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I’m referring to Rabbi Eric Yoffie, President of the Union
of Reform Judaism (URJ -previously URJ). Under Rabbi Yoffie’s
bold leadership the URJ has been taking decisive steps on a number
of issues, having to do with social concerns, political issues,
even spirituality, and, Israel. I have to say that over the years
I’ve usually been disappointed with pronouncements from officialdom
of the major movements of American Judaism. They often have struck
me as timid – anxious above all not to rock the boat of the
Israel lobby’s alliances with administrations in power –
no matter what, overall, that administration represents.
Under President Yoffie’s leadership, however, we’re
seeing something different. Whether we fully agree or not, we have
to admire the URJ boldness in taking positions on same sex marriage
and on abortion. We must applaud his “10 Minutes of Torah”
initiative, which is providing richness to so many of our lives.
Says Yoffie, “If we make time to answer our cell phones a
dozen times a day and to check our e-mail five times an hour, surely
we can find 10 minutes to contemplate sacred words that nourish
the soul.”
But most of all, we should stand up and cheer for his gutsy stance
on Middle East peace issues, building on his earlier, “Seeking
Peace, Pursuing Justice” initiative relating to the Middle
East. With a $500,000 grant from the Ford Foundation a few years
ago, that initiative has sought to make North American Jewry’s
voice heard in the quest for peace. It has involved education of
the Reform community on the complicated issues involved, has sought
to make peace in the Middle East a major focus of the Reform community,
and has encouraged our active advocacy for what President Yoffie
speaks of as “a lasting peaceful solution to this cycle of
violence.” Yoffie takes the position that it may be as important
for American Jews to seek a reduction of Israeli settlements in
the West Bank and Gaza as it is to seek political and economic support
for Israel.
And in all this, does Yoffie worry obsessively about how the Bush
Administration in Washington might react? Yoffie stresses that he
is not telling anyone how to vote, but that the Jewish voter must
also consider this administration’s effect of widening the
gap between the “haves” and the “have nots,”
gaps which have never been good for Jews. “Israel is very
important to us,” Yoffie states, “but we can’t
dismiss domestic issues.”
Rabbi Yoffie was as outspoken in his opposition to Mel Gibson’s
unfortunate film as I was. But Yoffie went a step further and urged
Reform Jews to “sit down with churches in your community”
and discuss it. Yoffie has made such a suggestion in regard to numerous
public issues.
So we’re going to take up Rabbi Yoffie on his suggestion.
Through conversation with Rev. Thomas Brown, we’ve arranged
an opportunity for serious discussion with congregants of St. Michael’s
Episopal Church in Brattleboro. The discussion will take place on
Friday evening May 14. St Michael’s folks will join with us
in our Shabbat service and potluck supper, and we will organize
ample opportunity for discussion on a wide array of topics - going
well beyond Gibson’s film – which are of importance
to our two faith communities.
Please mark you calendars and join us for this important event.
B’Shalom,
Jim
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