I was trying to hash out my feelings several years ago about being involved with mainstream as a progressive Jew, and the expectations and dissonances that derived from that, when a friend said, "I don't have that problem. I'm a radical. That means not having to follow any party line."
I think that defines part of the essence of being involved trying to effect social change as a Jew. Our tradition is prophetic--our radicals had no trouble being themselves, offering hope to the disenheartened, but also castigating those in power or untrue to their tradition.
It doesn't matter whether we end up working primarily with Jews or not (and I really understand the temptation not to deal with ideological blinders and anti-Israel or anti-fundamentalist stupidity by choosing to work solely with other Jewish activists--except that it only changes the nature of the inherent mainstream "progressive" conservativism--it doesn't obviate the problem).
In the end, the task is still, as the Talmud says, larger than ourselves or our lifetimes. The critical issue is to be involved in transforming our world, in making it better, in some form of tikun olam. What manifestation of that activism best fits us is far less relevant than our active engagement with the world.
I was trying to hash out my feelings several years ago about being involved with mainstream as a progressive Jew, and the expectations and dissonances that derived from that, when a friend said, "I don't have that problem. I'm a radical. That means not having to follow any party line."
I think that defines part of the essence of being involved trying to effect social change as a Jew. Our tradition is prophetic--our radicals had no trouble being themselves, offering hope to the disenheartened, but also castigating those in power or untrue to their tradition.
It doesn't matter whether we end up working primarily with Jews or not (and I really understand the temptation not to deal with ideological blinders and anti-Israel or anti-fundamentalist stupidity by choosing to work solely with other Jewish activists--except that it only changes the nature of the inherent mainstream "progressive" conservativism--it doesn't obviate the problem).
In the end, the task is still, as the Talmud says, larger than ourselves or our lifetimes. The critical issue is to be involved in transforming our world, in making it better, in some form of tikun olam. What manifestation of that activism best fits us is far less relevant than our active engagement with the world.
I'm really looking forward to reading this book.