Every synagogue advertises itself as a welcoming congregation. Offering that warm embrace to visitors, shul-seekers and congregants is as much a part of the institutional creed as tikkun olam and Shabbat.
But might there be limits to that welcoming attitude, especially when it comes to including new Jews, Jews of color and others who don’t match the traditional Jewish profile? Two stories this week explore that question.
Our cover story looks at Congregation Beth Shalom, a Conservative shul in Modesto that has welcomed as members several Spanish-speaking families and individuals. Most believe themselves to be descended from Conversos — Jews from Spain and Portugal who feigned conversion to Christianity during the time of the Inquisition but who secretly retained Jewish practices.
Modern genetic science can reveal a lot about an individual’s ethnic and geographical origins, but not everything. Nor can household traditions, such as Friday night candlelighting, serve as definitive proof of Jewish ancestry.
That leaves open a degree of incertitude that could cause some, fairly or unfairly, to question another’s claim to Jewishness.
But the clergy, staff and members of Beth Shalom exchanged certitude for menschlichkeit, or human decency. They did the right thing by welcoming these families, many of whom speak little English and no Hebrew, into their Jewish community. These are people who have found Judaism to be a spiritual home, and the Modesto Jews have answered with open-mindedness, inclusion and a path to conversion.
Another story in this issue, about how adult children of intermarriage negotiate their Jewish identity, reports on a conference held last weekend at Oakland’s Temple Sinai. Speakers and attendees included African American Jews, Asian American Jews, Jews with one Jewish parent, and Jews exposing their children to multiple faith traditions.
Conference organizer Dawn Kepler, who founded the interfaith nonprofit Building Jewish Bridges, has devoted her career to removing the stigma that is often felt by those who don’t fit the stereotype of what a Jew “looks like.” The conference reaffirmed the diversity of our Jewish community while calling attention to the hurtful incidents some new Jews and Jews of color, in particular, have experienced.
No two Jewish journeys are alike. The path may take unexpected turns, and disdain and judgment from the established community have no place along the way. Our communal tent must be wide enough to embrace all who choose to enter.