Volume 28 - Value of Jewish-Muslim Dialogue

Mark Ellis talks about the inter-faith deal: avoiding difficult topics like Israel, Nakba etc.  If inter-faith dialogue remains polite and neither deals with American racism or Israeli racism as well as our mutual violence, we are building other kinds of walls.  When we are brave enough to enter into real dialogue with all of our and their warts and still be able to speak there is  a real possibility for meaningful interfaith talk.  

We work closely with radical Catholics, deeply religious ones. With whom we share a mutual respect.  We work comfortably with Muslims and all people who work in a non violent way.  When I met Yehudit Keshet, one of the founders of Machsom Watch, she said that I was the first American Jew who spoke nicely to her.  David Shulman, an Israeli American academic who teaches at Hebrew University works closely with Ta’Ayush, Israel Palestinian cooperation.  His new book, DARK HOPE IS must read and is well reviewed by the Magnes Zionists, another Israeli American academic.  

We have to be braver and go beyond the inter-faith deal.  We met a Methodist pastor yesterday, an old friend, who told us how angry a Philadelphia rabbi is angry at us.  They have congregations in the same neighborhood.  We Jews are scared.  WE have good reason to be frightened when Shamai Leibowitz is shunned by his Orthodox shul after he defends Marwan Barghouti.  Shamai is a civil rights lawyer.  

As a serious religious seeker, I worry about the future of Judaism when we have filled much of our educational basket with Jewish nationalism and b’nai mitzva.  Most inter-faith dialogue is a cautious treadmill.  Arnold Jacob Wolfe appears braver than most of us.
  
We exist in a synagogue despite dissident views because we are serious Jew.  We are blessed to refusers, and break the silence and other Israeli heroes here on tour and will continue to do so.  We housed one of the Muslim combatants for peace who was well received with the small group that gathers for prayer Shabbat morning.  When synagogues parade out Dennis Ross without the Malley critique we infantilize our congregants.

Judaism will flourish with honest dissent and discourse.  We pride ourselves with recording minority opinions.  We need an anti-Exodus injection and a real discussion of 1948 when we cab study together the new historians.  Only when we get straight with ourselves will inter-faith get real.

I hope you read this and can respond to me.  I have much respect for your discourse. We is when I speak for my husband and me and I is Lois.  

Lois Swartz
Bubbes and Zaydes (Grandparents) for Peace in the Middle East  
Philadelphia, PA

Volume 29 - Health Care

Dr. Ginsberg properly defines the basic problem with health care in the US.  As a senior physician I remember the days when free clinics and hospitals were all about us, at medical schools, at community centers, as part of religious groups, in county and state clinics and hospitals and even in some physicians’ offices.  They were able to provide basic care for multitudes.  So many of us volunteered regularly to man them.  The reasons behind their loss helps to provide an understanding for the mess we are in.  While there were many factors that resulted in the closing of these facilities at the same time there was little responsibility taken by the medical profession itself for the lack of available care for the uninsured and poorly insured among us.  Think for a moment how the issue of basic care to all would be guaranteed if each physician, regardless of specialty would volunteer their services for but one full month every seven years in a sort of sabbatical. Or perhaps some other similar formula.   Perhaps we should consider a modern addition to the Hippocratic oath that promises such service.  But then you have the problem of providing the facility for these services.   Perhaps those medical agencies that receive taxpayers’ funding should consider the same responsibility and its solution.  We have the ability to solve the problem in small community centers as documented so well by Dr. Ginsberg.  Where are we in demanding more of ourselves in the medical field to offer a potential solution?  Where are our leaders?  Isn’t it interesting how debating issues over a war so successfully pre-empts debate about so many important domestic issues?

Joel L. Seres, MD
Portland, OR

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As a physician involved in public health, two questions come to mind:

1) When decisions are made to allow disease to occur in a few to protect a larger number in the community is this counter to the commandment from Leviticus?

