Looked through a list of presenters at Limmud Chicago 2010 that EJ mentioned in the comments on XGH's post...
Sometimes I wonder what makes people get involved with these Jewish events. I wonder if some of it is the need to maintain a Jewish identity in a society where it is not imposed upon you. Perhaps some of it is intellectual stimulation, and perhaps some of it is just plain need to make some money off Judaism... Geschäft is Geschäft...
Sometimes I wonder what makes people get involved with these Jewish events. I wonder if some of it is the need to maintain a Jewish identity in a society where it is not imposed upon you. Perhaps some of it is intellectual stimulation, and perhaps some of it is just plain need to make some money off Judaism... Geschäft is Geschäft...
posted by e-kvetcher at 12:50 PM
6 Comments:
"and perhaps some of it is just plain need to make some money off Judaism... Geschäft is Geschäft..."
FYI - one of the unique features of all Limmud events around the world - including Limmud Chicago - is that pretty much everyone involved is a volunteer; and this includes ALL presenters/performers/teachers etc. All of them are giving of their time freely and with no financial remuneration. In fact, most of them also pay the participation fee in order to be there on equal terms with everyone else! In the UK for example (the original and biggest Limmud in the world with over 2,500 participating in the annual winter Limmud Conference), there are approx 350 'presenters' of which at least 250 pay the ticket price to be there on top of waiving any kind of fee or honorarium.
None of them can directly "make money off Judaism" from Limmud. As they say, menschkeit is menschkeit...
Raymond,
I apologize if I implied that the presenters are directly making money off Limmud.
However, I don't think you will deny that there is a "Judaism" market and there are folks out there who make a business out of Judaism.
I wonder if some of it is the need to maintain a Jewish identity in a society where it is not imposed upon you.
Just out of curiosity, what is so wrong with this justification? Why must the only options be (a) do nothing or (b) become Orthodox?
Just out of curiosity, what is so wrong with this justification? Why must the only options be (a) do nothing or (b) become Orthodox?
I don't think I articulated myself well in this post. Plus, I had something on my mind which kinda upset me, but I don't understand where I said that those are the only options.
Fair enough... Maybe I was projecting one of my pet peeves there! :(
I'm a Reform Jew by ideology and synagogue affiliation (where I grew up) but more interested in observance and Torah study than the "average" RJ. I'm a born and bred modern, liberal thinker...who also feels a deep connection to Jewish practice and law. For me, and others like me (Reform or no), the pursuit of this knowledge involves questions other than those found in Torah and Talmud; they often involve issues of adapting tradition to modernity or asking why things are the way they are. Browsing the Limmud schedule makes this pretty clear. It goes without saying that for certain Orthodox Jews, most or all of these topics are either irrelevant, heretical, self-indulgent or "wrong," and they're entitled to their opinion. To the extent that not all Jews have the same concerns, questions, interests and beliefs, it stands to reason that different Jews will pursue Jewish study in different ways and different contexts. Many of the concerns raised in the orthodox jblogosphere simply don't speak to me, whereas those raised in the context of Limmud Chicago 2010 do. Al ta'am varei'ach, ain ma l'hitvakeiach... :)
RR,
Sorry, I don't have time for a well thought out response, but here are some quick thoughts...
The problem I have with some of the sessions on the Limmud agenda is that in my opinion, once you "throw off the yoke of heaven" so to speak, it doesn't make sense to talk about many of these issues from a "Jewish" perspective.
First of all, I don't think there is a Jewish perspective. Our tradition is so varied that you can mold it into anything (Just like Islam or Christianity). I am speaking for myself here, but I don't understand why looking at the workplace from a "Jewish perspective" is any more interesting or enlightening than looking at it from any other perspective for the average person (i.e. a non-scholar). Or relationship abuse. And if I want to learn more about mysticism or meditation, I'd not limit myself to just Judaism, but also Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity.
More to follow later, maybe...
Post a Comment
<< Home