by George Gazarek
“Jesus is the Reason for the Season”
“Jesus is the reason for the season.” Catchy phrase, isn’t it? I’ve seen that line on the marquee in front of a church I pass on the way to temple. It speaks, of course, to the commercializing and secularizing of the Christmas holiday. It got me to wonder if we have a similar phenomenon in the Jewish world. Certainly in the United States, Chanukah has been commercialized as a holiday of gift giving and parties. But, what about in the heart of Judaism, within our synagogues?
As president, I am required to manage all aspects of the temple; business, social, education, and religious. Which area is most important? When I am making a decision regarding a congregant, which area gets the most weight? The answer is, it depends on who you ask. We all have a different set of values based on our education and personal experiences. We tend to put more weight on those areas that have proven to be useful to us in the past.
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, in The Tent Peg Business, says, “Doing primary religious acts is the only justification for the existence of a congregation.” He continues, “first comes personal religious growing, then comes effective congregational policy.” Others would point to the synagogues that close their doors every year for lack of focus on the business of managing a congregation.
In Christianity, all Christians, theoretically, believe in God. While Judaism is the religion of the Jews, not all Jews believe in God. In Israel, over 40% of the Jews are classified as secular. In the U.S., it’s estimated that 50% of the Jewish population are unaffiliated with a synagogue. I personally have known Jews at all four of the synagogues I have belonged to who did not believe in God. So, just how much weight should religion play in decision making?
When I decided to become a Jew fifteen years ago, it was because I fell in love with the God of Abraham and with the Jewish religion. While I find Jewish history and culture very rich and interesting, I would not have converted just for that alone. God and Judaism are central to who I am as a Jew and are the first and foremost influence on my decision making. I love diversity and I respect those who are different than me. Together, we make up the rich fabric of our community.