The rejection of Orthodox Judaism by Israel’s secular population

Friday’s disturbing Jerusalem Post headline caught my eye.

“The nation’s religious-secular wars may just be beginning.”

Of course, the writer, Zvika Klein was referring to the regrettable incident, which occurred in Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Square, on the eve of Judaism’s holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur, as religious Jews attempted to pray in a public venue while, defying the High Court as well as the municipality’s instructions not to separate genders, with partitions, during such prayer.

That was the beginning of a discussion that has dominated the airwaves and media print for the last few days and which will, undoubtedly, remain a heated subject for some time to come. What has happened is that we have opened up a sort of Pandora’s Box and the subject, contrary to popular belief, is not necessarily “prayer.”

The real crux of the issue is the rejection of one prescribed way to approach God and matters of faith. While the Orthodox have done it in a very specific way, for thousands of years, based on the opinion, by their sages, that there was only one proper formula, it turns out that in the year 2023, non-Orthodox Jews are not convinced that there really is just one set way to pray, to observe holidays or even to believe. 

While one can respect the right of these individuals to wear a heavy coat in sweltering summer temperatures, many of us question whether our favor with God really depends on sweating enough in order to please Him. So many of these arbitrary customs don’t seem to make sense to the unbelieving public, nor do they comport with the idea of a merciful and loving God who knows that our frame is but dust.

This is the same logic behind why a woman cannot show her arms, her legs or neck, for fear that she will be a temptation to other men. Despite all of these rigid rules, it’s common knowledge that adultery, fornication and rape are not foreign to the ultra-Orthodox but actually common occurrences within their community. Therefore, the idea that one can prevent these things by being completely covered up has no basis in reality. The lack of self-control might somehow come into play, but it’s easier to demand that women be totally covered up.

Yet, it’s not only the clothing that is problematic. For years, the secular population has been looked upon as heathens, in the full sense of the word. They have been ostracized, shunned and held up as tainted sinners who should be avoided at all costs – not to mention their music, their discussions or their life choices.

The strategy of not being contaminated has been to remain in an insular bubble where one is fully protected from the stains that could mark them, but without even thinking about it, this attitude of religious superiority has been responsible for the rejection of Orthodox Judaism by Israel’s secular. Look at it this way – if you tell a person over and over that they are inferior and morally bad, to the point that they are not willing to associate with you, the outcome is likely that you will not want to associate with them either.

So, does anyone wonder why this religious war has come to a head all of a sudden? It really wasn’t surrounding the subject of whether or not the religious had violated the ban by the municipality and High Court to erect partitions, which separate genders, on public property, even though that may have been the catalyst. It was far deeper!

It turns out that there are, among the secular, those who do have a desire to approach God, sense His presence and get closer to what they hope is a more genuine spiritual experience. It’s just that they don’t want to do so in accordance with a prototype that they believe is not authentic – at least not for them.

In this case, that centuries-old prototype was being forced upon everyone, whether they wanted it or not. The egregious part was that any secular, who had hoped to participate in Yom Kippur prayers, was being told that even though this gathering was being held in a public place, they, nonetheless had to conform to Orthodoxy. 

In other words, there was a message that no one is free to approach God as they see fit. Even the public streets are the sole property of the Orthodox, so long as any type of Jewish observance is taking place. 
And this is exactly what is being rejected today!

A sleeping giant has awoken, and it is saying, “You cannot tell us how to speak to God, how to approach Him or how to observe our holidays. Those are personal and private issues of conscience which each person must seek out for themselves.” 

And so, this is the war that may just be beginning. It is, in essence, the declaration that Judaism does not exclusively belong to one set of people who have chosen to preserve the words of their sages. Jews, of all stripes, want to come to God on their own terms, and isn’t that great news, because the promise, according to the prophet Jeremiah is that “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all of your heart.” (Jer. 29:13)

This is not a war that anyone should take on. Allowing people to come to a genuine experience of faith is exactly what God wants us to do, so, during this season of the High Holidays, let’s all champion the notion that each one is able to find the way to their Creator, free of formulas and prototypes which, in order to work, must reject the lost who are looked upon as irredeemable!