You are NOT a “Bad Jew” Jonah Platt on Embracing YOUR Identity, Wherever You Are

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In the context of Jewish identity,

when we say conservative, we don't mean

politically like liberal versus

conservative. We mean the conservative

movement within modern Judaism, which is

basically the middle lane between

Orthodox and reformed Judaism. Tell me

if you've heard this one. Folks will

say, "I went to Jewish summer camp. I

went to Hebrew school. I had a bach

mitzvah. We celebrated Russana and

Passover. I work with Holocaust

survivors, etc., etc." But it's preceded

by this odd disclaimer. Well, I'm

reform, but

I'm reformed, but or I'm culturally

Jewish, but like there's a need to

qualify one's Jewishness, like there's a

sense of apology, I know this is less

than ideal, but and I thought to myself,

where is that coming from? Why are

people who have done many of the things

that foster Jewish identity, things that

clearly denote a Jewishly connected

person who cherishes that connection,

why do these people feel the need to

downplay their own validity as Jews? I

think it's because whether subliminally

or overtly, we are made to believe that

our validity as Jews is based solely on

our level of religious observance. that

because someone may not be as literate

in the vast canon of customs and

traditions of our people, they are not

as Jewish as someone who is. And I know

these insinuations occur because I've

seen it happen. Hell, I've probably

participated in it myself at some point

or another. Orthodox to conservative,

conservative to reform, on and on. I've

certainly experienced it. I mean, I'm a

conservative Jew who is a professional

advocate for Jewish people hosting a

show called Being Jewish. And there are

people who try to tell me I'm not Jewish

enough because I eat pepperoni and have

tattoos.

What does this condescending holier than

thou approach accomplish? I mean truly,

what is the goal here? To make members

of our own community feel less welcome?

To convince Jews to become more

observant by what? Shaming them? Has

that ever worked for anyone ever in any

context? I understand that behind this

aloofness towards less observant Jews is

fear. the fear that if enough Jews stop

caring about being Jewish, our people

will die out. And I get that, of course,

and share that same concern. But let's

think about it logically. Do we really

think making fellow Jews feel less than

or excluded is going to make them care

more about being Jewish? Moreover,

something diaspora Jews so often forget,

the vast majority of Israeli Jews are

secular. They're not spending Friday

night at yeshiva. They're at the bar.

You're going to tell me a Jew living in

the Jewish homeland is less of a Jew

because they eat shellfish and drive on

Shabbat.

If you've been listening to this series,

you know I believe that words have great

power and that we must be intentional

and deliberate in the things we say. To

that end, it's time for us to retire the

phrase bad Jew. To me, the only bad Jew

is someone who lives antithetically to

the values of Judaism. You want to cheat

people in business, that's a bad Jew.

You're a murderer. That's a bad Jew. You

unwittingly support jihadist terrorist

regimes at the expense of your own

people. That's a conversation for

another episode. But you don't know what

shàuote is. You're not a bad Jew. You

might be a less knowledgeable or less

observant Jew, but you're certainly not

a bad one. You have as much a right to

the wholeness of your Jewish identity as

the most ultraorththodox people on the

planet who, if we're being honest, have

their own contradictions to grapple with

as well. Jews are not just a religious

group. We are a tribe, a people, a

family. For many of us, being a Jew is

literally in our DNA. No level of

observance or lack thereof can take that

away from you. And you'll notice I refer

to people's Jewishness rather than their

Judaism. That's on purpose because while

your commitment to Judaism, the

theological religious system of belief

is malleable, your intrinsic Jewishness,

your membership in the tribe is not.

What frustrates me the most about all

this Mishagas is the hypocrisy. We're

supposed to be better than this. We're

about righteousness, humility,

thoughtfulness, healing the world,

welcoming the stranger, seeing all

people as being made in God's image. and

we're going to make members of our own

community feel less welcome or of less

value because they break their yum kapor

fast at In-N-Out.

I can't help but think of an image from

the Passover story when we read about

how God took the Jews out of Egypt with

an outstretched arm. I urge you, dear

audience, when you hear someone call

themselves a bad Jew or give the I'm

reform butt disclaimer, offer them your

outstretched arm. Pull them in. Don't

push them out. Remember, nine times out

of 10, this is a person who actually

wants to be even more connected and just

doesn't know how. When you see Jews

breaking with tradition, try to

understand the person and their

commitment to their Jewish identity

before you judge them for not living

life exactly as you expect them to.

Especially now when so many are against

us. Our priority needs to be solidarity

and unification, not infighting or

exclusion. We're already losing Jews to

Hezbollah rockets and Hamas terrorists

and propaganda on the far left and far

right. We need to be stemming the tide,

not aiding in its flow. If this show

accomplishes anything, I hope it

reinforces the notion that each of us,

Jewish or not, has intrinsic value to

whatever community with which we

identify. What others think about you in

that regard is truly irrelevant. You are

as Jewish as you feel.

Don't never let anyone take that away from you.