Jewish Tradition and the Non-traditional Jew
Rabbi Don Levy
Colorado Springs
With this essay I'm starting a new series on how the Non-traditional Jew can relate to Jewish Tradition. After introducing the concept, and explaining the challenges as I see them in this essay, I will follow on with additional installments concerning the Sabbath, Kashrut (Jewish dietary discipline), and perhaps other issues. If you're reading this and can relate to it, I certainly invite your feedback, and suggestions for future topics.
When I say 'Non-traditional' Jew, I mean the Jew who is not traditionally observant. There are a variety of reasons a Jew reaches this state. One may have been raised in an observant, or partly-observant home but drifted away from religious observance as young adults often do. For some it's a matter of changing priorities and a different focus, for others it's an expression of the independence that comes from being on one's own, for some it's close relationships (friends, or a partner) who are not Jewish. Underlying all these possibilities is often the sense that the god of Sunday School either doesn't exist, or is not personal enough to care about the ritual or dietary habits of Jews everywhere.
I don't mean this to be critical, only descriptive; there are obviously many individuals who call themselves Jews, but are not particularly religious (or who are not religious at all!) for a variety of reasons. And I feel I am well-positioned to understand you, because I have very much been such a Jew for a significant portion of my life.
Many Non-traditional Jews (in my own congregation and elsewhere) will, in the course of a conversation, tell me: "You know, Rabbi, I'm an atheist." Now it's not my place to dispute with any person who identifies him or herself as an atheist, but many of those who make such a declaration to me prove, when I scratch just a bit beneath the surface, to be something else. It isn't that they don't believe in the existence of a deity, no how, no way; rather, that they reject out of hand the Traditionalist's view of G-d (as they perceive it) but haven't a coherent alternative in mind. So many of us have made this first step - the rejection of the Traditionalist's G-d - without feeling compelled to take the next step and figure out whether we truly are an atheist or would, given a thoughtful process of clarifying what we could believe, would believe in a different god or (to put it differently) an alternative concept of G-d. And this is not intended as criticism; please don't read it that way! The truth is that in our contemporary world there is little 'space' to make a serious inquiry and examination of the god-question. The doubter or sceptic usually finds it difficult to discuss this with someone who is firm in his or her faith, because the latter will often turn the conversation into a challenge to 'sell' a specific faith to the former. And those who are fellow doubter/sceptics seldom find the inclination to discuss it with one another. Except for those who are definitely and unambiguously religious (and wear it ontheir sleeves!), there is seldom a social-intellectual context to discuss the issue of G-d. The result is that we have few serious conversations about faith. And that's too bad, because this dearth of conversation tends to make an entire world - the world of spiritual possibilities - inaccessible.
If your reaction to the last paragraph is that the idea of someone attending a religious service yet claiming to be an atheist just doesn't compute for you, then don't worry! It means that you're probably a Traditionalist and therefore do not struggle with the questions I'm addressing here. But just in the interest of clarity, in liberal religion generally (and certainly in liberal Judaism in particular) one will often encounter those for whom religious faith is something unattainable, but who find the rituals and forms of religion comforting on some level. If the latter description resonates with you, then you're the person I'm addressing here.
Don't get me wrong - I understand that there are many people out there who are 'spiritual, but not religious.' It isn't my purpose to knock those who seek their spiritual path outside of the structure of religion - or at least, of conventional religion. However, and in the interest of disclosure, I think most of those who eschew conventional religion as a path to a spiritual life are foregoing an important tool and context for deeping the spiritual content of their lives. Thanks in large part of my years of work as an Air Force chaplain, to my close association with clergy and lay people of other faiths, I feel I can say this of religion in general. Thanks to my own self-identification as a somewhat-nontraditional Jew and my experience of finding a deeply satisfying spiritual life within my own tradition, I can definitely say this of Judaism in particular.
So what do I mean when I use the term 'a spiritual life'? I mean a life that is not focused entirely on the material world. I mean a life in which one is enriched by contemplation of a world beyond the apprehension of the senses, where we try to experience that dimension of reality rather than just dismiss its existence, or else discuss it as a purely intellectual endeavor.
If you're not interested in this side of life at all, please don't read this as criticism. But if you're reading this essay, I'm guessing that this is subject that you've at least contemplated.
So, if you are a Jew who is not traditionally observant because you find you cannot believe in the Traditionalist's G-d or the worldview that such belief would foster, this essay series is for you. We'll explore how one can use traditional Jewish practices - such as the Sabbath, the festivals, and kashrut - as tools to a deeper life and not just as impediments to lay guilt upon you. Please watch this space for additional installments, and please feel free to engage me in conversation about your own thoughts! Let's use this as a forum to grow together!