Genessa and I went to that Three Rabbis event I've talked about in earlier posts. It was at the JCC - a crazy beautiful building with great art and social justice exhibits lining just about every hallway. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I was a little disheartened to know that three white, middle-aged, male rabbis would be leading a panel on "otherness" in the Jewish community - come on, this is SAN FRANCISCO! - but what can you do?
The conversation was kind of all over the place, and not especially ground-breaking. However, audience members were able to write questions on index cards to be answered by the rabbis, and my question was chosen. I asked something like: Is there a place in the Jewish community for non-Jews who feel a spiritual connection to Jewish practice and tradition, but who may not have plans to convert. The answer? Practicing Jews may not (should not?) say "amen" to prayers related to "our" God or specific Jewish experiences when recited by these types of non-Jews.
This is especially relevant to the Passover seder. If God had only "brought US out from Egypt," or parted the Red Sea," drowning "OUR pursuers in its waters" - that would have been enough. So the song goes during the seder (though the CAPS are my own doing). Implicit in the response of the rabbis is that, though I may sit at the Passover table, I should not sing blessings or songs like the one above (Dayenu) so as not to cheapen the experience or invalidate the suffering of those with REAL Jewish ancestors.
I actually don't take issue with the opinions of these rabbis - I understand where they're coming from. Thankfully, I've never encountered this attitude in my own life, and don't expect to find myself praying with the Three Rabbis any time soon. Still, the response did get me thinking about secular Jews who sing prayers in Hebrew, without really understanding what they're saying. Can these rabbis say "amen" to people who pray by rote rather than with feeling? Is ancestry more important than sincerity? What do you think?
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