Accepting Multiple Identities

By Avi Smolen
KOACH Intern
Rutgers University

What's the goal of college and life in general? My mother always told me that it was to find who I am and be the best person I can be. As part of my identity, I am a Conservative Jew. I believe in the tenets of the Movement, I feel a connection to the Hebrew language, I am egalitarian, I believe in God and I am a Zionist and love Israel with all my heart. Some of these are principles with which I have been brought up and others I have arrived at over time. Whatever their origin, I believe in them and they make up part of my identity. While it's great to know who you are and to hold strong beliefs, the question arises as to how you deal with people whose opinions and beliefs differ from yours. This is where pluralism comes in.

Webster's dictionary defines pluralism as "a state of society in which members of diverse ethnic, racial, religious or social groups maintain an autonomous participation in and development of their traditional culture or special interest within the confines of a common civilization." This complex definition means that, in a Jewish context, Jewish people of various denominations, beliefs and practices coexist and work together to enhance their traditional culture. This lofty idea sounds nice, but how does it work in practice?

What happens when, at a Friday night Hillel Shabbat dinner, a female member of the KOACH community leads everyone in kiddush, the blessing over the wine? How can my Orthodox friends disagree with the beliefs and practices of Conservative and Reform Jews but still recognize the legitimacy of our communities? These are problems which do arise—in Hillels, as well as in the greater Jewish world—and there are solutions to them.

In my Hillel, we rotate which religious group leads the rituals of Friday night dinner. When it is the turn of the Conservative or Reform community, they have the ability to choose a woman to lead them. When this occurs, those who are uncomfortable simply say the blessings to themselves as a table or individuals. As to how my Orthodox friends look upon me and our Reform friends, they can simply believe that their Judaism is right for them, but they acknowledge that other denominations of Judaism may be right for other people.

Acceptance of multiple identities must occur at every level. In an ideal world, every member of every denomination would hold strongly his or her own beliefs but all accept that others have different beliefs and practices. The idea behind this religious pluralism is that there are more than one or two kinds of ultimate reality. No single group has a monopoly on God and the only way we can grow as a Jewish people is to work together as a Jewish people. We need to respect differences and emphasize commonalities. In this way, we can form bonds and unite the Jewish people, so as to benefit all of its members, regardless of how they practice or what they believe. Living in such a pluralistic society is living with love for one's fellow human beings. A community that holds pluralism as its core value is certainly one in which God dwells.

Avi Smolen hails from New Milford, NJ and is finishing his sophomore year at Rutgers University where he is a major in Political Science and Psychology.  Avi is the outgoing Communications VP and incoming Community Service Coordinator at Rutgers Hillel and is an outgoing KOACH Intern.  He enjoys papers, final exams, and finally being done with the semester.

[Posted 05/18/07]