May 1982 RAIN Page 13 O ACTION A Renaissance Of Jewish Activism by Laura Stuchinsky Disproportionately represented in U.S. social causes such as the labor movement, the civil rights movement and the anti-war movement, Jews.have historically occupied a position left of center, from liberal to radical. This tradition of social activism has been a source of pride to many Jews. Yet along with the pride has been the continuing fear of anti-semitism, even among others working for liberal causes. In the last decade a variety of factors, including internalized antisemitism, deteriorating relationships with other minority groups and the economic mobility of portions of the Jewish community, have contributed to a gradual inching toward the right in the mainstream Jewish community. Disillusionment with the Reagan economic plan, recent debate over the AWACS sale and massive budget cuts to Jewish social service agencies may have stemmed this rightward drift. In spite of the apparent conservative trend,however, Jews have remained among the more liberal voters, closely following the Black and Hispanic community. What is more, a large and growing Jewish progressive movement is making itself heard. A Jewish cultural renaissance, sympathetic to progresive politics, nurturing a sense of ethnic rootedness, has taken firm hold within the past ten years. Internally, this renewal has been evidenced by the growth of havurot (small, egalitarian, self-run spiritual groups), the proliferation of Jewish art and music, and a re-exami- nation of history (reclaiming Jewish women's history and dispelling cultural stereotypes of passivity during the holocaust). Externally, the movement has affirmed the need for Jews, as Jews, to take a stand on issues of broad concern to Jewish survival and affirm Jewish values. Whether the issue be nuclear proliferation, discrimination, or energy policy, Jewish tradition, both secular and religious, provides continuity and a context for this renewal of Jewish activism. Following is a sampling of Jewish-identified groups that have adopted stances drawn from their cultural or spiritual beliefs and that have either started or taken on new vitality in the past decade. The growing number of organizations working on Middle-Eastern issues linking Palestinian, Jewish, and leftist groups have intentionally been omitted for reasons of space and clarity. Unlike the Christian social action groups described elsewhere in this issue, the groups below may either be primarily secular or religious in their orientation, for Judaism is both a culture and a religion. Cont. on page 15 Vc'SjJA-p |iyDV pi oSiyn onyn I'crW Sy Syi,jir»M V pyv .DiSvn Syi bvr 'in ,i;>iK SSn e^~ini DtSV .311K, pns . jimon yK aniK ,diSv On three things the world depends, on truth, on justice, and on peace. —Rabban Simon, Son of Gamaliel Pirke Avot 1:18 Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace, and pursuing peace, and loving all living beings. —Hillel Pirke Avot 1:12 Calligraphy by Scott Portnoff
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