Ambassador Michael Oren

You may recall the old Superman comic that used to open with the words, "It's a bird.  It's a plane. No, It's Superman!"

The description could aptly be used to describe Michael Oren.  Although he is not Superman, it could be said of him, "He's a scholar.  He's a television star.  No, He's an ambassador."  Actually, he is all of these, and more. 

Because of his unique credentials as an academician, coupled with outstanding communication skills and telegenic qualities, Oren has been an exceptionally effective ambassador for the State of Israel.  He has masterfully represented, explained and advocated the policies of his country, government and Prime Minister since his arrival in 2009.  Ambassador Oren is as comfortable with political leaders as he is with business leaders, with members of the media as he is with students. 

To be with Oren is to appreciate his keen intellect and knowledge of the history and understanding of the politics and dynamics of the Middle East.  He clearly revels in and enjoys what he has always called his dream job. 

He is thoughtful and listens carefully, taking a genuine interest in what others have to say, often asking probing questions.  Yet he is not passive, for he does not hesitate to express and clarify the position and policy of Israel, often in difficult and challenging settings.  Willing to defend Israel, even in antagonistic environments, he has memorably gone onto hostile college campuses to represent his country and confront Israel’s opponents.  His approach has been to engage and disarm with charm and facts those who oppose the positions of Prime Minister Netanyahu, leading me to wonder if those who so vehemently oppose Netanyahu, but so warmly embrace Oren realize how closely Oren is aligned with Bibi and how much he supports his positions and policies. 

Being Israel’s ambassador to the United States has had its share of challenges, especially with the widely recognized poor chemistry between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.  He had his work cut out for him these past four years. 

I had the chance to witness first hand and up close a small taste during one especially difficult time.  Ambassador Oren came to speak at our synagogue on a Friday evening in March of 2010.  He entered services visibly shaken.  It was a day or two after the visit of Vice President Biden to the Middle East, and Oren came to us straight from having just been summoned to a tough meeting at the State Department where he was castigated for the announcement made during Biden’s visit of housing permits being issued by the Jerusalem municipality.  As he was on the bema speaking, trying his best not to be distracted by what had just transpired, his faithful companion and wife Sally, (who has been a tremendous asset on her own) was waving frantically in the back of the sanctuary to get his attention.  He was being called by Prime Minister Netanyahu who wanted to speak to him immediately.  Without missing a beat or losing his composure, he apologized and told the congregation that his boss was calling, and that he had to take the call in my office.  He reassured us that he would be back in time for the Alenu, and would complete his remarks in just a few minutes. 

Ultimately, the job of ambassador has to do with forging relationships on behalf of one’s country.  Oren has reached out and strengthened Israel’s relations with many diverse communities and segments.  He has especially worked to improve relations and communications between the American Jewish community and Israel, smoothing things over when actions by one or the other have been misunderstood or misinterpreted.  He has helped to convey to his government concerns of the American Jewish community on various issues, and has been outstanding in his explanation of Israeli perspectives to the American Jewish community.  It helps that he understands and communicates both Hebrew and not just English, but “American.”  Whether it was the Rotem bill, Women of the Wall, plans for the Western Wall, or advertisements aimed at encouraging Israelis living in the Diaspora to return to Israel, he has personally intervened and helped to diffuse many potentially divisive issues. 

Although his tenure has ended, lovers of Israel on both sides of the Atlantic are fortunate that he has served his country in this capacity with such outstanding distinction.  Ambassador Oren joins the ranks of distinguished diplomats who have previously served in this post, including Abba Eban, Yitzhak Rabin and others in a job that often calls for Superman like qualities. 

A Plea To Rabbis: Be Positive

The stakes are high. 

Let’s be honest. For most of the people who attend High Holidays services this is the only time they will be in shul the whole year.  It might be the only sermon they will hear. 

It is our chance to inspire and uplift them.  It is our chance to encourage them to deepen their connection to Judaism and the Jewish people.  It is our chance to convey something we discovered and that motivated us to want to become rabbis:  that Judaism is intellectually challenging and stimulating; that being a part of the Jewish people offers meaning and fulfillment; that it is a calling that is the path to working to create a just world.  It is our chance to make them want to deepen their commitment and to explore this magnificent and beautiful tradition. 

So please, dear colleagues, I urge you, be positive.  Be positive about what it means to be Jewish.  Be positive about what it means to be a part of the Jewish people.  Be positive about your fellow Jews.  Be positive about Israel.   Motivate your congregants.  Challenge them. Speak about what matters to you from your understanding of Jewish sources.   Urge people to act out of Jewish conviction.  Make them feel good about being Jewish. 

