"A Diaspora Character if ever there was one"

[eumelia]

Via constintina:

The origins of Spock as the "Other", the "Outsider" and the Vulcan salute:

As an agnosto-atheist, the whole idea of the essence of god thing doesn't really do it for me.
However, I come from a family of Kohanim (the Priest tribe of the Jewish people) and the one time a year I do attend shul (synagogue) it's to hear and sing "Kol Nidrei" and to see my father and brother bless the congregation.
The shul my family attends isn't Orthodox, it's very egalitarian(1) - women wear kippah and tallitot, etc.

Everything Leonard Nimoy said there, I find it rings so true to the way I perceive Judaism, though not the kind that I ever experienced, nor do I think will I ever, considering where I am from and the fact that one must believe.
Which, as I've mentioned, I do not.
Like Roddenberry, I'd consider myself a Humanist, despite the problematic history of that word, but I'm a bit too Jewish for that so I like this(2) more than anything else.

(1)Though not enough for daughters of Kohanim to be able to go up to the Bimah and bless the congregation.
(2)Humanistic Judaism

Comments

[lishablog.livejournal.com]

One of the things that I find so sad about Israel is the fact that few Israelis experience the kind of Judaism that is so very mainstream in the US and the UK (the two places where I have experienced significant time in Jewish communities besides Israel). Because of the tie between religion and government in Israel, I think, the religion in Israel is a matter of control and power rather than a matter of spirit, philosophy and practice.

I know many practicing Orthodox Jews in the US who do not believe in God, but that matters not. They practice, and study, and love Judaism for many other reasons. I know many Reform Jews who believe fervently in God but who think that the Judaism practiced by the Orthodox is messed up, mixed up, outdated, misguided, or whatever. Judaism is more than belief. Much more.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Judaism in Israel is stunted because, as you say, there is no separation of religion and government and because of the need for stability in government, it is only a "certain kind" of Judaism that is considered "real".

I blame Ben-Gurion for that.

Regardless, Israel is a Zionist state, and thus needs to have a diaspora it can say isn't real Jewry, the "real" Jews are the pioneers living in Israel. Zionism hasn't updated itself in 60 years.

That's why when I look at Judaism, I try very hard not to look at it in it's Israeli form, as it is an intolerable and intolerant denomination.
Hence being an agnosto-atheist and pretty much anti-religion in my outlook on life - very likely were I to live a long while outside of Israel I'd find myself a Jewish community in which to participate seeing as I do have a cultural tie to that if not anything else.

[afro-dyte.livejournal.com]

I know many Reform Jews who believe fervently in God but who think that the Judaism practiced by the Orthodox is messed up, mixed up, outdated, misguided, or whatever.

That's me - at least on the surface. I tend to prefer the phrase progressive Judaism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_Judaism). My level of observance may change over time, but I remain committed to ideas and practices that expand and deepen our connection to God and each other.

[stateofwonder.livejournal.com]

Fascinating stuff! Thanks so much for posting that, Leonard Nimoy is an amazing guy and a great speaker :D

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

He is! I can really say that he's been one of my role models, along with Buffy, Spock is probably one of the most inspiring characters I've ever come across.

[seilduksgata.livejournal.com]

Is your shul Masorti, by any chance?

I go to a Masorti shul in London and the minyan I go to is egalitarian and quite hippy-ish, but at the same time pretty traditional when it comes to the liturgy used. I'm not totally sure but I think they've got rid of birkat hakohanim rather than let women join in, as its not a very egalitarian idea in the first place.

Re God; I went to a great talk on tikkun leyl shavuot, where the teacher began by saying there was a bit of a problem with shavuot since it was probably true that many (most?) of the people who had turned up for the chag probably didn't strongly believe in God, yet they were all apparently here to celebrate the receiving of the Torah. He then proposed a solution by studying something by Buber about how the face of God is found through relationships - when you really SEE and interact momentarily with someone else in some kind of elemental way, rather than objectifying them, you have found God (okay I am paraphrasing this terribly...its difficult stuff!).

I personally really liked this. I find it quite uncomfortable when some people, who apparently have no problems with the believing part, seem to almost 'use' God as some kind of slot machine to get wishes fulfilled, or pray 'at' so they can tick a box in their life. Buber seems to be saying the opposite of that.

[eumelia.livejournal.com]

Yup, it is Masorati (Conservative) and every Yom Kippur I hear the same argument whether it would be "okay" to allow women do the Birkat - we only do it once a year possibly to curtail the discussion.

My sister said something really interesting when we were discussing tradition and Judaism and stuff. We're both atheist (I'm almost positive every one in my family doesn't actively believe) and she was saying that we are part of a 5000 year old tradition of worshipping the written word.
I thought, I could get down with that - especially since that's really a more cultural thought than a liturgical one.

Buber was a smart cookie :D