Survivalism vs. Values, Take II

Following up on last week’s post on Yossi Abramowitz’s comments on how the Jewish community spends too much time on issues of exclusivity and survival, Irwin Kula did an interview with the South Florida Sun-Sentinel on a similar theme:

Like followers of most religions, Jews have largely neglected much of their own wisdom teachings, Kula says. For much of their history — especially the last couple of generations — Jews have majored on survival and identity issues: intermarriage, Israel, anti-Semitism, the Holocaust, the religious right.

“That’s a death spiral,” he says. “It’s about preservation and exclusivity. Most Americans are asking different questions: How can I love, how can I be happier, what should I do with my life, how to deal with the death of a loved one, how to raise my kids with values.

Continue reading