The first question people will ask each other when they get together for family meals will be, is, “when did you get out”, as in how long were your services.  The second question might be, “how long was the rabbi’s sermon?”  But then once the time-keeping questions are out of the way, the question that will most likely become the focus of the conversation is what did the rabbi speak about?  Some will agree and some will disagree with what the rabbi had to say.  Some will be upset by the choice of the topic the rabbi addressed.  Some will say the subject matter was inappropriate.  Some will complain the sermon was too long, while others will retell the jokes the rabbi told. 

Something truly unique is taking place in these encounters.  I know of no other people who will debate and discuss so intensely, and take such a strong interest in the subject matter a preacher has presented. 

As you are composing your messages, ask yourself if this will cause people to have a greater connection to Judaism and the Jewish people, or might it cause greater distance and alienation?  Will it contribute to a desire to deepen one’s connection, or might it cause people to question why they would want to identify with the Jewish venture?

We should be especially cognizant of this when we speak about Israel. Rabbis can denigrate and criticize the policies of the government of Israel, or they can help provide context to its struggles.  We can go beyond the critical articles in the media and inform people how Israel addresses the very real and serious challenges it faces.  We need to think about the impact our messages have on those who come infrequently at best to a Jewish place of worship. 

A number of years ago when members of my congregation accompanying me on a trip to Israel heard a vitriolic sermon harshly condemning Israel for its treatment of non-Orthodox Jews, they asked me why we would bother travel to Israel if things were so terrible.  The question I urge my colleagues to consider when composing their High Holiday sermons is how to express our concerns in a way which engenders greater connection, attachment and the desire for more connection not to disconnect. 

This is our moment. 

What will we do and how we will use this opportunity to reach so many?  Hopefully we will embrace it as a chance to inspire and to encourage Jews to seek a connection to their heritage, to the eternal messages of Judaism, as well as to God, the Jewish people, and the national aspirations of the Jewish people.  

Rabbi Stuart G.Weinblatt

President, JFNA Rabbinic Cabinet 

It’s About More Than Tickets

The signs are back.

They are popping up on street corners, public and private property – unauthorized, most definitely not legal, but catchy and appealing.  Last year they merely advertised “Free High Holiday Tickets”.  This year they have gone one step further, and take a swipe at the concept upon which the American Jewish community has built a strong infrastructure and developed connections to our heritage and our fellow Jews.  Now the word membership is crossed out, and there is an x over it.  As if to imply, why bother being a member of a congregation when you can just come to a High Holiday service for free.

The irony that these well-placed illegal signs are put up by a branch that proclaims to be the legitimate expression of Judaism, which does not recognize non-Orthodox denominations precisely because they contend that they are too lenient in their practice is striking.  One of the differences they cite in their dismissal of other branches is that the liberal streams of Judaism do not have any requirements, or place demands on their congregants.  Granted, this group does many wonderful things for Jews around the world, and has brought many back to Judaism.  They emphasize the importance of doing mitzvot and their love of Jews is manifested in many ways.  Yet their advertisements minimize the important work they and synagogues and the Jewish community do to encourage greater commitment.

Why do they feel it necessary to promote what they have to offer by putting down membership in established synagogues?  Whether they realize it or not, whether it is conscious or not, their message is negative and pejorative towards other congregations.

Synagogues want people to do more than just come to a couple of services on the holidays.  They want people to join so they can be a part of all that they have to offer, so they can support the educational programs, as well as the Israel advocacy, social action projects, and all the other ways members are offered support during happy and difficult times.  This is why I always tell members of my congregation that even if they only come once a year, by being members they support the work I as a rabbi do, as well as members of our staff and our volunteers.  Being a member facilitates what we do to provide for the needs of others and to serve both the affiliated and the non-affiliated.

For many Jews synagogue membership is the primary, if not the sum total of the charitable dollars they spend on supporting the work of the Jewish community.  Does it really make any sense to denigrate and challenge this connection?!  Does this strengthen the Jewish community?

If it is a matter of finances, just about every synagogue that I know of does not turn people away if people cannot afford to pay dues. 

As my colleague, Rabbi Adam Raskin recently wrote, there is benefit to knowing one’s “way around a sanctuary, to have a relationship with a rabbi and a cantor, and to be attached to the hub of Jewish life in a congregation, its youth program and religious culture.” 

I was tempted to create a sign to place next to theirs that would read, “Why just get tickets for the High Holidays, when you can be a member?”