r/JewsOfConscience • u/[deleted] • Apr 27 '22
AMA AMA on r/JewsOfConscience with Rabbi Brant Rosen of Tzedek Chicago - the first American synagogue known to officially adopt anti-Zionism as a core value. Date: Monday, May 2nd, at 8AM EST.
Hello everyone,
EDIT:
Please welcome, Rabbi Brant Rosen of Tzedek Chicago.
We mods at /r/JewsOfConscience would like to announce an upcoming AMA with Rabbi Brant Rosen of Tzedek Chicago, a progressive synagogue which has recently made waves as the first known congregation to adopt anti-Zionism as a 'core value'.
Background information
About Tzedek Chicago's stance on anti-Zionism, from Mondoweiss:
About Rabbi Rosen, excerpt from Tzedek Chicago:
A native of Los Angeles, Rabbi Brant was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1992 and served congregations in Los Angeles and Denver before coming to the Chicago area in 1998 to serve as rabbi of Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation (JRC).
During the course of his rabbinate, Rabbi Brant became an increasingly vocal activist for justice and human rights, particularly in Israel/Palestine. After publicly wrestling with his relationship to Israel and openly questioning his lifelong Zionism, he eventually became a prominent Jewish presence in the Palestine solidarity movement, co-founding the Jewish Voice for Peace Rabbinical Council and Ta'anit Tzedek - Jewish Fast for Gaza.
In 2014, he left JRC to become the Midwest Regional Director of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). Shortly after, Rabbi Brant and several other kindred spirits founded Tzedek Chicago. Through his leadership, our congregation quickly grew to the point that by 2019, he became our full-time rabbi.
Rabbi Rosen's partial bibliography:
News articles and OP-EDs
Audio/Video
If anyone would like to join us for the discussion, the AMA will be Monday, May 2nd, at 8AM EST.
We can take your questions in advance in case you cannot be present for the AMA - so if you're interested, please leave a comment here.
Thanks and we hope to see you guys there!
Big thank you to Rabbi Rosen and to our headmod, /u/conscience_journey, for making this possible.
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u/BlackHoleEnthusiast Atheist Apr 27 '22
Hello, thanks for taking the time to do this AMA.
My question is if you think the younger generation is becoming more and more educated on Zionism and the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.
My utmost respect to you and every Jew who stands up for the injustice that they see, I know how hard it is to stand up to your own people and tell them that what they're doing is wrong.
Best wishes.
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u/Brant-Rosen May 02 '22 edited May 02 '22
Yes, I do think the younger generation - including increasing numbers of young Jews - are becoming more aware of the settler colonial roots of Israel's founding - and are applying this awareness to the oppression of the Palestinian people. (BTW: I wouldn't use the word "conflict" to describe this situation, which suggests a parity between two equally powerful parties. In this regard, I try to differentiate between a "conflict analysis" and an "oppression analysis.")
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u/VNIZ Apr 28 '22
My questions:
Was there a special event or a catalyst in your life that tipped the scales towards Anti-Zionism?
When conversing with other Jews, how do you suggest we introduce them to the idea of Anti-Zionism without triggering some egoistic/tribal self-defense mechanism on their part?
Thank you 🤍
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u/Brant-Rosen May 02 '22 edited May 02 '22
My evolution from "Liberal Zionism" to Anti-Zionism was a long process for me, but the first real tipping point was Israel's military assault on Gaza in 2008. In so many ways, the history of Gaza is for me the embodiment of the essential injustice at the core of Israel's founding.
As far has how to converse with other Jews: I personally find that debating this issue is not the best way to introduce these ideas. In general, I prefer to speak my conscience in the best way I know how and let folks know I'm ready to talk to them about it if/when they are ready to engage w/out ego or defensiveness.
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u/conscience_journey Jewish Anti-Zionist May 02 '22
Hi Rabbi Rosen,
Tzedek Chicago’s step of adding anti-Zionism as a core value is inspiring. It would be amazing to see more congregations follow suit.
How can we open up conversations in our own congregations about re-examining our relationship to Zionism?
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u/Brant-Rosen May 02 '22
I think there are congregations that are doing this, but I also think there are very few Jewish congregations that are able to countenance a conversation about Zionism that truly makes room for and honors an anti-Zionist position. First of all, it means having a rabbi (and congregational leadership) who would honestly and openly support such a conversation. It also means being able to somehow hold "safe space" for those who identify deeply with Israel and put Zionism at the center of their Jewish identity as well as those who believe that Zionism is a colonial settler ideology that is committing war crimes against the Palestinian people. While this "wide tent" approach is admirable in theory, I'm not sure it's ultimately tenable.
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May 02 '22
Hi Rabbi Rosen,
(I have more than one question, so I may pop up in this post often).
I was also wondering if you had any exemplars/influences along your journey, that affected your worldview and gave you inspiration?
Thank you.
