The Jewish Renewel Movement

[PHIL121]

An interesting program on PBS's "Religion and Ethics" this morning...

Show Transcriptl

Interesting to hear how many Jews don't feel comfortable with the rigid structure ofJewish ceremony, and are opting for a more 'free-form' and spiritual means of worship. It seems like a sort of Jewish Pentacostalism.

 

[Andyhill]

Hi!

There was an article on the "Jewish Renewal" movement in last Monday's Emglish edition of Ha'aretz (one of Israel's leading newspapers): http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=631763 & http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/objects/pages/PrintArticleEn.jhtml?itemNo=631765.

I'm very unimpressed. Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi has taken LSD :smt118 & admits to being profoundly influenced by it. He is also an ordained Sufi sheikh, has been ostracized by the orthodox movement & pretty much makes things up as he goes along, taking care to be very PC.

His movement is shallow and superficial & will prove to be nothing more than a passing fad. The Jews who express interest in his "movement" are either uneducated (at best) or spiritually lazy (at worst). Orthodox Jewish spirituality is vibrant & alive and cannot be characterized by a cold & rigid structuralism. Many parts of our liturgy (http://www.jewfaq.org/liturgy.htm) are singable. Some orthodox synagogues will sing more, others less. At mine, we sing alot (singing helps us put some spiritual oomph into our prayers!). Just about every part of the prayer service that it's possible to sing, we sing (we also dance :smt038 a little). There are many traditional tunes for particular prayers/hymns. There are tunes we'll use evety week (on the Sabbath) & tunes we'll use only once a year (on particular holydays).

Be well!

Andyhill :smt039