WHO IS
A JEW?
Dedication
Dedicated in profound humility to the millions of men, women and children who for nearly 3800 years sacrificed everything, including their lives, for God, Torah and Israel.
In their merit we live this day. Because of them we are witnesses to the greatest miracle in all of history: the survival of the Jewish People after so many (too many) centuries of galut (exile) marked by nearly universal persecutions, and the ineffable Holocaust in our very own generation.
Because of them we live this day. With their spirit we and our children will continue to exist as God's "Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation," a "light unto the nations, that My salvation may be unto the end of the world."
INTRODUCTION
The need for a new edition of Who Is A Jew? is personally gratifying, but also troubling. An author is happy when his work is well received and in demand. On the other hand, it is rather sad that there remains a great need for the clarification of this issue.
Unfortunately, we are witnesses to a tragic deterioration of the situation.
The elections in Israel (November 1988) had the side-effect of bringing the issue of "Who Is A Jew" to public attention as never before. The realistic possibility of finally having an amendment to the Israeli "Law of Return" generated an organized barrage of wild accusations and stormy protests by opponents to the amendment, which appeared to tear the Jewish world asunder. They pulled all plugs to use the general media and to draft American legislators and diplomats to help them wage their partisan battle. Implicit and explicit threats of financial repercussions for Jewish charities in the USA and Canada, as well as for the State of Israel, forced social and communal organizations (like Jewish Federations, the Canadian Jewish Congress, and the American and Canadian UJA) to abandon their historical policy of strict neutrality in matters of religion and politics, and to side with them.
The groups opposing a correction of the Law of Return did not base themselves on careful study and responsible deliberations. They did not appeal to reason, but set out on a deliberate campaign of misinformation and disinformation, scare-tactics and false rumors, literally demonizing the orthodox rabbinate and community. It was a campaign of Greuel-Propaganda, maliciously utilizing the technique of "the Big Lie": "Repeat a lie often enough and it will be believed."
How sad and tragic that Jews became disciples of our worst enemies less than half a century after the Holocaust!
To skirt the real issue, they propagated all kinds of new arguments, such as:
• Amending the Law of Return is tantamount to delegitimizing the Jewishness of all Jews who are not orthodox.
• Amending the Law of Return will preclude the State of Israel from serving as a haven of refuge for those who may be persecuted because of their Jewish descent.
• Amending the Law of Return is an orthodox ploy to impose orthodoxy upon all Jews.
• The "Who Is A Jew"-issue is an artificial issue created by the orthodox to fight and destroy the reform and conservative movements.
• The "Who Is A Jew"-issue is a purely religious problem and must be removed from the political agenda of the secular parliament of Israel.
• Retaining the status quo of the Law of Return as it stands now is the sole way to preserve Jewish unity.
Having said all this, I feel most sincerely that there is a beautiful silver lining around the stormy clouds of the present controversy: millions of Jews have become aware that there is a problem. A great many of these are now thinking about the issue, and for the first time feel compelled to give serious thought to their Jewish roots and the Jewish future of their children.
One of the most gratifying effects of this book was the tremendous response of letters and calls received by the author from people who unwittingly were victimized by illegitimate "conversions." Reading this book made them realize that they had been deceived and they sought advice how to rectify the situation.
No less gratifying were the comments of numerous readers who found in this book a source for learning and understanding basic concepts and ideas of Judaism. Such results justify all my efforts and proved them more than worthwhile.
As already stated in the preface to Part One, this book is not intended for polemical debates. Its sole purpose was, and remains, to teach, to clarify, to reason, and to reaffirm the fundamental principles of "justice, truth and peace." As such it forges an inviolable bond between the author and all those who share these ideals.
J. Immanuel Schochet
Toronto, Ont., 3 Adar-I 5749
PART ONE PREFACE
"Accept the truth regardless of its source." - Maimonides
The burning issue of 'Who is a Jew' has become one of the most controversial problems in Jewish life today. It has stirred up much debate, animosity and recriminations. It threatens to split the Jewish people as perhaps never before in its history.
Accusations and attacks, more often than not descending to the personal level and appealing to base sentiments, misinformation and disinformation, are hurled about in a free-for-all that seeks to take advantage of the general ignorance about the issues and problems involved.
This book will hopefully throw some light into the darkness. It does not pretend to offer new information or make new revelations. It tries simply to bring some order and clarification where there is so much chaos and confusion. It may appear repetitious, at times, but only where it is relevant and necessary.
Our purpose is not propaganda, nor polemics. Many questions have been, and continue to be asked. Very often these are tendentious, but more often they are expressions of sincere concern. We quote these questions and offer our answers. We will not necessarily change anyone's mind. No doubt that some people will disagree with a number of statements and propositions. Some may even feel offended, especially by Part Two. If Part Two appears to be polemical, careful reading will reveal that it is not.
In the last few years there has been much activity to establish interfaith dialogues between certain Jewish leaders and their colleagues in other faith-communities. They have become so involved with the outside-world, that they forget and neglect our own, Jewish world. While our enemies are striking out at us in every conceivable way, we are torn asunder from within.
There is no more reasoned dialogue between Jews of different persuasions. We hardly talk to one another, except to argue and to condemn one another. Power-hungry groups demand that they be appeased and accepted on their own terms, regardless how this may and will affect the unity, sanctity and survival of the Jewish people and faith. To achieve their personal ends, they lower themselves to the gutter-level of issuing threats and acts of boycotts, financial blackmail and sanctions against their co-religionists and the State of Israel. Self-interest, arrogance and narcissism (on the individual and organizational levels) within our own people threaten to achieve what our worst enemies could not.
This book, then, is an appeal for communication, a response to the prophetic cry of "Come and let us reason together." We do not propose compromise, where there can not be compromise. We do not believe in appeasement, where that would be self-defeating. But we do believe in, and propose, reason, knowledge, and understanding. And above everything else, we believe in, and propose, truth and peace. Not a chameleonic truth and artificial peace, but one that is based and built on justice.
Our sages of old taught that the world endures by virtue of "justice, truth and peace." (Avot 1:18) They taught also that these three are totally intermeshed and interdependent to the point of being really one and the same.
This book is dedicated to this affirmation.
J. Immanuel Schochet, Toronto, Ont., 28 Menachem Av, 5746