The American Jews' Ten Commandments

As it happens, I bumped into Jack Wertheimer and his wife, a day before they returned to the US, introduced by Yossi Klein-Halevi.  You know, one of those 'on a Jerusalem street meetings' that makes the city so alluring.  And Jewish.

He mentioned having an article appearing in Commentary and here it is:

The Ten Commandments of America's Jews

...Although much has been written about disunity among today’s American Jews, what these words reflect is, in fact, a consensus on what Jewish life ought to stand for—a consensus held by activists, rabbis, popular writers, organizational leaders, and other figures of influence...Here, in summary form, are what might be called the ten commandments, the new do’s and don’ts, of contemporary American Jewish life.

I. I am the Lord your God, Who took you out of Egypt to ‘repair the world.’

II. You shall not be judgmental.

III. You shall be pluralistic.

IV. You shall personalize your Judaism.

V. Meaning, meaning shall you pursue.

VI. You shall create caring communities.

VII. You shall encourage the airing of all views.

VIII. You shall not be tribal.

IX. You shall celebrate your Jewishness.

X. You shall hold the Jewish conversation in public.

Read it all for the deliberative content.

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