Dear Jewish community, I want a divorce…

Dear Jewish Community,

I want a divorce. It’s not you, it’s me, really, I know that’s an old cliché, but in this case, it’s the truth. I love you dearly, but the longer we live together, the more harm I think we’re doing to each other.

It’s not like I chose to be part of your family, I was forced into it by unscrupulous ancestors who endured and fought off centuries of torture, humiliation and murder just to hold onto their cultural identity. Merely 80 years ago, another attempt to annihilate them was again thwarted and unfortunately, now we find ourselves in this position.

For years I’ve watched as you’ve done everything in your power to destroy what my ancestors died for. I’ve watched as modern day “thinkers” took my ancestor’s beliefs, ideals and values that they fought so hard to maintain, sacrificed body and limb for, and “reformed” them. I’ve watched as you’ve embraced and assimilated into secular society denying, ignoring and forgetting your heritage, and honestly, I’ve found it extremely painful to watch.

Oh, and the children, the poor, poor children. I’ve watched as you’ve raised them to become moralless beings who exist solely for their own pleasure. I’ve watched as you’ve removed G-d, Torah and tradition from their lives.

I’ve screamed in protest as you’ve taught them that pluralism is the key to success and the ultimate goal in life is to be accepted in society and make lots of money.

My heart has broken as over 50 percent of our children a year have decided to marry outside the faith and how every year, less and less of them even identify with their heritage. I’ve watched the words G-d, Torah and even synagogue become vulgar in their minds.

I’ve watched and screamed to deaf ears, I’ve been rebuffed, condemned and ridiculed. I’ve been called a dinosaur, an enemy of the Jews and extreme for promoting Jewish values and G-d. It’s been a sacrifice, I’ve paid my dues and I can’t take much more.

Oh, I’ve tried lifting my spirits by attempting to get involved in more traditional enclaves, ones that appear to preserve my ancestor’s traditions, but unfortunately, even in that world moral corruption reigns.

It’s terrible that there are full communities who have risen to morally and financially support and make cult figures out of convicts, so called “Rabbis” have peeped on women in mikvahs and others have even ordered hits on members of their sects who dare to defy them.

It hurts me that there are communities who harbor and protect child rapists and others who teach hatred of other elements of the Jewish community. We’ve become a mess and it’s not only destroyed the fabric binding us all together but has driven us so far apart that it’s hard to link many of the “community” to the religion.

So, since I could no longer identify with most element of the general Jewish Community, I think it’s time for us to divorce. Just to be clear, I intend to continue following Judaism, just outside of the structure of this marriage. Plenty of divorced people move on and live very productive lives and I know if we try, we can both survive and flourish.

My dear people, we shouldn’t try to kid ourselves, we know that even if we split, we will always be a part of each other. Perhaps we can reconcile, maybe some therapy will work, I don’t know.

I’ll stick around, I’ll keep checking in on you to make sure you’re ok, I’ll make suggestion on how you can improve and you will always be on my mind.

Honestly, however, I don’t think you’re ready to admit you have a problem and we all know that the first step to recovery is recognizing the problem. If you need to hold my hand to get there, I’m here for you, but for now, I think it’s best we part ways and try to work it out.

Just know, I will always love you.

Howie