Despite deeply rooted conflicts within the American Jewish community, the forces that unite it will continue to outweigh the pressures that divide it, according to a sociologist specializing in Jewish affairs.
Dr. Samuel Heilman, professor of sociology at Queens College of the City University of New York, asserted in a report that "sectarianism, division and Dispenses have been a continuing element of Jewish communal existence from the beginning and throughout the century."
The 39-page study, "American-Jewish Disunity: An Overview," was commissioned by the American Jewish Congress and released at its 1986 biennial convention at the Shore ham Hotel here. Some 500 delegates from throughout the United States are attending the meeting, which concludes Wednesday.
Dire warnings of Jewish disunity have been issued in newspapers, periodicals and journals, according to Heilman, citing a number of major areas of division such as the dispute over conversion, the definition of "Who is a Jew," and the status of women in Judaism.
EXPERIENCE OF HISTORY
However, Heilman said that while the Jewish community has always lived with fragmentation, "the experience of history suggests that even the bitterest disputes get resolved in one way or another — either the various groups of Jews find that the forces that divide them are less significant than those that unite them, or some external adversary reminds them that they are one."
The rifts in the American Jewish community are not merely between Orthodox and non-Orthodox elements — Conservative and Reform Jews are also divided on many issues, and the Orthodox are divided into modern and traditionalist groups, Heilman wrote in the report.
Heilman suggested that the divisions between various groups appear to be based on "competing worldviews." He said that "one world view seeks to prevent all change while the other encourages or embraces change. Both views, however, remain convinced that they will ensure the survival of Judaism and the Jews."
The first view, he said, holds that change is suspect and ultimately threatens to erode Judaism, while the second says that those who fail to adapt and change will stagnate. In addition, Heilman pointed out that there also remains Jewish groups that are in the "ambigious middle position" between the extremes.
But Heilman also noted that despite divisions on various issues, it is difficult to characterize today’s divisions as any deeper than those that have divided Jewish life throughout the ages. Equally significant, he wrote, are some strong signs of unity, one of the strongest being the willingness of a number of leaders from the Orthodox, Conservative and Reform branches to talk to each other and work for "understanding and rapprochement."
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