2) Our country has a tradition of personal autonomy when it comes to health care decisions.  There is no question that the lack of priority for healthcare by our government has contributed to the present crisis.  However, we should also recognize that expensive diagnostics and therapeutics often demanded by patients have also contributed to lack of funds available to those in need.  With that in mind, is there not an obligation on the part of Reform Jews to engage in discussions about what are reasonable expectations we should have from our healthcare system?

Elliot G Raizes, MD
Duluth, GA

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It is precisely for the reasons stated in the discussion that many congregations shy away from involvement with many of the URJ resolutions. The theme of so many of them appear to have a strong political bias, participation in which at best excludes a significant percentage of the congregants and in many instances alienates them.
 
Supporting free clinics and all individualized help on a local level is the "social action" that most if not all can agree with and which temple social action committees would do well to support as much as possible. But what is the underlying premise of some of this discussion is that we as temple communities should undertake what amounts to partisan political activity which is wrong and would jeopardize tax exempt status.
 
Over the years we have rightly been upset by clearly political direction from "right wing" religions. We do not correct that problem by doing the same thing ourselves.
 
Bert Devorsetz
Temple Beth Shalom
Winter Haven, FL 

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As a physician who has worked in private practice and in managed care in the US as well as growing up and training in Canada, I believe the solution to universal health coverage, with which I wholeheartedly agree, is very complex.  In the commentaries I read, I think there are several pieces missing.  Unlike our northern friends in Canada we do not accept the idea that health care is a finite resource.  We want all the technology for everything.  We do not want someone looking over our shoulders to see if a test or treatment is really needed or appropriate.  We thus look to Canada where there is no management of care as we have here.  However, their version of cost control is to limit availability and create long waiting lists.  How many of us are willing to wait 2-4 weeks for a test, weeks or more for results of those tests or 3 months or more for surgery?  Moreover, when we do not get what we want we immediately want legal recourse, forcing physicians to practice defensive medicine.  This does little to improve health or health care but does much to increase our costs.

If we truly want a universal health care system we need to begin to be more realistic in what we do.  Encourage and, in fact, demand evidence based treatment.  Do not pay for high tech tests when they are not needed.  The public and physicians alike must come together to develop a system that will provide needed care for all.  If we stopped unnecessary tests and treatments that are often done at the behest of patients who threaten law suits (if they do not get what they think they need based on lay literature), we might well have the resources to end the uninsured and underinsured.

Finally, I am interested in comments on universal care versus single payer.  I have seen single payer up north and the health care system becomes a political football.  Is that what we want?  I for one, do not.  We complain about managed care and who makes decisions.  In Canada by controlling the budget for health care, politicians wanting re-election decide budgets from year to year based on political motives. The health delivery system must stay within that.  I think we need to get accountability into our system from insurers, practitioners and the public so we can put together a system  of which we can be proud.  That system need to cover all and at the same time not cost so much that it cripples our ability to compete in the world market.

Ian A. Shaffer MD, MMM
Oakton, VA

Volume 30 - Calling Myself a Reform Jew

Shabbat seems to have grown up with me, or I with it as I left my comfortable Reform congregation as a child, went out into the world as an adult Reform Jew and continued making my way for myself and my family. How do we fit Saturday and Shabbat into our everyday lives? was the question when the kids were home. Torah study on Shabbat morning is a great way for me to stay connected to the synagogue community.

I have a little secret Shabbat ritual that has evolved over the years. The closed minded should not read any further. I take the quiet time of Saturday afternoon to pay my bills. Yep! I sit down at the kitchen table, lay out the bills due for the coming week and offer a little prayer. 'Almighty One, Parent and Protector, blessed are You who gives me so many gifts. The gift of being able to provide for myself and my family, the gift of being able to pay my bills in full and not have any debt-no balances to carry over. I am blessed to be able to give to others not only of my time, but, also, of my money. This bounty came to me from You through those who loved me and are no longer among the living. I think of them and my responsibilities to future generations. My wish for this and every Shabbat is that one day all of us will be able to perform this task. I will work towards that end--to make justice well up like a mighty stream.'

Joy Pocasangre
Bellevue, WA