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Jewish World Review June 9, 1998 / 15 Sivan, 5758
Paul Benson
I DON'T QUESTION THE MOTIVES of anyone who comes to the Western Wall
looking for a genuine, meaningful spiritual experience. Every Jew
should enjoy the unique spiritual voltage that comes with sharing
sunrise Shavuot prayers with more than 50,000 men and women there.
Even on weekdays, to touch the smooth, cool stones, to pray with
Russians, Yemenites, Chassidim, American tourists or Israeli
soldiers, to hear so many people pouring out their hearts in so many
different languages stirs powerful feelings. I don't believe that
individual members of the mixed-prayer group which triggered a near-
riot came specifically to spite Orthodox worshippers.
I can't say the same about Conservative leadership which organized
the group. They were looking to be provocative and generate
headlines for their movement. The last time the Conservative
leadership organized a mixed prayer group at the Wall was a year ago.
Judging from their comments in the press, don't expect another
"meaningful" Conservative activity there until a year from now. How
important is the Western Wall to Conservative Judaism if the movement
only organizes activities there once a year?
For all its efforts to make headway on conversions, funding for its
schools and having an impact in local religious councils,
Conservative Judaism just hasn't taken hold in Israel as serious
mainstream movement. Israel's Conservative customers and competition
are completely different than what the movement experiences in the
West.
Israelis have a different sense of Jewish identity: they live in a
Jewish state, serve in a Jewish army and get off work on Jewish
holidays. The Arab-Israeli conflict reminds everyone who the Jews
are constantly. Orthodox life is organized and vigorous.
Conservative leaders -- in celebrating the giving of a Torah which
they don't consider Divinely written, anyway -- scored some quick
points. But they left many Israelis wondering: Is Conservative
Judaism nothing more than a Diaspora phenomenon? If Conservative
Judaism represents such a large percentage of an American Jewry
grappling with intermarriage and identity, why should Israel import
such a movement?
Regardless of positions in the spectrum of Jewish life, all Jews
search for fulfilling spiritual experiences. Which is why it's such a
shame that so many Shavuot morning worshippers' values were offended
deeper than Western Jews realize.
But the greater disappointment is that a small number of men and
women lost a rare opportunity for a meaningful spiritual experience
because their leaders had other ideas.
Better luck next
Who really lost-out on Shavous at the Wall?
JWR contributor Paul Benson is a Jerusalem-based journalist and writer. His opinions are his own.
