USCJ Review - Spring 2007
From the Executive Vice President
The issues of the unity of the Conservative movement and congregational unity within Conservative congregations have been on the minds and lips of Conservative Jews for decades. Outside observers often reflect on what they perceive to be the lack of a unified ideology or unity in behavior within Conservative Judaism. Since the recent law committee decisions on issues of homosexuality, there has been heightened discussion of this matter.
There are two significant views on the construct of “unity,” stemming from two different premises. Both can be seen in commentators’ responses to Chapter 19 of Exodus, where the Israelites prepared to receive God’s revelation at Mount Sinai. The first is reflected by Rashi, who describes the people as unified. They were, according to the Torah, “one man with one heart.” To Rashi, it was as if they were one person, sharing one heart and one mind.
Nachmanides (also known as the Ramban) and the Vilna Gaon present a different perspective on unity. Commenting on the people’s response to the command to follow God’s word, Nachmanides said that the people answered “as one.” For the Vilna Gaon, the fact that the people of Israel responded “as one” and said “all that God has said that we will do” makes the point that no one person, no matter how righteous and pious he or she may be, can fulfill all of the mitzvot of the Torah by him or herself. It is only when the entire Jewish people are united that all the commandments can be fulfilled, by each person doing his or her own part. According to the Vilna Gaon, it is only when each one of us fulfills every mitzvah that is within our power to fulfill, each one of us in our own unique way, that the Jewish people can live the entirety of the Torah.
The Vilna Gaon and the Ramban expand Rashi’s understanding of unity. To Rashi, unity means being unified in approach and action. It means that everyone believes and does the same thing in the same way. The Vilna Gaon and Nachmanides, however, understand unity as the whole that is created when every person contributes his or her own distinctiveness to it. Indeed, that is what community is. It is not an organism with a monolithic thought or that takes monolithic action. Rather, it is a cluster of individuals that encourages the different contributions of its members and accepts them, blending them into a pulsating, dynamic organism.
Our challenge in the Conservative movement today is to fashion klal Yisrael – a Jewish community – that reflects the differences that make us who we are. Rather than forcing or even encouraging people to believe or act the same way, this type of unity welcomes diversity. Rather than creating a forced unity by ignoring differences and variations, we must create a unity that comes from diversity and energy, a unity in which each of us is encouraged to contribute our true self to the whole, and each of us is willing to make that contribution. Although Rashi’s definition of unity may make people feel good in the short run because it promotes a more comfortable image, the more sophisticated unity of the Ramban and the Vilna Gaon is more reflective of the reality of our world and empowers individual expression.
Our task is to create a unity that reflects the differences that make us who we are. There are those in our movement who are egalitarian and those who are not. There are those who would prefer a full Torah reading and those who prefer the triennial cycle. There are those who accept the responsum permitting the ordination of gay and lesbian rabbis and the investment of gay and lesbian cantors and those who do not. There are those who are eager to implement the responsum permitting commitment ceremonies for gays and lesbians and there are those who reject it.
Many reflect on this diversity and decry our lack of unity. Our challenge is to create unity through our diversity. To accomplish this goal I would like to suggest a plan of action requiring three steps:
First, we must learn to welcome diversity. We feel comfortable by associating with those who share our beliefs and values. To create unity out of diversity, we must accept our differences of opinion as an instrument in forming a more complete community by welcoming and embracing differences. A person is not wrong just because he disagrees with us. Just because someone does not behave as we behave, we cannot say that the behavior makes her wrong or us right.
Second, we must learn to encourage diversity. Those who reflect an unpopular opinion are often made to feel uncomfortable. We say such things as “How could you say that?” Or “You don’t really believe that, do you?” Or, “You are so out of step with the real world!” By our choice of words, we discourage diverse ideas, opinions, or values. We need to change our language and invite those who disagree with us to contribute to our unity through diversity by saying “Can you help me understand how you reach that conclusion?” Or “I have a different belief on that point – but let’s see where we agree.”
Third, it is important for us to celebrate diversity. We often view diversity as a weakness. Our society prefers black or white. It is easier to explain positions, ideas, or views when there are no differences. But in the real world colors combine and blend. It is the unity that is reflected in that blend – not gray, but a bright new color – that is most authentic. When we reflect this true unity, we should be proud it.
The time has come for us to boldly articulate our pride as Conservative Jews. We reflect the authenticity of Jewish life as we strive to build meaningful unity out of channeled diversity.
