(Reform) Jews have a new High Holy Days prayer book- and just
in time. The holiest days in the Jewish calendar begin Sunday at sundown, and
the new text for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur contains updated language on
women and gay marriage and also makes belief in God optional. The Central
Conference of American Rabbis has revised the existing text, in use for a
generation, to be feminist and gay friendly, while also leaving room for
disbelief. Reform Judaism is the most
progressive arm of Judaism. It is also the largest
Jewish denomination in the United States.
“One of
the goals was to create a prayer book that was a prayer book for the 21st century, that is
welcoming and inviting to everybody,” said Rabbi Hara Person,
the publisher of the new prayer book, “Mishkan HaNefesh.” (Emphases/italics
mine).
A
countertext to a prayer from Genesis (“The Lord God formed man from the dust of
the earth…”) questions the scientific basis for the story of creation. It
begins, “I speak these words, but I don’t believe them.” Inspiring!
“We
wanted to allow for people who come in with doubt and anger, not to say there’s only one way to approach these holidays,”
Person said. (I bet they don’t have to say, “Happy Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur”
anymore. In fact, I bet they say
“happy holidays,” too). “There’s a place for you regardless of who you
are and what you’re coming in with.”
Wow.
One
Midwestern rabbi stated, “A prayer book
is an interesting lens, a window into who
a people is at a given moment.”
He went on to say that, among his congregation, “there is an enthusiasm and a
sense that the last prayer book served us greatly for a generation, and now its
time has passed.”
A
religious book, a prayer book, is simply an interesting window “into who a people is at a given moment?”
Forget immutable truths, forget concrete right and wrong. Forget the Ten
Commandments (we already have), forget the word of God. Our religious texts are
just what the hell we feel like
believing or “feeling like” at any given time.
Every
two-page spread in the new tome has a multi-screen approach, reflecting our
preference for learning from modern digital devices. The translations on these
pages have, of course, been updated, by referring to God as “she” or
“compassionate mother” and replacing outmoded references to “bride and groom”
with the blissfully non-gendered “couple.”
Even
better, there are alternate passages on the opposite pages, for those who wish to avoid the prayers altogether. Poems by Carl
Sandburg, Pablo Neruda and Walt Whitman are among the treasures to be found on
these pages.
Experts
say these changes are a way to reach a younger demographic. Jewish millennials,
like their (formerly) Christian counterparts, are much more likely than
previous generations to identify themselves as having no religion. Can’t
imagine why.
Even
the “Conservative” Jewish movement has revamped its prayer books to offer
contemporary translations of prayers with gender-neutral language and
recognition of same-sex couples.
There
was concern among some Jews that these changes would be seen as shocking- and
would generate a backlash. There hasn’t been any. These changes simply mirror
what has transpired in the Christian “religious” community.
Looking
at the massive, stupefying changes in/to mainstream Judeo-Christianity in the past 50 years, it
is scary to project what will be doctrine/ accepted behavior in another 50
years.
“We
certainly want to be open and inclusive to our NAMBLA Friends, Planned
Parenthood Pals, and communist dictatorships around the world…! Illegal aliens,
you’ve found your home! Islam is a religion of Peace! Capitalist-caused climate
change is ruining the planet!
Bestiality? Who are we to judge?!”
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