Jews and Politics: In G-D We Trust?

“The Roots of Violence: Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without humanity, Worship without sacrifice, Politics without principles” (Mahatma Gandhi)

This past week has been a very somber and moving one, with the commemoration of the tenth anniversary of 9/11. This unique moment has left many of us asking ourselves, where are we as a nation ten years later? Are we more secure, resilient and safe since?

Nine eleven has changed the way we perceive the world; for example, it radically changed our foreign policy. Many of us have come to view 9/11 as a struggle between two faiths, Islam and Christianity, while others have said it’s a matter of religion vs. science. Is this a good thing? Or has it led the country further away from the principals that define us as a democracy?

Over the years, many have asked if Jews should involve themselves in trying to repair a nation that is in danger of losing the basic principles that its founders envisioned. In the last forty years, there have been many Jews who have taken upon themselves this responsibility, and have taken no credit or gained no fame from it. In fact, at times they put their lives and the lives of their loved ones at risk for it.

One such example was Lawrence Roth, who in the early ‘60s sued his local school board for forcing his children to say a non denominational prayer at school, with a cross in the room. This case ended up at the Supreme Court, which ruled against allowing any prayer in public schools. The court cited Thomas Jefferson, who wrote that the constitution erects a “wall of separation between church and state.” The Roth family was ostracized and threatened for the outcome of this case. In essence, this ruling created an opportunity for the growth of ‘Release Time’ and other great programs that helped bring religion back into the lives of our children, without it being forcibly indoctrinated to them.

We are a nation of believers, who allow all types of “spiritual traditions” to be practiced freely in our country. Yet, we find many instances where members of a community are opposed to having a local synagogue or mosque in their neighborhood. The question we should be asking is: why?

Ever since the dawn of time, religion and science have been at odds with each other, competing for an active role in shaping society. For example, during the Renaissance Age we saw a whole movement that was primarily based on science over religion, while other periods throughout history were focused on matters of religion. Currently the United States finds itself in a bind: on one hand they believe in religion, but on the other hand they want the schools to teach secular topics such as evolution.

If we believe that religion holds the true answers to all of society’s issues, then why not fully embrace its theology as our way of life? And if we think that science holds the key, then it should be our guide in life. Why are we constantly trying to embrace both them?

The core problem we are facing, I think, is that our religious centers have been shaken to their foundations with scandals and bad press, while at the same time science hasn’t been able to solve all our issues as we expected. Therefore, we tend to combine the two, hoping that together they we will shed some light.

So should we preoccupy ourselves with banning mosques, synagogues and churches from our communities? Should we continue to stereotype members of our society because they may have a different skin color then us? Or should we move beyond this and remember that America is the world’s greatest melting pot. “E Pluribus Unum:” From many, we are one.

If 9/11 has taught us anything, it’s that we need to stop creating dividers amongst our people. In times like these, America needs a strong nation in order to prosper. The great depression, World War Two and even the cold war were times of unification for our people. 9/11 was a dark hour in America’s history, but I believe that with tolerance and understanding, we can elevate the horrors of 9/11 into something more positive.