The Jewish Press found the Orthodox Kerry voter!!!!

Lonely, Liberal, And Orthodox
Posted 11/17/2004
By MENASHE Y. SHAPIRO


Another national election has passed, and I am more baffled than I have ever been. Not because of the result — deep down I knew the Democrats were going to blow it — and not because such a flawed president executed a brilliantly focused campaign. But once again I am bemused (or amused, depending on the hour of the day) by the voting habits of the Orthodox Jewish community.

Admittedly, as a proud Democrat I am part of an ever shrinking minority in the Orthodox community. We Orthodox liberals cast votes for the Kerry-Edwards ticket and supported Al Gore even before he picked Joe Lieberman as his running mate. We don`t like Rush, refuse to be "Hannitized," and don`t necessarily subscribe to the Fox News view of the world.

Unfortunately, our visibility diminishes daily, as the fog of "best" for Israel, "best" for the frum Jew, and a misplaced and misunderstood notion of hakarat hatov clouds our message. Today, Orthodox Jews take a narrow view of the world, often eschewing the big picture in favor of short-sighted and near-term benefit, usually by accepting the instructions of a Jewish "leader" possessing "access."

How is it that after growing up in a yeshiva environment where we were asked to critically analyze every issue, where we parsed distinctions in law and language, we allow ourselves to be dragged down to the lowest and most degrading levels when it comes to government and politics?

How is it that the people of the mind, the people of learning, the people of intellect, refused to listen to a nuanced position and readily joined the "flip-flop" chorus?
How did we come to embrace rejectionist labels and sound-bite government? When did a people who celebrate wisdom mistake stubbornness and simplicity for strength and conviction? When did destabilizing a country and turning a region into a den of terrorists become the supportive act of a "friend?" Moreover, how is telling Ariel Sharon one thing while telling the UN and the European Union the exact opposite an act of support?

How could the people of tzedakah look askance at anti-poverty programs as mere big government waste? Why do we respond to thousands of years of oppression by supporting foreign polices that mimic those of our medieval oppressors? How is it that after ascending to the upper echelons of modern society directly as a result of enlightened and progressive thinking, we turn our backs on all those who seek the to do the same?

How is it that after experiencing a religious and spiritual renaissance because we were left alone and respected by our neighbors, we race to join the ranks of evangelical xenophobia? How do we claim to value life, yet flock to a president who won`t allow science to preserve it?

Why do we think that we justify our unique educational needs by trying to force the rest of society to pay for it — and why are we dumb enough to think that a $2,000 voucher will actually pay for said education? Why do we think we can justify our own religious reproductive freedom by supporting restrictions on the reproductive freedom of others? Why do we think that American capital punishment statutorily or procedurally resembles halachic capital punishment?

When did we forget what made us great in America? When did we forget that the creation of Israel was a response to right-wing fascism? When did we forget who we really are?

I am just 30 years old. I came of age in Ronald Reagan`s America. I watched Reagan bungle Lebanon and Syria and bomb tents in Lybia. I observed Reagan visiting the tombs of Nazi SS soldiers. I saw Reagan criticize Israel for bombing Arafat`s home in Tunisia and then his secretary of state became the first American dignitary to confer legitimacy on Arafat. Yet AIPAC responded by concluding he was a great friend.

I grew up in a Republican-dominated America. When unbalanced budgets were known as "economic growth," homelessness was the fault of the developmentally disabled or the Vietnam veteran, and defense buildup meant $3,000 toilet seats. Logic obviously is not part of the equation.

So how do I answer my questions? Why and when did this happen? Bottom line, I don`t have the first clue.

Orthodox Jews wonder why Democrats have the Jesse Jacksons and Al Sharptons of the world speak at their conventions. I wonder why a history of exalting James Baker, Pat Buchanan, Bob Dole and John Sununu, using moderate politicians as mere props for ultra-right policies, and virtually creating Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden escapes our scrutiny.

Orthodox Jews say Palestinians never had it as good as they do now, living under Israeli rule. Remember what it was like for them under Arab rule, they say. Israel has improved their lives. In 1860, Jefferson Davis was certain he had improved the lives of the African charges on his plantations.

Orthodox Jews ask why we must support the civil rights of those engaged in immorality (halachic and otherwise); after all, these civil rights can perpetuate an abomination. I say, go ahead. Pass the law or the amendment. Congratulations on eliminating immorality. But tomorrow may bring enforcement of any and all age restrictions for marriage, with society defining marriage as not just between a man and a woman, but between adults — not 18 year-old post adolescent seminary graduates. Take that one into our communities.

We are so worried about the slippery slope of open-mindedness that we forget the slippery slope of being close-minded and rigid. In our short-sighted drive to use our platform to protect our own interests, we forget exactly how we arrived at that platform. Or even what gave us the right to think we have interests in the first place.

Jewish life is predicated on meshing seeming contradictions. We are a people who reward hard work and protect personal property, but we expect and demand economic justice. We set rules for self-governance, but caution about respecting the outsider. We favor an organized society, but recognize the needs of the individual. Sound familiar? Is it Torah or the U.S. constitution?
As Jews, we must remember who we are, where we came from, and what brought us to this point. These are the lessons of our Torah, oral and written. Someday, we will remember this. Someday, the Orthodox community may actually look in the mirror before deciding who to vote for. ◙
Menashe Y. Shapiro is an attorney and Democratic activist living in Manhattan.