DeepSummary
The podcast episode is a discussion among Nathan Goldman, managing editor of Jewish Currents, Cynthia Friedman, managing director of Jewish Currents, contributing writer Raphael Magarik, and contributor Devin E. Naar about their varying approaches and experiences with synagogue life, especially in the aftermath of Israel's assault on Gaza in October 2022. They share their personal histories with synagogues, the challenges faced by non-Zionist and anti-Zionist Jews in predominantly Zionist congregations, and the dilemma of whether to engage in political organizing within these institutions or withdraw from them entirely.
The participants offer diverse perspectives, ranging from Magarik's view of synagogues as primarily local communities for ritual and observance, separate from international politics, to Friedman's more critical stance, having recently begun organizing alternative prayer services outside the synagogue context due to frustrations with the lack of substantive anti-Zionist engagement. Naar highlights his efforts to open up conversations within Seattle's Jewish community spaces, while Goldman discusses the complexities of political organizing at his progressive yet imperfect synagogue.
Intergenerational relationships, Jewish education for children, and the role of synagogues in shaping future generations emerge as prominent considerations, with the guests grappling with how to navigate these spaces in ways that align with their values and politics while maintaining meaningful connections to tradition and community.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Non-Zionist and anti-Zionist Jews face challenges navigating synagogue life due to the predominantly Zionist orientation of many congregations.
- There are diverse approaches to this dilemma, ranging from withdrawing from synagogues entirely to engaging in political organizing and dialogue within these spaces.
- Intergenerational relationships, Jewish education for children, and shaping future generations are key considerations influencing choices around synagogue involvement.
- Creating explicitly anti-Zionist Jewish spaces and traditions is an aspiration for some, while others aim to open up conversations within mainstream Jewish institutions.
- The personal impacts of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including grief, vulnerability, and fears, further complicate the dynamics within Jewish communities.
- Synagogues are seen by some as local communities focused on ritual and tradition, separate from international politics, while others view them as inherently political spaces.
- Navigating these spaces requires nuanced approaches, including adjusting language and framing to create space for dialogue while staying true to one's principles.
- There is hope that synagogues, with their deep historical roots, can persist and evolve beyond the current political conflicts.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I spoke about, you know, the grief of October 7. One of my former teaching assistants, one of my former students, a friend of mine, was killed in his kibbutz on October 7. So this, I mean, really hit very, very close in that sense of grief over the murder of Chaim Katzmann, a sense of vulnerability. I spoke about, you know, the anxieties around the uncertainty of the anti jewish uptick. Maybe. Is it anti Israel? Will I be ensnarled in that in some ways?“ by Devin E. Naar
- “You know, I mean, a place that started in 1877, it's just lived in an entirely different world, and, God willing, will live through and continue to be part of an entirely different political dispensation.“ by Raphael Magarik
- “I felt inspired by the fact that an eight year old could grasp a fundamental truth that so many people seem unable to do in the organized jewish community today.“ by Devin E. Naar
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Episode Information
On the Nose
Jewish Currents
6/13/24
Since October 7th, American Jews have been sharply divided over Israel’s war on Gaza—a fracture that has been manifest within all manner of institutions, including synagogues. Many leftist Jews do not participate in synagogue life at all, in part because most congregations are explicitly or tacitly Zionist. But for those who are affiliated with a synagogue community that doesn’t completely align with their politics, this moment has raised or reasserted pressing and difficult questions: Should we do political work within these institutions, and if so, how? What is gained and lost by organizing in these spaces, or by withdrawing from them? What kinds of communities can we ethically be part of? On this episode of On the Nose, managing editor Nathan Goldman, managing director Cynthia Friedman, contributing writer Raphael Magarik, and contributor Devin E. Naar discuss their varying approaches to synagogue life in this moment.
Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for producing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”
Texts Mentioned and Further Reading:
“Jewish Americans in 2020,” Pew Research Center
“Statement on Israel/Palestine by Scholars of Jewish Studies and Israel Studies” from 2021
“How a Leading Definition of Antisemitism Has Been Weaponized Against Israel’s Critics,” Jonathan Hafetz and Sahar Aziz, The Nation
“Ale Brider,” Yiddish folk song
“Hayim Katsman’s Vision of Struggle,” Hayim Katsman, Jewish Currents
Ottoman Brothers: Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Early 20th Century Palestine by Michelle U. Campos
Oriental Neighbors: Middle Eastern Jews and Arabs in Mandatory Palestine by Abigail Jacobson and Moshe Naor
“A Democratic Mizrahi Vision,” the Mizrahi Civic Collective