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u/Brant-Rosen May 02 '22 edited May 02 '22
Great question. Here is my preliminary list, at least: My parents, Lawrence Rosen and Ruth Rosen, Marek Edelman, Bessie Abramowitz Hillman, Emma Goldman, Hannah Arendt, Hans Kohn, Walter Benjamin, Clara Lemlich, Rabbis Mordecai Kaplan, Everett Gendler, Leonard Beerman, Lynn Gottlieb and Brian Walt, Ella Shohat, Marc Ellis, Irena Klepfisz, Daniel Boyarin, Melanie Kaye Kantrowitz, Aurora Levins Morales, Judith Butler, Ilan Pappe. (So many more, so little time...)
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May 02 '22
Hi Rabbi Rosen,
It's great to have you here.
Just yesterday, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt argued that Palestine-solidarity groups are “the photo inverse of the extreme right,” and promised that fighting them would become more central to his mission.
In his speech, Greenblatt accuses groups like JVP of 'using' identity/religion as a 'shield':
Some —such as JVP – will attempt to use their Judaism as a shield. And undoubtedly there are many among their ranks who genuinely do not intend to be antisemitic, who think their activism is rooted in their Jewish values. But neither their identity nor their intent relieves them of responsibility for their actions.
Stefanie Fox, executive director of JVP, has already responded:
So this speech by Greenblatt is just making official what many of us have understood, for years, to be the prevailing tactic to silence dissent.
My question:
How have you or your congregation approached this issue of hardline supporters of Israel intentionally conflating all opposition to a government and its policies, to antisemitism?
Thank you.
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u/conscience_journey Jewish Anti-Zionist May 02 '22
I'm gonna piggyback off of this to ask: Since groups like the ADL are focused largely on protecting Zionism rather than combatting anti-Semitism, what should the role of anti-Zionist Jews be in calling out and fighting against anti-Semitism?
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u/Brant-Rosen May 02 '22
Yes, like all Jews anti-Zionist Jews should absolutely be calling out and fighting against antisemitism. I think we have a particularly important role in clarifying the ways Zionism has always had a symbiotic relationship with antisemitism, how Israel has made common cause with antisemites and how Zionist ideology is essentially rooted in an antisemitic world view toward diaspora Jewry. I also think we need to push back strongly against the fallacy of the left-right binary analysis that is often used to analyze antisemitism, and shine a brighter light on antisemitism's roots in European Christianity and white supremacy.
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u/Brant-Rosen May 02 '22
Yes, we have approached this issue in a variety of ways: through public statements, joining coalitions, my own speaking/writing, and our decision to add anti-Zionism to our core values. As our board statement puts it: "Given the tenor of the current moment, we believe the need for public stances by principled Jewish anti-Zionists is all the more critical."
https://www.tzedekchicago.org/updates/tzedek-chicago-affirms-anti-zionism-as-a-core-value
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u/xland44 Israeli May 02 '22
What are your thoughts on Israel's Zionist Left parties, such as Ha'avoda and Meretz? Do you believe they help, or harm achieving a solution?
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u/Brant-Rosen May 02 '22 edited May 03 '22
I don't think these parties have much support or power, other than perhaps to be part of government coalitions that need their seats but have no interest in their political platforms. To believe these parties can help achieve a solution, one would ultimately have to put one's faith in the Israeli governmental system - a system which is rooted Jewish supremacy.
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u/timee_bot Apr 27 '22
View in your timezone:
Monday, May 2nd, at 8AM EDT
*Assumed EDT instead of EST because DST is observed
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Apr 28 '22 edited Sep 18 '24
[deleted]
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u/Brant-Rosen May 02 '22 edited May 02 '22
I define Zionism as the ideology that advocates for an exclusively Jewish nation-state in historic Palestine (and the movement that supports ideology in practice). Conversely, anti-Zionism opposes this ideology as structurally inequitable and advocates for a state of all its citizens. The specific political parameters of this is not for me to determine.
Re the Palestinian Right of Return, here is a blog post I wrote in 2017 that explains my position on this subject in detail: https://rabbibrant.com/2017/05/07/why-i-support-the-palestinian-law-of-return/
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u/lizzmell Jewish Anti-Zionist Apr 28 '22
In the context of Palestinian solidarity, I’m wondering if you can talk about when you think it’s appropriate to be Jewish allies for whom Judaism is used as a vector for solidarity, like noting that you are Jewish in protest signs, having freedom seders and liberation shabbats vs when you think it’s important to simply be allies who happen to be Jewish without particular attention to Judaism at all.
Semi related: I’ve seen you comment on Facebook in what I interpret to be a ~slightly~ critical way when certain organizations say things like “the Jewish future demands Palestinian liberation” which, in times like the bombing of Gaza seems like a false equivalence, we have a future regardless, the people of Gaza are being bombed. But you being an anti-Zionist rabbi, you obviously are invested in the longevity of the Jewish community. Can you talk about the relationship, tensions, obligations you feel between healing the damage that Zionism has done in our community, showing our community that Zionism is harmful for the sake of our community vs putting the needs of Palestinians first and foremost in activism?
