September/October 2008

Ask the Rabbis
Does Politics Belong on the Bima?

Sephardi

Politics is inappropriate for discussion in mixed company. Political opinions are considered highly personal and extremely sensitive in our culture. The advocacy of any particular viewpoint in a place of worship is almost certain to cause offense and is likely to alienate congregants who disagree. To ensure that our synagogues are warm and comfortable “homes away from home,” it is imperative that the pulpit not be used as a political soapbox.

On the other hand, a rabbi’s primary role is to serve as a teacher and spiritual guide, and any light that the Torah’s wisdom may shed on political matters is certainly worthy of being shared with one’s congregation. Thus, the approach I adopt is twofold. I attempt to model the application of traditional Jewish methods of critical thought and moral analysis to matters of public policy by demonstrating how one must try to penetrate beneath the surface of political debate, cast aside the rhetoric and then clearly identify and precisely define the issues.

Furthermore, I like to encourage my congregants to assume full responsibility for their “take” on a given political point, diligently studying it from all sides, contemplating its nuances rigorously and not allowing the media or “spin doctors” to do their thinking for them. All the while I strive to keep my personal views out of the picture and hope that the tools with which I equip my congregants help them in their quests to develop well-informed and reasonable ideas.

Rabbi Joshua Maroof
Magen David Sephardic Congregation

Rockville, MD

Modern Orthodox

This question offers a classic case of on the one hand…and…on the other hand. On the one hand: Judaism asks us to live religiously in every aspect of life. The prophets challenged kings’ moral failure, royal exploitation of the people and favoritism to the powerful and wealthy. Therefore, rabbis should discuss burning political issues, apply Torah principles to them and maybe even endorse (or reject) candidates.

On the other hand: Most rabbis know less about politics than well-informed analysts—who may be their congregants. So rabbis are likely to dissipate their credibility by indulging in political analysis.

Furthermore, religious interventions frequently harm the political process. Democracy depends on negotiations and compromises amid constantly changing conditions. Religious approaches tend to wrap issues in the mantle of absolute values and eternal, unchanging divine commandments, which block compromise. Religious interventions have led to extremist, sometimes violent politics. Who can forget how right-wing, religious rabbis denounced Israel’s offer of territorial compromises and two important Orthodox rabbis spoke menacingly about the right to kill Israel’s prime minister?

In the U.S., polarization, government gridlock and the culture wars of the past two decades reflect, in part, the evangelical intervention in American politics. Jews also worry that “Christianization” of American politics may roll back Jewish gains in becoming fully equal in American public life.

So on which hand should we act? Since it is illegal under American law for non-profit, tax exempt organizations to take part in politics, rabbis in synagogues should not be in politics.

Rabbi Yitz Greenberg
New York, NY

Conservative

Recently, I was urged to teach my congregation about the developing situation between Israel and Iran because it may be a mortal threat to Israel. Since I have no greater expertise than many members of my community, I responded, in part, by speaking of “the belief that I share with all my rabbinic predecessors that knowledge of Torah and Jewish spirituality are the bedrock of strength and tenacity in any Jewish community. That’s my post, and I shall not abandon it to take on someone else’s assignment. God forbid that we should ever turn all of our rabbis into political analysts and military advisers. Judaism, and thus Israel itself, would be dangerously, if not disastrously, impoverished.”

On the other hand, when it is argued—to take one example—that torture can be tolerated in extraordinary times because mortal threats to the nation override normal legal and ethical constraints, I am duty bound to teach that (a) Judaism has never believed that all steps are legitimate when attempting to save a life; (b) one may not simply assume without argument that threats to a nation are different from threats to individuals in this respect; and (c) torture in interrogation desecrates the divine image in every human being to which an abundance of classical texts testify.

On such issues, I do preach and teach. When one does so, however, one should never lose the ability to say to oneself those four very civilizing words: “I might be wrong.”

Rabbi Gordon Tucker

Temple Israel Center

White Plains, NY

Reform

Issues, not individuals. Policies, not partisanship. Concerns, not candidates. These guidelines should direct synagogues as they chart their critical role in this election season.

Global warming, the Iraq war, Middle East peace, health care reform, the role of government in securing a safety net for Americans in need, immigration policy, confronting terrorism effectively, economic hardship—these are just some of the great moral issues and political challenges confronting America. Synagogues have long been powerful prophetic voices in American public life and must continue to be so. Educational debates and presentations are candidates for rabbinic sermons; adult education classes, social action, social service and advocacy programs constitute appropriate ways of raising awareness of such issues.

Traditionally, Jews vote at much higher rates than other Americans, yet some studies indicate a fall-off among those under 40. Therefore, every synagogue in the nation should engage in voter registration campaigns, ensure that every member is registered when they turn 18 and undertake “Get Out the Vote” efforts, using phone banks, email and listservs. This is particularly important with our young, because habits forged in first elections will last a lifetime.

The key legal limitation on synagogues is that they cannot spend one penny, or one second of staff time, supporting or opposing a candidate or party. It is also good policy: The last thing we need is to tear our synagogues apart over which candidates they should oppose or support. By sticking to issues and not candidates, synagogues can fulfill our obligation of prophetic witness without violating the law.

