Jayme’s December/January Bulletin Article
Arnold M. Eisen, a former Professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University, is the new Chancellor-elect of the Jewish Theological Seminary. What kind of person is Dr. Eisen, and what is his vision for United Synagogue of Conservatism Judaism?
I decided to begin answering these questions in two ways. First, I read his best known book that was co-authored with Steven M. Cohen, The Jew Within: Self, Family, and Community in America (Indiana University Press, 2000). And second, I attended two lectures that he delivered at Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, DC on November 2, 2006.
In The Jew Within, Cohen and Eisen pose an important question: “What leads some Jews to place Jewish commitment at the very center of their lives, while others are content – or driven – to leave it at the margins?” To answer this question, the authors interviewed 1,005 baby boomers throughout the United States who described themselves as “moderately affiliated Jews,” which Cohen and Eisen estimate constitute 20 percent of the contemporary Jewish population.
Their major conclusion is that the “principal authority for contemporary American Jews, in the absence of compelling religious norms and communal loyalties, has become the sovereign self.” Their first religious language is one of profound individualism, which has the following characteristics:
- The emphasis is on voluntarism and personal meaning, not the group.
- Jewish meaning is constructed in private space and time, not just in Jewish institutions.
- Issues of spirituality often are combined with a diminished interest in the synagogue.
- Identity is fluid and can change throughout a person’s life.
- There is a declining interest in Israel.
Cohen and Eisen conclude their stimulating study by stating that the Jews they interviewed often make no direct connection between God and the rituals and texts of traditional Judaism. In comparison to their parents’ generation, many American Jews in their thirties, forties, and fifties are finding less meaning in Jewish organizations, Jewish philanthropic endeavors, and attachment to the state of Israel.
The conclusions to this book will not surprise anyone who has read Robert Bellah’s acclaimed Habits of the Heart: Individualism and Commitment in American Life (1985) or Robert Putnam’s equally well-known Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community (2000). As Putnam argues, if strong social bonds are the most important predictor of satisfaction and success in America, then we are in trouble because there has been an erosion of civic life in this country over the past few decades. In The Jew Within, Cohen and Eisen describe the shrinkage of the public sphere in Judaism, which Putnam describes on a national and nondenominational scale.
Eisen, however, is not content to accept this situation. In his presentations at Adas Israel, he addressed two major concerns: JTS and the future of American Judaism. Regarding JTS, Eisen believes that it must raise its visibility and become more prominent in Conservative synagogues through its scholarship – which maintains continuity and tradition without resorting to polemics or apologetics – and through a dialogue with other Jews, especially those who are unaffiliated and feel no responsibility for their brethren.
Regarding the future of American Judaism, Eisen is moderately optimistic. We are fortunate, he argues, to have the blessings of freedom. No one wants to return to the shetl or the ghetto. The question for him is the same one that the great German thinker Moses Mendelssohn posed in the late eighteenth century on the eve of emancipation: how do we embrace modernity and still remain Jews?
Eisen believes that we must use our ample resources to fashion strong communities, teach torah in compelling ways, and put an emphasis on quality in our Jewish institutions. We must persuade other Jews to become more active in the Jewish community by looking inward and outward simultaneously. From Abraham onward, Jews have been told to be blessing to each other and to the rest of the world. For Eisen, this is the principal challenge we face as Conservative Jews. We must remain a vibrant minority culture while fully participating in modern American life.
In both presentations, Eisen’s audiences were very impressed with his eloquence, passion, and convictions. They also appreciated his eagerness to answer their questions and his genuine interest in their perspectives on Conservative Judaism. Eisen has what Sir Walter Raleigh memorably called an “experiencing nature,” and he is able to seamlessly meld his personal life, scholarship, and broader Jewish concerns in compelling ways. Based on what I have read and heard, I believe that Arnold M. Eisen can be a very dynamic, inspiring, and effective leader, but he will need our help to achieve his vision of Judaism.
Jayme A. Sokolow
Co-President
Tags: synagogue