RABBI ALAN GREEN RESPONDS TO PEIKOFF'S ARTICLE ON DUAL FAITH BURIALS AT SHAAREY ZEDEK AND RABBI ALTEIN RESPONDS TO RABBI GREEN

by Rabbi Alan Green, Senior Rabbi, Shaarey Zedek Congregation

There are so many erroneous statements in Hart Peikoff’s article http://www.winnipegjewishreview.com/article_detail.cfm?id=1367&sec=2&title=MY_VIEW:_SHAAREY_ZEDEK_SYNAGOGUE_AND_DUAL-FAITH_BURIALS on the new Dual Faith section of the Shaarey Zedek Memorial Park that it’s difficult to know where to begin.

However, I want to affirm that I consulted with Rabbis Altein and Ellis, as well as Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwartz, Av Bet Din of the Rabbinical Council of America, one of the foremost Halachic authorities on the continent. These three rabbis cover the entire spectrum of Orthodox Jewish practice.

I consulted these rabbis on the question of a universally acceptable Halachic boundary between the Dual Faith section of our cemetery, and the rest of our cemetery—a critical issue, if we wanted to maintain the Jewish integrity of the remainder of our cemetery. All three rabbis agreed that our fifteen-foot wide roadway, combined with a (still to be constructed) six-foot high fence, exceeded every standard for a valid Halachic boundary between the two parts of our cemetery.

Our main concern was that all rabbis in our community would continue to be able to conduct funerals and burials in the Shaarey Zedek Memorial Park. Rabbi Altein, Rabbi Ellis, and others may be less than happy with Shaarey Zedek Congregation’s decision to accommodate the burial of the growing number of interfaith couples in this community. Nevertheless, the rabbis have agreed to live with the situation, and funerals conducted under the auspices of all Jewish religious movements will continue to take place at the Shaarey Zedek Memorial Park.

Mr. Peikoff baldly states that Shaarey Zedek’s decision to establish the Dual Faith section of our cemetery was taken with a lack of care or concern over Halacha. However, as I think I demonstrated above, the Dual Faith section of the Shaarey Zedek Memorial Park was established with great care for Halacha. The real dispute is over how we ought to respond to the vast changes currently sweeping through the Jewish world.

The Jewish people seem to have voted, with their feet, in favor of interfaith marriage. There is every indication that interfaith couples will eventually become the majority of every Jewish community on the continent. Interfaith marriage is certainly a challenge. It’s also an opportunity—for outreach, and even for expansion of the numbers and influence of the Jewish people. In establishing the new Dual Faith section of our cemetery, Shaarey Zedek Congregation has made a loud, clear statement: that we will not ignore, write off, or shun interfaith couples and their families; that they too, are an important part of our community; and that we aim to integrate them, as much as possible, into the living fabric of a modern Jewish spiritual life.

From Rabbi Altein:

Rabbi Green did consult with me, as well as with Rabbi Ellis. I discussed this with Rabbi Ellis and we took the same position.

First, let me preface my remarks with noting that is not the way of Chabad to condemn, nor to pass judgment on those Jews that compromise on Jewish observance. No one knows what challenges people face; only G-d can judge. Instead, Chabad builds Jewish life by inspiring and teaching the joy, the love and the depth of Judaism. However, this issue is so basic to Jewish survival that it is necessary to bring sense and clarity to this issue.

There are several elements in this discussion and the confusion stems from the mixing of these various issues. It does not take a genius to recognize that intermarriage is not only against Jewish tradition, but that it endangers Jewish continuity. Even the most secular Jew of the previous generation was dead-set against intermarriage. No matter how one defines his/her Jewish identity, it is clear that in a short span of time, Jews will become extinct as a nation, if intermarriage continues. I am a personal witness to cities where there are no more Jews, only gentiles who descend from Jews that intermarried.

The notion that the time has come to "embrace" intermarriage is wrong and dangerous. We definitely should embrace every Jew--including those that have intermarried, but not embrace what they do as legitimate expressions of Judaism. Chabad is inclusive and many of our regulars are intermarried. That does not mean that we should distort Judaism and pretend that intermarriage is good for Jewish continuity. For example: we also encourage people to observe Shabbat & kosher--although many people involved with Chabad do not yet keep kosher or Shabbat, for personal reasons.

The younger generation needs to be given an honest and true version of Judaism and they will then choose the best that they can do. To pretend that non-kosher is kosher undermines the integrity Jewish teaching and will only be a deterrent to young Jews rather than an encouragement. You cannot inspire with dishonest and distorted presentation of what the Torah teaches.

The same is true for mixed burials. Anyone with the most basic knowledge of Judaism will know, as Mr. Peikoff has stated, that mixed burial is counter to Jewish tradition. If there are mixed couples that feel they want to be buried together and arrange to do so, that is their personal choice. We continue to love them as Jews, respect them as good people--but we do not misrepresent Jewish life as pretending that it is a "kosher" form of burial.

In my discussions with Rabbi Green, who is my personal friend, I was quite clear in stating that I felt it would undermine Jewish continuity in this community, if Shaarey Zedek allowed mixed burials. He told me that regardless, it was going to happen because that is what the board decided. Since, no matter how much the mixed-section is against Jewish practice, it will nevertheless become a fact, he asked how we can protect the legitimacy of the "Jewish-only" section of the cemetery. A Jewish cemetery may be adjacent to a gentile cemetery (and a "mixed-burial" ground does not qualify as a proper Jewish burial ground). But there must be a separation of a fence (optimally to a height of 4 cubits, or 6-8 feet) and/or an empty space between the two burial grounds of at least 8 cubits (16 feet).

Rabbi Green said that the Shaarey Zedek will have that separation between the only Jewish area and the mixed area.

I also mentioned that once a burial ground was consecrated for Jewish burial, Jewish law considers it unacceptable for it to be changed to bury gentiles. Rabbi Green explained that the specific area that will become a mixed burial ground was never before intended to be used for Jewish burial; it was not consecrated.

We then discussed the danger to Jewish survival in removing a traditional deterrent to intermarriage and that perhaps the two areas would have separate entrances, so that the perception will remain that an authentic Jewish burial can only take place in the Jewish-Only section. Rabbi Green said that he would try to do so.

In summary, I cannot embrace nor condone mixed burial. I think that it undermines an already difficult challenge to preserve the strong Jewish character of this community. In that regard, Mr. Peikoff is correct. On the other hand, the traditional status of the burial ground on the Jewish-only side of the fence will not be compromised. And for that, I thank Rabbi Green for taking into serious consideration the Halachic perspective of those buried on the Jewish side.

We remain divided in how to build Jewish life in a community where intermarriage is common. I do not believe that we can further the cause of Jewish life by pretending that mixed marriages and burials are acceptable; certainly not by embracing those marriages or burials. I believe that we should not judge or condemn anyone for what they do, but teach with truth and honesty the beauty and richness of Jewish life. In the end, that will be the only way to reinvigorate Jewish life in our community.