European Judaism

This interview was conducted in 1965 by Jonathan Magonet at the time when Lionel Blue was newly appointed European Director of the Youth Section and of the World Union for Progressive Judaism itself. It addresses his concern about rebuilding European Diaspora Jewish communities after the war, through helping them find meaning and purpose in their existence beyond survival as an end in itself. Progressive Judaism is well placed to take on such a task because of its openness to the outside world. Progressive Judaism is not a breakaway from Rabbinic Judaism but sifts it and transposes it into a new key. He outlines a variety of programmes he envisages to undertake this work.

This conference sermon delivered to the UK Reform Jewish movement (Reform Synagogues of Great Britain) in 1965 explored the challenges facing this growing religious organisation, ‘a worldly instrument to serve non-worldly purposes’. What are the traps that have to be recognized and avoided? Does God become the rationalization for our prejudices? How do we relate to issues in the Jewish and wider world? Inside the complex bureaucratic system, how do we find place for the freedom of religious experience?

In the recent past all Jewish life has been so overshadowed by the tragedy of the holocaust and the hope of Israel that we could only cry or act. Now a new time has come. Israel has solved every problem except the Arab problem and that is the only important problem now worth solving. A dialogue with the Islamic world is long overdue. We were hounded out of Europe, and we were one of the factors which pushed or helped to push another people out of Palestine. This was a sin – whether knowingly or unknowingly. Israel and Arabs are political entities. Behind them stand two other and greater beings – Judaism and Islam. It is possible that the goodness inherent in them can achieve what the politicians cannot. Unfortunately, neither is spiritually efficient, as all religion has been perverted in our society. The Israel problem poses the crucial test for Judaism itself. As for Islam, it is almost an unknown religion to most Jews. It has also encountered the full onslaught of the West in a short time, and like us, many of its adherents also failed to see the moral wood for the halachic and legalist trees. We can help each other, for we have much in common; and, God willing, we may yet find even more common ground.

In this article, Lionel Blue describes the role played by the Beth Din, the Jewish religious court, of the UK Reform Jewish movement, of which he was the Convenor. He writes with humour of the way he tried to humanize what might otherwise be a strange and daunting experience for people. The court deals with conversion to Judaism, issues of Jewish status, legal matters associated with divorce. He describes the emphasis that has to be placed on supporting the individuals facing these deeply personal life-changing situations. Beyond the purely traditional legal issues and formality, greater attention and understanding should be given to the relationships people actually enter into today, and to the people themselves, their needs and their possibilities.

The three essays collected here are occasional pieces Lionel Blue contributed to the magazine Manna, The Forum for Progressive Judaism, edited by Rabbi Tony Bayfield. They address: his experience visiting monasteries and convents, his observations and what he gained from them; the changing stages in Jewish-Christian dialogue and what the next steps might be; the paradoxes of religion and the temptations of idolatry.

In this article, Lionel Blue contemplates approaching the end of life. The rabbinic tradition describes this world as a ‘prozdor’, a corridor to the world to come. We are ‘in between’ creations, with a toehold in heaven, yet intimations of heaven can be found in this life. As for dying, that can be a messy business. ‘I do not like the pain which accompanies all transformation.’ Dying is very different in the experience of those who are left behind, who wish to hold on to the one who is dying, whereas the latter may need silent companionship and permission to depart. Lionel offers some personal stratagems for dealing with old age. Indulge yourself and treat yourself insofar as your medication allows. Treasure friendships. Keep up your conversation with God.

In this article Lionel Blue recalls his introduction to the UK Reform Jewish movement, at the time the ‘Association of Synagogues of Great Britain’. His work with the youth groups coincided with a pioneering engagement with a post-war German generation, something considered problematical at the time, and similarly the beginning of a Jewish-Christian-Muslim dialogue. The movement at the time increased its support for Israel and joined with the American Reform Jewish movement in the World Union for Progressive Judaism both of which had their influence on its development. But missing were important spiritual questions: Did God still exist for us and how; Where did we locate Him in the horror of the Holocaust? Despite criticisms of some developments of the movement, what remains important is the friendliness, care and concern of the members, its humanity and preferring people as they are to ideological templates.