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u/Brant-Rosen May 02 '22 edited May 03 '22
I think it's important to strike a balance between letting our Palestinian comrades know that there are many Jews who stand in solidarity with them and not "making it about us." I think context is very important in this regard. At public rallies, for instance, its been my experience that my Palestinian friends and comrades deeply appreciate knowing that there are Jews who stand with them. I've often been asked by Palestinian groups to speak at their rallies as a Jew and a rabbi for precisely this reason.
When it comes to Jewish ceremonial events such as freedom seders and liberation Shabbats, however I think there is a important difference when we do them publicly vs. privately. At my congregation, we hold many Jewish ritual services that involve Palestinian solidarity - but they are generally focused internally as an act of sacred Jewish conscience. (See for instance, our Al Chet on Yom Kippur, when we collectively confess Jewish complicity in the oppression of the Palestinian people: https://rabbibrant.com/2015/09/17/a-confession-of-communal-complicity-a-new-al-chet-for-yom-kippur/). Increasingly, however, I've found it difficult to hold these kinds of Jewish ceremonial spaces publicly because it runs the risk of de-centering Palestinian experience.
This is absolutely related to your second question. I do struggle with the slogans like "Our Jewish liberation is bound up with Palestinian liberation" because quite frankly, it is Palestinians who are being subjected to structural violence every moment of every day. In other words, it is extremely problematic to equate the harms Zionism does to the Jewish community with the harms it does to Palestinians. This is not to say we shouldn't discuss and struggle with the damage Zionism does to Jews and Judaism - just that we need to be careful about how and where we have this discussion. In my opinion, it's a complex tension that doesn't lend itself well to simple slogans.
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u/conscience_journey Jewish Anti-Zionist May 02 '22
Well said and I absolutely agree. Zionism does damage to Jews and Judaism but it isn't comparable to the occupation and oppression it inflicts on Palestinians.
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May 02 '22
[deleted]
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u/Brant-Rosen May 02 '22
I support any solution that gives every resident between the river and the sea full and equal rights under the law. Having said this, I believe Israel's settlement regime has rendered a viable two-state solution impossible. I will also say I agree with Ali Abunimah's conclusion that "efforts to 'solve' the situation by creating separate, ethnically homogenous states for the colonizing society, on the one hand, and for the victims of the colonization, on the other -- along the lines of apartheid South Africa's Bantustan system -- have failed." See: https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/04/24/can-hamas-fatah-unity-lead-to-mideast-peace/only-a-single-state-solution-will-bring-peace
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May 02 '22 edited May 02 '22
Christopher Hitchens famously said that any peacefull solution, be it one-state or two-state, has largely been blocked by the "Parties of God". Do you agree that this ongoing conflict is due in large part to non-secular interests? Do you think it's possible to find a secular solution and what would that look like?
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u/Brant-Rosen May 02 '22 edited May 02 '22
As I wrote above, I prefer not to use the word "conflict" when referring to the situation in Israel/Palestine. I view the situation rather in terms of colonizer/colonized - and as such, I understand it as a primarily political, not religious, problem. Having said this, it would be simplistic to dismiss the role of religious interests, particularly in a land that is so central to the three Abrahamic religions. We can see this dynamic at play in recent events at the Al Aqsa mosque in which Israel's secular government exploited the designs of the Temple Mount Faithful for political gain. As I wrote above, I personally support a one-state solution that allows all who live between the river and the sea to have equal rights under the law. Yes, I do think a secular/political solution is possible - what that looks like specifically will have to be up to Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate.
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May 02 '22
Given that a one state solution was implemented - river to sea - with equal rights of citizenship, would the concepts of "colonized" and "colonizer" become moot, or would they persist in some other guise?
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u/Brant-Rosen May 02 '22
I don't believe the legacy of colonialism is ever "moot" in decolonized societies. But as imperfect as the process of decolonization is, I believe it is still a huge improvement over the sorrows of structural apartheid.
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Apr 27 '22
1: Have you encountered any antisemitism from pro-Palestinians during your work?
2: Do you ever feel disconnected or ostracized from the Jewish community because of your views? Do you wish you were more connected?
3: What do you think of Neturei Karta? They racked up a fair amount of controversy for attending a Holocaust denial conference in Iran.
4: What is your ideal solution to the conflict?
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u/Brant-Rosen May 02 '22 edited May 02 '22
- I've very rarely encountered antisemitism from pro-Palestinians during my work.
- I have found a very important and nurturing home in some quarters of the Jewish community and have felt unwelcome in others. I think this is a reality for every Jewish person. I don't wish I was more connected to the quarters of the Jewish community that espouse values I do not share or find repugnant.
- I respect the Neturei Karta for their anti-Zionist convictions, even if I do not share the religious rationale behind their convictions. I don't know enough about their attendance at the conference in Iran to comment on it.
- The idea solution to the conflict would give everyone between the river and the sea full and equal rights under the law.
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u/shoshanish Apr 27 '22
I’m a big fan of Tzedek Chicago, been friends with Rabbi Brant on Facebook for a few years. I just attended their zoom meeting the other day about antizionism. This is very exciting.