The Diaspora 50 Years After Israel's Establishment

American Jewish Committee
Friday, 15 May 1998

Two representatives of world Jewish communities urged all Jews, in Israel and the Diaspora, to celebrate diversity and pluralism and work to prevent further rifts within the Jewish community.

Ambassador (ret.) Aliza Shenhar, President of the Emek Yezreel College, and Ned Temko, Editor of the Jewish Chronicle, based in London, made their remarks at a session of the American Jewish Committee's 92nd Annual Meeting.

"Fifty years after the establishment of the State of Israel there seems to be a real danger of separation of the Jews in Israel and the Diaspora into two peoples, joined by common history but divided by language, culture and even religion," said Ms. Shenhar. "The liberal Jewish community of the Diaspora, mainly of the USA, will have to take the initiative in bringing its pluralistic vision to Israel. This mission is crucial in preventing the now ongoing process of separation," she concluded.

Mr. Temko argued "for an end to what I see as the fear, bordering on paranoia, of openly discussing such issues that have been encouraged by both Israel and Diaspora leaderships until very recently. I do not accept the Wasserstein view of Diaspora death, nor that Israel is hurdling towards immolation. I do think there is a real danger of atrophy, of slow, self-inflicted decline—due in large part, though not totally, to failure of leadership at almost all levels."

Mr. Temko stressed, "the antidote is to celebrate diversity, differences and debate, to take the political risks necessary to marginalize bigotry, and to seek a far broader definition of Israel's future and of Diaspora Jewishness. And oddly enough, I do see some recent signs of hope."

President Shenhar also spoke about the "growing aversion among many secular Jews in Israel towards the 'Orthodox monopoly' on Judaism. Most of the secular Jews in Israel do not distinguish between rigid, restrictive rabbinic establishment and Jewish cultural traditions and as a result they flinch from almost everything Jewish."

Ms. Shenar noted, "The constitutional linkage of State and religion in Israel, the power of the rabbinical establishment and the political leverage of the religious parties only aggravates this tendency."

Mr. Temko added that, "Both Israel and Diaspora communities are in a critical period of redefinition. In Israel's case, this must involve seeking a workable answer to questions deliberately, if understandably, left unanswered at the birth of the state: What is Israel—a Jewish state or a state for Jews? How are we to define what or who a Jew is? What place do non-Jews have in this state? What are to be the physical borders of Israel, and how much does this or should this matter?"

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