Starhawk: "I'm a Jew, a feminist and a Witch."

[Richbee]

Some years ago, while appearing in Jerusalem for Israel's 13th annual feminist conference, Wiccan writer Starhawk (a/k/a Miriam Simos) discoursed at length on the connections between her Wiccan present and her Jewish upbringing, declaring "I'm a Jew, a feminist and a Witch."

She went on to explain, the parallels between what she learned as a Jewish child about the presence of divinity in everything.

:ahem:

How is this possible, as Judaism is Theistic, not Pantheistic? The Bible orr Torah teaches that we are created in God's likeness, but clearly not divine.

Would this be a teaching from one or more versions of the Kabbalah?

[James Peter]

I don't think so.

It would be like asking how somebody raised in a fundamentalist, calvinist church could draw parallels between their upbringing and their current (Wiccan) faith. Just because somebody sees a parallel doesn't mean that the beliefs are the same. And there is such a thing as non-theistic christianity of course. Its messed up in my opinion but people believe in it... (think Spong).

[BlackOpal12]

How is this possible, as Judaism is Theistic, not Pantheistic? The Bible orr Torah teaches that we are created in God's likeness, but clearly not divine.

Would this be a teaching from one or more versions of the Kabbalah?

One of the important points that I fear you have missed is that, for many, "Jewishness" is not simply a religious matter, but one of ancestry - the role of the bloodline and the nurturing form one aspect of Judaism, the tradition forms another. Not to suggest any implications of either aspect, simply to note the dichotomy. In this frame of reference, one can be "ethnically" Jewish while practicing a different faith, or no faith at all.

[Richbee]

One of the important points that I fear you have missed is that, for many, "Jewishness" is not simply a religious matter, but one of ancestry - the role of the bloodline and the nurturing form one aspect of Judaism, the tradition forms another. Not to suggest any implications of either aspect, simply to note the dichotomy. In this frame of reference, one can be "ethnically" Jewish while practicing a different faith, or no faith at all.

Careful some might conclude that this is a racist view point of Jews. Now, contrast the Jewish woman who claims to be Wiccan, with a Jew who claims to Messianic or "christian"?

[tmancour]

Careful some might conclude that this is a racist view point of Jews.

Not at all. I know of several Jews who cling to a Jewish cultural identity rather strongly, while eschewing religious Judaism altogether. Judaism is a tribal religion, but giving up the religion does not mean they lose their tribe.


Now, contrast the Jewish woman who claims to be Wiccan, with a Jew who claims to Messianic or "christian"?

Emphasis mine. I have a problem with this sort of thing. One does not "claim to be a Wiccan" or is a "self-described", "self-professed" Wiccan. If someone says that they are a Wiccan, the same courtesy should be extended to them that is extended to people who "claim to be a Christian" or are "self-described Christians". Bu using the terms "claimed", "described" and "professed" you are denegrating the religious experience of the practitioner. It would be like casting aspersions on the validity of a Christian's conversion experience -- was St. Paul "claiming to be a Christian"?

Arion

[James Peter]

Careful some might conclude that this is a racist view point of Jews.

No more so then someone who is proud to identify themselves as being an American, or in my case English.

[Richbee]

No more so then someone who is proud to identify themselves as being an American, or in my case English.

Sadly, throughout history Jews have been persecuted for their birth, even after converting. (Note, some deny their Religious freedom to decide their own Faith.)