Unitarian Universalism's Jewish Problems Continue
The Israel-Gaza War brings up longstanding socio-political extremism within the UUA
With the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza War, one-sided and inflammatory political theories within UU have once again come to the forefront. That is the reason for this post which links to an old paper on antisemitism within the UUA, some national UU groups, and progressivism in general.
While most Jews are well aware of its presence, it wasn't until October 7, 2023, that non-Jews began to witness the extent of antisemitism within the extreme political left in the United States and Europe. Contrary to common belief, antisemitism is not exclusive to the far right. A few years ago, two friends in London, one Portuguese and the other English, opined that antisemitism in Europe is more prevalent within the political left than the right.
Unitarian Universalism has traditionally been about pluralism, individualism, and free inquiry. However, a recent ideological takeover of the UUA and seminaries has resulted in many UUA leaders, ministers, and activists trying to enact as dogma a collectivist socio-political ideology.
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A reductionist worldview that characterizes Jews as members of the oppressor white supremacy class
The UUA, seminaries, many ideological ministers and lay activists have adopted an extreme version of critical theory and Robin DiAngelo’s white fragility racial ideology that pigeonholes people into stereotyped groups, defining them as either oppressed or oppressors. This binary model classifies Jews as part of the white supremacy and privileged oppressor class. This repeats centuries-old antisemitic tropes about Jews and dismisses the uniqueness and complexity of the Jewish experience and history.
Russell Shalev, an Israeli lawyer, historian of Judaism and an antisemitism expert, writes, “Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Intersectionality understand society as comprised of overlapping and interconnected levels of racial oppression. Critical Race Theory simplistically erases the uniqueness of the Jewish experience and identifies Jews as ‘white’, CRT’s oppressor class. In fact, CRT often considers Jews to be the epitome of white privilege and supremacy."
Mark Perloe, a retired physician who quit his UU congregation in Atlanta, wrote, “As a secular Jew, for many years I felt comfortable in a UU congregation where our ethnic and religious diversity was celebrated. The new UU leadership is more focused on celebrating the historically marginalized. Rather than creating a more inclusive community, UU has demonstrated hostility which has communicated that Jews and cis white males are no longer welcome.”
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One-sided and defamatory views of Israel
Jews are Middle Eastern and indigenous to Israel. My Sephardic family tree is traced back to Turkey, Egypt, and Israel. Israel, both as a nation and an idea, has been a central part of Jewish thought and culture for thousands of years. There were two previous Israeli nations, the second destroyed by the Roman Empire creating the Jewish diaspora. Following World War II and the Holocaust, it was re-established as a haven for Jews from across the world, including the Jews expelled from Arab countries.
Using the reductionist oppressed versus oppressors framework, numerous UUA leaders, publications, and national groups advocate an overtly one-sided, anti-Zionist stance regarding Israel. They falsely depict Israel as a racist, apartheid, colonizer, white supremacist state, and actively seek to delegitimize the country.
Shalev writes, “Anti-Zionism marginalizes American Jews by denying them the right to identify with the Jewish homeland and the home of half of world Jewry – the State of Israel. Anti-Zionism engages in a systematic falsification of Jewish history, thus robbing Jews of their identity and heritage. It consistently denies thousands of years of Jewish history in the land of Israel and the centrality of Israel to Jewish identity. It promotes the disenfranchisement of American Jews as Jews, by imposing upon them a false identification of Zionism as racism (racism considered as one of the cardinal sins of modern society)."
Most Jews would not join UU if they were aware of these skewed and one-sided perspectives on Israel and Jews. In response to the UUA’s one-sided statement on the war, Meggin Jackson wrote, “It's easy to simply blame Israel. It's hard to acknowledge the complexities that is peace in the Middle East. As a Jewish UU, this makes me feel like it's not a safe place for me to be a member of our beloved community.”
Arrant misconceptions about the war and Israel – by Professor Jerry Coyne
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Partnering with and promoting the extremist group Jewish Voice for Peace
The national UUA and national groups, such as DRUUMM, BLUU and Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East, partner with and promote Jewish Voice for Peace as “a voice of Jews.” In a recent UUA seminar for congregations on the Israel-Gaza War, the “Jewish perspective” was represented by a JVP member.
Jewish Voice for Peace is a fringe, extremist anti-Israel organization that has publicly supported Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel. JVP does not represent mainstream or majority Jewish views. The American Defamation League calls JVP “a radical anti-Israel activist group,” University of Chicago professor Jerry Coyne called it one of the three most prominent antisemitic organizations in America, and JVP leaders are banned from Israel. JVP is often used as a front or figleaf to excuse extremist and often antisemitic views.
Jewish Voice For Peace A “Fig Leaf For Anti-Semitism,” Rabbis Say (queensjewishlink.com)
Jewish Voice for Peace Increases Anti-Israel Radicalism | Opinion | thejewishnews.com
Report rips Jewish Voice for Peace and its tactics (jweekly.com)
Call Out Jewish Voice for Peace for What They Are: Anti-Peace Extremists - Opinion - Haaretz.com
Not So Jewish, Not For Peace - Joshua Muravchik, Commentary Magazine
Anti-Israel JVP recites Kaddish for terrorists - opinion - The Jerusalem Post (jpost.com)
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The consequences of promoting such thinking can be seen on university campuses
The consequences of promoting such extreme, one-sided views on Israel and society lead to the corrosive perception of Judaism and Jews on college campuses. The indoctrination of students with an anti-Zionist perspective, the characterization of Israel as a white supremacy oppressor state, and Jews as white oppressors have contributed to alarming displays of anti-Semitism on campuses, as observed after October 7.
Why Antisemitism Sprouted So Quickly on Campus by Social Psychologist Jonathan Haidt
The US college campus as a long-term strategic threat - JNS.org
Campus antisemitism has become systemic due to ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ | The Hill
How the Activist Left Turned Against Israel | TIME
The DEI industry has an antisemitism problem - The Post (unherd.com)
Why DEI Programs Can’t Address Campus Antisemitism – SAPIR Journal
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Censorship and the suppression of viewpoint diversity
UUA leaders, some UU ministers and activists not only deceptively present extreme views, such as those of Jewish Voice for Peace, as representative of the Jewish perspective, but they also actively suppress and demean the viewpoint diversity of Jews and Jews within UU, along with other racial and ethnic groups.
Over ten years ago, my Sephardic mother joined UU due to its welcoming of individuality, viewpoint diversity and freedom of belief. She quit after seeing the increasing racialization, censorship, and attacks on people who expressed different viewpoints. Mark Perloe wrote, “Unitarian Universalism is no longer a safe place for diversity of beliefs and opinions and no longer follows many of its founding principles.”
Miles Fidelman, a longtime Jewish UU in Massachusetts, has harshly criticized the suppression and demeaning of viewpoint diversity. He recently wrote, "From a marriage of truth-seeking heretics to just another bunch of ideologues, demagogues, and sheep, in one generation. This is how the Enlightenment ends - not with a bang, but barely a whimper.”
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Further reading
Antisemitism in the Unitarian Universalist Association - PhilArchive