Spirit and Story
Welcome to Spirit and Story, where you can find the latest thoughts and reflections by CLAL faculty and associates on the contours of our contemporary spiritual journeys.
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“Think Outside of the Box,” Argue Rabbis Irwin Kula and
Brad Hirschfield, “Look at Impact, Not Intent.”
By Irwin Kula, Brad Hirschfield and Judy Epstein
“We have to think outside of the box about this film,” says Rabbi Irwin Kula, President of CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership. “American Jews fear anti-Semitism. Mel Gibson cites persecution. Both sides reflect their human experience. But there is no room for real dialogue.”
Rabbi Kula, along with CLAL Vice President Rabbi Brad Hirschfield, have been speaking out about “The Passion” and the opportunity that it could provide for true discussion about passionate religious experience and American secular values.
“We must look at the impact of our stories as we seek to build a better world,” says Rabbi Hirschfield. “We must create ways that both honor our own traditions and work to create a more peaceful and humane future.”
“Can we build a religious identity that respects the existence of others whose passions are different from our own?” he asks. “If we can start from that question, and look at the impact of our stories, teachings and experiences, we can begin to learn from each other and ultimately enhance ourselves.”
Both Rabbis Kula and Hirschfield argue that we must believe in the best intent of the other to begin a conversation. “Mel Gibson’s position is genuine. He is a traditional Catholic whose life has been transformed by the Passion story,” says Rabbi Kula. “The secular elite in American culture can’t hear that. And Gibson has no understanding of the historical legacy of hate experienced by the Jews with the Passion story. Each side must hear the partial truth of the other side.”
Rabbis Kula and Hirschfield state that because of the unique freedom and openness of America, the opportunity for the different sides - Jewish, Christian, secular - to come together and look at a way of honoring true passionate religious experience while detoxifying the stories from their legacy of hatred and oppression might be possible, but in the current climate, unlikely.
“We can either trust or mistrust the good intent of others from outside of our community. More often than not, we mistrust. But how does that move us forward? Sadly, it often is the spiritual mistrust of others that builds spiritual identity within a community,” says Rabbi Hirschfield.
However, Rabbis Kula and Hirschfield point out that “The Passion” presents an opening for a serious examination of the role of suffering and redemption as a spiritual lesson.
“We are a less humanly rich community without the Passion story,” says Rabbi Kula. “But the way historically the story has been used makes it difficult to find a healthy approach.” He further indicated that in Jewish tradition (the Talmud), there are lessons about the redemptive quality of suffering. “It is actually an expression of love.”
Concluded Rabbi Hirschfield, “It’s not about historical accuracy, it’s about ethics. There are many versions of the story depending upon your point of view. The point is not whether a particular group of Jews participated in the execution of another Jew in the 1st century -- it’s how Jews and Christians will get along in the 21st century.”
