Anti-semitism?? What good is it? G-d created everything... G-d has a plan for all... Free will is still ours... and clarifying how that can be with G-d's plan and knowledge is qute a clarification question... Not to be done here...
HERE - accepting that anti-semitism is part of G-d's plan - what is its good, bad, purpose, etc.. etc..
On one hand - some might say the pressures and oppressions in the name of anti-semitism has forced Jews to unite and guard themselves...and be somehow together or as was said:
"We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately" is traditionally attributed to Benjamin Franklin
Meaning was ... fight together for freedom. Together in community, in arms, etc.. gives us strength and eventually victory... OR we are ALONE... separate and weak losers. (btw - this could apply directly to me in the Davis Jewish community at this time!).
Back to the "good" of anti-semitism... It has forced us to preserve ourselves and this has been mightily helped by our texts which assure us that WE will screw up... We will always be LOVED by G-d... We shall always return to the right paths... WE are in control with G-d's love.
Another good ... might be that opportunity it provides to people who are in ignorance and who hate baselessly... and therefor are not well mindful of the truths and who let their fears rule them which leads to hate. Essentially - Being Separate ... is the result... Aloneness... AND humans are herd animals who thrive in community. Who SURVIVE IN COMMUNITY.
Today - who will be more together? AI or Humans? Who can maintain both individualism and communalism? That is what humans have done all their history. Individual strivings and inventions for the good of the many ... and the balancing of power and wealth with the weak and poor. ... All RELATIVE. The question is how wide are the gaps?
OPPORTUNITIES... So many... Individual, communal... What is best from the individual for the group? It is not necessarily - from each according to his/her ability to each according to their needs... It is the balance between the community and the individual. One cannot be without the other!!! The rich need the poor. The strong are heroic when they protect the weak.
AND --- when I think of a Conservative synagogue in Davis, CA -- the point is to be In The Middle... Enough "anything goes reform" and enough "orthodox rigidity". The MIDDLE is where both might meet and grow and thrive.
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based on question to google: lighthearted take on differences between jewish denominations
- Orthodox Judaism: Views the Torah as the literal, direct word of God given at Mount Sinai, meaning traditional laws are binding and immutable.
- The lighthearted vibe: "The rules were written thousands of years ago, and our job is to figure out how to live in them today—no, you cannot update them on an app." (Ranging from Modern Orthodoxy, which grabs an espresso on the way to a secular university, to Haredi/Ultra-Orthodox communities that keep a safe, screen-free distance from modern culture). [1, 2, 3, 4]
- Conservative (Masorti) Judaism: Believes Jewish law is divine and obligatory, but that it was historically shaped by human interpretation and can—and should—evolve to fit the modern world.
- Reform Judaism: Prioritizes ethical monotheism, social justice, and personal autonomy, viewing ritual law as inspiring and flexible rather than strictly mandatory.
- Reconstructionist & Jewish Renewal: Views Judaism not just as a religion, but as an "evolving religious civilization" or a deep, ecstatic, and earth-centered spiritual practice.
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some appropriate funny telling...of the differences... Still looking for that ONE...
??????
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THE POINT/ISSUE... - what is it that keeps us Jews going going going.... Surviving, even thriving, etc etc... WHAT IS IT? Or what is the combination? OR - is it a series of things that are experienced and done over time... again and again???
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