Rabbi David Saperstein

Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

Washington, DC

Reconstructionist

Judaism, as a tradition of values, demands our involvement in public affairs. From Isaiah to Maimonides to Judith Plaskow, thoughtful Jews concur with Elie Wiesel: “Indifference is not an option.”

Where we gather in real time (bet knesset), we address issues of the day. Where we study (bet sefer), the learning must lead to action. Even public prayer (bet tefilah) requires nine others. Every function of a synagogue demands our engagement with current societal needs.

Congregations discuss values, and with them, political issues. But promote political parties? Prohibited. Candidates? We can’t.

IRS regulations rightly steer synagogues clear of endorsing parties or candidates. We should be humble about our own positions, while honoring shuls as “big tents.” Rabbis’ leanings may appear in the paper, but not the pulpit. Resources from groups like the Interfaith Alliance help us walk that ethical and legal line.

Yet we must not bifurcate between “spiritual” and “political.” The yotzer nature blessing should motivate us to stem global warming; our “Redemption Song,” Mi Chamocha, should recall those too impoverished or oppressed to be free. These are political and spiritual concerns in which upcoming elections loom large. Avoiding them, we risk irrelevance.

Bless the tradition that encourages us to grapple, to take respectful action, and to vote for whomever we deem likeliest to heal our country and our world.

Rabbi Fred Scherlinder Dobb

Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation

Bethesda, MD

Renewal

An evangelical Christian pastor said that Bible-loving Christians come to different conclusions about the issues of our day, including abortion. He concluded that it was not his work to tell them for whom to vote, but to remind them of their loyalty to the Kingdom of God.

I resonate with him. If politics in the synagogue means endorsing one candidate or party over another, then I don’t want politics in my shul. (Besides, its not legal, at least in the U.S.!) However, it is appropriate to focus on the criteria we use to choose our governments.

A congregant asked me whether I would rather live in a town with no limits on wealth where some would always be poor, or where there would be no poor because there were limits placed on wealth. He was surprised when I said the latter. I explained to him that the Torah mandated sabbatical and jubilee years designed to accomplish this purpose and that the higher ethical principle was to minimize poverty. Expressing a commitment to bringing these ideals into practice is a way to evaluate the merits of governments. Without it, Judaism is a hollow shell. With it, it is vibrant, alive with the reality of God and committed to a higher purpose.

Rabbi Daniel Siegel

Director of Spiritual Resources

Alliance for Jewish Renewal

Philadelphia, PA

Humanist

Rabbis have long championed the idea of “freedom of the pulpit” that entitles them to speak out on issues and to voice opinions that may not necessarily be popular among their members. However, while some communities welcome these pronouncements, others discourage them.

As an old joke goes, a rabbi was once hired for a new position and advised that he could talk about any subject he wanted as long as it wasn’t about politics or religion.

It’s also been said that to be a good rabbi one needs imagination. That is, one needs to imagine that somebody is paying attention to what you have to say. Naturally I’m glad when members listen to my ideas. I am equally gratified when I can learn from them and be guided by them.

These days, in fact, we all have access to the same news and op-ed writers. Rabbis cannot claim some special insight into the affairs of the world. If anything, our specialty is less about understanding the working of society than it is about understanding the working of individuals. Of course, we may make pronouncements on politics if we care to, and our synagogues can host public discussions on the issues, but we serve our members best when we address their concerns—their hopes and fear—as well as our visions and ideals.

Rabbi Peter H. Schweitzer

The City Congregation for Humanist Judaism

New York, NY

Independent

The nexus between religion and political life invites us to revisit the roles of priest and prophet in Biblical society and discuss their relevance today. Historically, the Tanach separated civil and religious authorities. In “Priest and Prophet,” Hayim Nachman Bialik describes the prophet as an uncompromising zealot who seldom engages in diplomacy. Moses is not a people pleaser; if Moses had led our ancestors into the Promised Land, he might well have engaged in holy war against the Canaanite nations to fulfill the divine command. Moses’ successor, Joshua, shows a priestly personality when he makes covenants with the surrounding Canaanite nations.

The Hebrew word for prophet, Navi, means “speaker.” Neither seers nor clairvoyants, the prophets spoke out against society’s evils. Not afraid of condemnation or incarceration, they were among the first to stage demonstrations against governmental oppression. Jeremiah wore an ox’s yoke over his shoulders to demonstrate the heavy burden of King Jehoachim’s rule. Prophets also challenged the priesthood when it engaged in practices that negated fundamental principles of religious belief and doctrine.

The roles of priest and prophet should not exclude one another, particularly in this election year. Kadosh translates as both “holy” and “other,” and Martin Buber says, “holiness is otherness.” Therefore, the synagogue would be amiss if it were not involved in presenting dissident political views. The synagogue should maintain its three-fold function as the house of prayer, study and gathering.

Rabbi Harold S. White

Senior Jewish Chaplain

Georgetown University
Washington, DC