Helping People Develop G-d Awareness
Posted on | February 9, 2007 | By Administrator | 5 Comments
If we believe in Hashem, Torah from Sinai and the eternity of the soul in the afterlife shouldn’t it pain us that the majority of Jews are not developing a relationship with Hashem? Some have opined that they can’t see their Aunt Rose ever becoming frum. Let me suggest that instead of targetting becoming frum as the goal, we just try to stir up a little more G-d awareness in our friends, neighbors and co-workers.
Inspired Too, Kiruv Across America premiered last week and we will be showing it at Congregation Ahavas Yisroel in Kew Gardens Hills at 7:45 and 9:45 on February 10th and 17th. In addition, we’ll be holding a Kiruv Training Seminar on February 24th at 8:30. For other showtimes and locations, please visit www.kiruv.com.
There is a lot of great Kiruv material on the kiruv.com site including The Dead End of Jewish Culture by Sara Yoheved Rigler. Here’s an excerpt from the article:
According to the American Jewish Identity Survey 2001, out of approximately 5.5 million American adults who are either Jewish by religion or of Jewish parentage and/or upbringing, nearly 1.4 million say they are members of a non-Jewish religion.
We are not talking here about secularism, not about Jews who opt out of going to synagogue in favor of a baseball game or the movies, but rather in favor of church. Since the vast majority of American Jews are of Ashkenazic descent, this means that 25% of the descendants of European Jews who resisted the blandishments and threats of Christianity for some sixty generations, often at the cost of their lives, are now voluntary apostates.
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February 9th, 2007 @ 4:01 am
As someone of the born again (sort of)Frum Since Friday persuasion,I think using the Gd Awareness Whiskey in the Concerta Concoction for spiritual intoxication is a bright and èrudite idea for a sparkle dust starry night and future.
Spirituality and related happenstancings are mostly universally applicable concepts.
Anyone can appreciate the concept of begging Gd for stuff when in dire need or whatever.
As opposed to wiggy wig concepts or whatever.
Sometimes no matter how far and fast runny runs right along on the perpetual path of atheism bliss , Gd will continue tripping runny the runaway until he falls so hard he sprains a brain.
Ànd once ècstacy is not so ecstatic anymore….. Exxxxy is subsequently forced to consider who exactly is in charge of brain control check systems.And why exactly are we existing anyway among other feverishingly flabbergasting questions on function form and design.
Here is where that Gd Awareness Whiskey comes in handy.
Cheers!!!
February 9th, 2007 @ 1:38 pm
I think Kiruv is great. There are so many Jews out there who, sadly, just don’t know that much about their own religion.
I’d be surprised, though, if most of those 1.4 million other-religion Jews were actually practicing Christians. My guess is that many (if not the majority) such Jews are actually Buddhists, Hindus, Hare Krishnas, and other New Age-types.
Of course, these are still other religions, which doesn’t make the situation any less of a tragedy. But perhaps the method of outreach should be targeted specifically towards these Jews as well.
February 9th, 2007 @ 2:14 pm
I though that the linked article was fantastic. If one follows all of the various secular notions of what is “Jewish culture” as opposed to Torah, Avodah and Gmilus Chasadim, sooner or later, ersatz solutions cannot serve as the basis for retaining or enhancing Jewish identity for the overwhelming majority of American Jewry.
February 9th, 2007 @ 2:34 pm
If Jews sign up as leftist Israel-haters, is that tantamount to joining a hostile religion?
February 9th, 2007 @ 3:55 pm
>>I’d be surprised, though, if most of those 1.4 million other-religion Jews were actually practicing Christians. My guess is that many (if not the majority) such Jews are actually Buddhists, Hindus, Hare Krishnas, and other New Age-types.>>
Or they’re just secular Jews married to secular Christians. Celebrating holidays out of family tradition and togetherness rather than out of any real religious beliefs per se. After all, it’s just as easy for Christians to become secular as it is for Jews.