functioned as a refuge for historically persecuted Jews, Bezmozgis said, predominantly secular Jewish life in North America can’t be sustained if it continues to focus on the Holocaust as a medium for self-perpetuation.

 

“I don’t believe in God, but Judaism has rich traditions and culture that have survived for thousands of years, and I would hate for those to disappear,” he said, adding later, “[our continuation] also hinges on Israel. If it becomes a theocratic state [dominated by the religious right], we’ll probably lose a lot of young North American Jews.”

 

Eisen agreed that Diaspora Jewry needs to change tack and openly acknowledged the challenges it faces, but he spoke more optimistically than Bezmozgis about North American Jewry’s ability to sustain itself.

 

“Modern Jewish life is kind of an experiment,” he said. “We’re trying to live in two civilizations at once – we want to have a thick Jewish life, but also to be part of the larger, secular culture… Will we make it? I think we will be able to, though maybe not in as large numbers [as before].”

 

He added: “We’ve just got to find a way to give thickness to a Jewish life that’s still in touch with religion but not [necessarily] be bogged down with this intense [Orthodoxy] that many Jews don’t want to associate with.”

 

He said Jews need to get better at talking to each other despite differences in religious affiliation. As well, though he doesn’t advocate for a purely secular Jewish culture, he believes cultural or secular Judaism is important for Jewish continuity.

 

“We can’t afford to the let the haredim go off into a ghetto,” he declared. “I second [Bezmozgis’] notion that we have to figure out a model that appeals to all Jews. Let’s find Sabbath activities that aren’t strictly religious… If I were [head of a Jewish] federation, I’d put the money there.”

 

Both speakers cited some of the findings in last year’s Pew Research Center report on American Jewry, such as increased assimilation and rates of intermarriage, and discussed ways to counter these challenges.

 

Bezmozgis also called for North American Jewry to attract young Jews by looking at Israel “warts and all,” as is done in Israel itself.

 

Both Bezmozgis and Eisen agreed that factors such as anti-Semitism and exclusion have historically kept Jews together, and that the unprecedented privilege of North American Jews and their ability to “blend in” has made the Jewish community less cohesive.

 

“But we can’t depend on a spike in anti-Semitism to make Jews Jewish again,” Eisen said.

During a question period, the speakers diverged on the issue of how 20-somethings can be rallied to Judaism.

 

Eisen called for young Jews to be drawn in through social ethics and environmentalism. “I think Jews have more to offer the world when it comes to ethics of creation than a lot of others.”

 

Bezmozgis responded: “I think it’s somewhat offensive to say there is a uniquely Jewish province of ethics. If you want to rally young Jews to Judaism, do what any other culture does: use language, music, food, culture… There’s so much for Jews to be proud of. Let’s find those things.”